It’s known that the drug information patients get at discharge from hospital is often insufficient. Patients’ ignorance of which drug they use and how to take them can lead to drug related problems, can cause suffering and heavy expenses.

The aim of this study was to shed light on the patients’ understanding for drug information, which was given at discharge from hospital. The literature survey was used as a method and based upon a systematic choice of scientific articles, which were found in different databases during the period of April 1 to May 31, 2008.

The result from eighteen chosen articles showed that there were problems in patients’ understanding of their drug information. The understanding could be influenced by different factors, among other things: age, number of prescribed drugs, how much and what kind of information the patients got at discharge. The patients thought the information they got from the nurse and the doctor had the same quality. The understanding for the drug treatment increased when the drug information was delivered in both verbal and writing and at a follow-up telephone call or meeting at home. When the understanding for the their drug treatment got better, the compliance increased and the drug related problems decreased.

The conclusion is that the nurse plays an important role to inform and educate the patients about their drug treatment and to follow up the patients’ understanding.