A study of 395 English-speaking adults with various educational backgrounds found that 46 percent could not accurately follow drug-label instructions for one or more common prescriptions. Misunderstanding was prevalent even among those with the highest literacy skills, researchers reported recently in Annals of Internal Medicine. Mistakes were more common when the instructions had several components, such as “Take one tablet by mouth twice daily for seven days.” To make sure you’re clear on how to take your medicine, show your doctor or pharmacist the correct number of pills you’ll be taking per day.