Structure and power relation in the written instructions of medicines sold in Spain

Abstract

In Spain, medicines are sold with a leaflet containing directions for use. These instructions are written specifically for the patient and should include all the important information the consumer must know about the product. Most citizens cannot understand the contents of these instructions because they are written in technical, imprecise and ambiguous language. This paper analyzes the discourse of these directions from a genre analysis theoretical framework in order to determine its structure and verify the power relation that may exist between writers and readers of these texts.