Consumer Knowledge of Acetaminophen Safety, Dosing, and Identification

Abstract

Specific Aims: The objective of this study is to evaluate consumers’ knowledge about over the counter (OTC) products containing acetaminophen (APAP). Methods: Doctor of pharmacy student researchers set up a booth at consenting community pharmacies and invited consumers to participate in a 10-15 minute knowledge assessment. The booth contained a table displaying several OTC medication bottles/packages. Adult participants: a) answered baseline questions verbally about their APAP knowledge and associated risks; b) identified OTC products at the booth that contain APAP; and c) calculated and demonstrated dosing of APAP. The researchers asked follow-up questions and assessed the accuracy of the dosing. Participants received APAP educational brochures upon completion. Main Results: Eighty percent of subjects reported not knowing what the abbreviation “APAP” means, and almost half of those who said that they knew what it means were incorrect. Very few participants were able to correctly identify the products containing APAP even with the product packaging information, with the percentage of incorrect responses as to whether a product contains APAP or not varying from 4.9% to 31.6%. More than 40% of the pediatric doses were incorrectly dosed for both of the pediatric formulations, even with the majority of subjects being parents. Conclusions: Consumers are not able to identify which over-the-counter products contain APAP even with the product packaging before them, and they do not know what the abbreviation “APAP” means. Better packaging and product ingredient information should be developed, and the abbreviation “APAP” should be avoided. Pediatric APAP products should be re-evaluated regarding safety and dosing.