Drug information can be confusing.

The information in prescription drug leaflets and consumer-oriented magazine advertisements is too confusing for most people, an Ohio State University study suggests. Researchers found that those individuals who reviewed complex drug information leaflets were significantly more confused, doubtful, and overwhelmed than others who read simple or intermediate-level materials.

"These results suggest that people can get overloaded with prescription drug information," notes Jon Schommer, assistant professor of pharmaceutical administration. "When you get overloaded, you can actually make poorer decisions than if you had an adequate amount of information. If you read a drug leaflet that's burdening you with [data] and you begin to feel confused, you might become indecisive, misinterpret what the information is saying, and take the medication in the wrong way."

These results are especially pertinent given the increasing amount of technical drug information available to consumers. "There's an information explosion. There are drug CD-ROMs. People are buying the Physician's Desk Reference like crazy. Direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs are showing up more and more in general interest publications. The...