In the Fall of 2004, Cespharm, in collaboration with the Afssaps, surveyed the public’s perception of the risks of driving under medication. 105 volunteer pharmacists polled over 400 patients to evaluate three new pictograms proposed by the Afssaps.

90% of the people surveyed were regular drivers and two thirds of them took at least one medicine per day. Respondents were generally aware of risks of driving under medication but did not tend to deal optimally with these risks.

On being given a medicine with a warning pictogram, 32% of the patients said they asked their pharmacist for advice, whereas 12% said they ignored the warnings and 7% decided not to take the medicine. The new pictograms were positively perceived by the patients, 60% of whom said they would change their attitude.

Afssaps-Cespharm survey on warning pictograms - pharmacists and patient's viewpoints