NPR story on medicine labeling

[Abby Klemmer <aklemmer -at- factset -dot- com>]

I heard this story on NPR this morning and thought it was interesting from 
a technical writing perspective. Prescription medicine labels and 
instructions are frequently vague, to the point of people making serious 
mistakes.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6589478

And I thought this was amusing:

"Wolf's recent studies show that people often misinterpret the neon 
warning stickers that are placed on pill bottles by pharmacists. Some of 
the more common ones, such as "Take With Food," or "Medication Should Be 
Taken with Plenty of Water," are paired with images or icons that are 
confusing. The "For External Use Only" warning comes with a picture of a 
person with lines radiating around the body. People misinterpret this 
image to mean the medication is radioactive."

Abby Klemmer
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