How readable are pharmaceutical leaflets in Türkiye?

This study evaluates the readability of pharmaceutical leaflets used in Türkiye. A total of 26 pharmaceutical leaflets, randomly selected from the website of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health's Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, were analyzed based on the Ateşman Readability Formula. Within the scope of the research, the readability scores and levels of the texts presented under the headings "What X (X = name of the medicine) is and its indicated use," "What you need to know before you take or use X," "How to take or use X," "Possible side effects," and "How to store X" were calculated. The findings revealed that the majority of leaflets had a "difficult" or "very difficult" readability. In particular, the frequent use of long sentence structures and multisyllable words negatively affects readability. This situation makes it more difficult for individuals with low health literacy to access information and increases the risk of improper use of medications. The study emphasizes the need to restructure patient information materials using simple, clear, and understandable language. These findings provide important recommendations for pharmaceutical manufacturers and health communication specialists, contributing to the improvement of public health.