Abstract
This study sought to establish the degree of patients’ knowledge regarding medication prescribed by public dental services in Porto Alegre and verify the frequency of verbal prescription by dentists and individual sources of information on medication. It involved a cross-sectional study conducted in two emergency services using a structured questionnaire applied after dental consultation. Of the 286 respondents, 164 (57%) were female, with an average age of 35 and mean family income of 3.5 minimum salaries. It was revealed that 10% of the patients received a verbal prescription and, of the 258 who were questioned regarding knowledge of medication from written prescriptions, 86% knew the name of the medication, 85% knew the dosage frequency, 66% knew the therapeutic indication and 65% the correct dosage. Only 20% and 9%, respectively, were aware of contra-indications and side effects. Based on the scoring system used, 55% of the patients displayed fair knowledge, 34% insufficient awareness and 11% good knowledge of the treatment. The main source of information about medication was the leaflet (40.7%). Most patients revealed a satisfactory level of knowledge about the core information regarding the treatment, but would have difficulty deciding precisely what to do in the event of complications.
Prescription of medication; Patients’ knowledge; Dentistry
