{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,10]],"date-time":"2025-12-10T16:00:36Z","timestamp":1765382436125,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,4]],"date-time":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1688428800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)","award":["PTDC\/SOC-SOC\/30734\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/SOC-SOC\/30734\/2017"]}]},{"name":"Egas Moniz-Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL","award":["PTDC\/SOC-SOC\/30734\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/SOC-SOC\/30734\/2017"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Social Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This article discusses results from a sociological study on (i) the sources and use of information on medicines and\/or supplements and (ii) the self-assessment of how informed participants were about the last medicine or supplement they purchased. It seeks to demonstrate the plurality of information sources (expert and lay) that individuals call upon\u2014with which they build up their medication literacy\u2014and their perception of the information they have. While these social components of literacy are scarcely visible in available studies, the need to produce knowledge on them is a requisite for a more laypeople-centred approach in public policies seeking to promote medication literacy. A questionnaire was applied in-person (n = 1107) in urban pharmacies in Lisbon and Porto (Portugal). Results show expert information (medical and pharmaceutical) as the dominant reference, followed by lay sources (family\/friends\/colleagues), while digital sources were less valued than interpersonal ones. This interpersonal dimension was a relevant factor in the building of trust in information. The self-assessment of the information on medication was higher in functional literacy and lower in comprehensive literacy. Studies on medication literacy are particularly relevant in the current context of the expansion and diversification of medicines\u2019 use and of individuals\u2019 growing autonomy in their consumption habits.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/socsci12070392","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,5]],"date-time":"2023-07-05T00:37:28Z","timestamp":1688517448000},"page":"392","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Medicines and Medication Literacy: Social Practices and Use of Information"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5789-7766","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"No\u00e9mia","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CiiEM\u2014Egas Moniz Interdisciplinary Research Center, Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"},{"name":"Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, CIES-Iscte, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6177-9340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elsa","family":"Pegado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, CIES-Iscte, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1396-1102","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catarina","family":"Egreja","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CiiEM\u2014Egas Moniz Interdisciplinary Research Center, Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carla","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Iscte\u2014Instituto Universit\u00e1rio de Lisboa, CIES-Iscte, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2705-4845","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Isabel","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CiiEM\u2014Egas Moniz Interdisciplinary Research Center, Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1177\/0038038510369368","article-title":"Pharmaceuticalization of society in context: Theoretical, empirical, and health dimensions","volume":"44","author":"Abraham","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sociology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Arriaga, Miguel, Francisco, Rita, Nogueira, Paulo, Oliveira, Jorge, Silva, Carlota, C\u00e2mara, Gisele, S\u00f8rensen, Fristine, Dietscher, Christina, and Costa, Andreia (2022). 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