**6. Interpretation of the medication instructions**

Understanding medication instructions coupled with other treatment measures like lifestyle modification, play a major part in controlling diabetes mellitus. The instructions need to be clear such that patients will not take their medications incorrectly as a result of misunderstanding. It is important for medication dispensers to make sure that patients understand the correct meaning of these instructions before they leave the facilities. Health literacy should therefore be imparted to enhance medication instructions comprehension and medication compliance in diabetes mellitus patients [1]. **Table 3** give an outline of the prescribed medication instructions' explanation as a recommendation to assist people with cardiovascular diseases on treatment.


#### **Table 3.**

*Lifestyle and Epidemiology - The Double Burden of Poverty and Cardiovascular Diseases...*

**Symptoms experienced Agree Neutral Disagree** Changes in vision 59 8 70 Numbness 60 7 70 Tingling sensation 47 4 86 Burning/pain on the toes or fingers 54 3 80 Erectile dysfunction in men 17 6 34 Poor hearing 18 2 117 A wound that does not heal 7 2 128

guides etc. however, the print materials have been found to be complex and written in medical language which patients do not understand irrespective of their literacy level [25]. Most the patients on diabetes medications are elderly. It will serve us right as health professionals to write or tell the patients the exact times for taking the medications. This should also include the rationale for doing so. That is, to avoid

Non-compliance due to poor literacy result in some patients experiencing complications. Most of the patients experiencing complications do not know that they are linked to the disease process and non-adherence. Patients who were not compliant experienced complications compared to those who are compliant [26]. Some of the complications experienced by diabetes mellitus patients on prescribed medications are listed on **(Table 2)**. For erectile dysfunction, women

**4. Need versus no need for assistance with adherence to medications**

Most of the diabetes mellitus patients are not aware that they are not taking medications correctly. This is because patients believe they are complying with how professional nurses have told them. On the other hand, other patients think they still need further assistance on how to adhere to medications. Misunderstanding of medication instructions could be reduced through improving clarification and understanding of labeling on prescribed medications by medication dispensers [20]. That is the reason patients believe the information given to them by health professionals as they trust that they are experts in their fields. It is, therefore, health professionals' duty to fully equip themselves with the knowledge needed for patients to understand the medications instructions. This knowledge should be

**Participant 'T'** *indicated that they need assistance and said, "I feel I need assistance on how I should eat and take medication correctly. I do not have such knowledge, I need it".* On the contrary, **participant 'V'** said, *"According to me I do not need it because every time when I collect medications here at the clinic, they teach us how we should consume them".* **Yet participant 'U'** also said, "*No, I do not need it. I see myself taking* 

over- or under-medicating themselves.

*The symptoms experienced by diabetes mellitus patients on treatment.*

made clearer to the level of patients understanding.

*the medications correctly, I am satisfied".*

**3.3 Complications**

**Table 2.**

were excluded.

**278**

*An outline of the prescribed medication instructions' explanation.*
