| Submission to first decision
(The average time from manuscript submission to desk rejection, direct rejection/acceptance or assignment to the first editor) Note: For manuscripts that fully comply with the journal template. However, this timeframe does not apply to manuscripts with formatting or guideline deficiencies. If a manuscript is returned to the authors for corrections, the administrative review process will restart from the re-submission date. |
3 weeks |
|---|---|
| Submission to decision after review (For papers that are sent to review, the average time from submission to receipt of first editor decision) | 6 weeks |
| Submission to final decision (The average time from manuscript submission to the final editorial decision) | 16 weeks |
| Submission to publication (The average time from acceptance to publication. Manuscript published in early view are also included in this calculation) | 24 weeks |
ACTA Pharmaceutica Sciencia
2026 , Vol 64 , Num 3
Comprehensibility of pharmaceutical pictograms in patient information leaflets: A cross-sectional study in Ankara, Türkiye
1 Başkent University, Faculty of Health Science, Department of Healthcare Management, Ankara, TürkiyeDOI : 10.23893/1307-2080.APS64021 Viewed : 964 - Downloaded : 486 This study aimed to assess the comprehensibility of commonly used pharmaceutical pictograms in Türkiye and examine how socio-demographic characteristics, health literacy, and medication-related behaviors influence pictogram interpretation. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 626 adults residing in Ankara, Türkiye, using an online survey. The survey included socio- demographic questions, a Single-Item Health Literacy Screening (SILS), a Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4), and a Pictogram Comprehension Test covering 12 pharmaceutical pictograms. Guessability scores and guessability performance were calculated to measure pictogram comprehensibility. The average guessability performance score was 19.48 ± 14.83, indicating a low overall comprehension level. Among the 12 pictograms, only one (P5, 76.3%) met the ISO 9186-1 comprehension criterion of 67%, while P7 had the highest incorrect response rate (94.9%). Age, gender, occupation, income, chronic illness status, health literacy, awareness of medication side effects, and medication instruction reading habits were found to significantly influence pictogram comprehension (p<0.05). The findings suggest that pharmaceutical pictograms in Türkiye may not be sufficiently effective as standalone communication tools, as their comprehensibility is influenced by multiple socio-demographic and behavioral factors. To improve their effectiveness, pictograms should be redesigned based on user feedback, standardized in accordance with ISO guidelines, and supplemented with educational interventions. Keywords : pharmaceutical pictograms, health literacy, medication adherence, patient information leaflets, Türkiye