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P 4 May 2014 Tablets & Capsules Capsules and Capsule Filling Desktop Reference dosage form preference OTC products: Understanding consumer expectations and perceptions Sven Stegemann, Catherine Lehmann, and Missy Lowery Capsugel How over-the-counter (OTC) products are perceived plays a role in their success or failure. This article looks at the patient as a consumer who evaluates products based on dosage form and its presentation. Understanding patients Therefore, in order to meet patients' needs, it is impor- tant to understand the different patient populations and the patients' capabilities, perceptions, and behaviors within their disease, as well as their therapeutic schedule. Over the past few years, the needs of the pediatric patient population have gained attention due to guide- lines intended to foster consideration of this patient group when developing new products and/or extending product lines [1, 2]. A recent article also provided evidence that the geri- atric patient population—the fastest growing patient population and a major consumer of medicines—is poorly understood and seldom considered during drug product design and development [3]. Those oversights can diminish treatment success. According to Haynes et al., accounting for patient needs in drug product design harmaceutical drug product development focuses mainly on the therapeutic effect of new molecular entities by measuring the impact on the clinical parameter and biomarkers of a disease. With increasing availability and choices in drug therapy, the requirements for overall therapeutic outcome and pharmaco-economic evaluation have gained importance in drug development. The recent quality guidelines of the ICH have also drawn consider- able attention to the patient by stating that, "In all cases, the product should be designed to meet patients' needs and the intended product performance" [1]. c-Capsugelart_4-7_Jasper Art5.0 #11 4/30/14 1:34 PM Page 4