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as a means to increase patient adherence and compliance has a "far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatment" [4]. Physicians know that patients participate instinctively in their drug therapy based on their capabilities, knowl- edge, attitude, belief, perception, experience, expectation, and wishes [5]. Today's patients are less willing to accept a drug therapy without a detailed explanation from the physician, because they seek and make use of drug infor- mation that's widely and easily available on the internet. Today's patients also take responsibility for their own health and treatment, much more so than in the past. The OTC environment Retail sales of OTC products (excluding Walmart sales) reached $16.8 billion in 2008, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) [6]. A survey conducted by the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) showed that the most commonly used OTC drugs were analgesics, cough and cold medicines, anti-allergic preparations, heartburn and indigestion relievers, products for treating constipa- tion and diarrhea, wound care, and dermatologic treat- ments [7]. While pharmacists are often consulted, many patients choose their own OTC products based on their preferences and perceptions. A study performed by the University of Huddersfield suggests that "visual aesthet- ics" is as important to consumer decision-making today as the traditional elements of price and functionality [8]. Dosage form expectation and perception To investigate the consumer perceptions of different dosage forms and designs, Guidelines (formerly Advanced Analytics) built a perceptual map based on 1,650 responses during one-on-one interviews with 754 consumers in 2002 [9]. See Figure 1. The consumers were asked about their usage of specific dosage forms and their attitudes about the forms, as well as their preferences and their interest in other dosage forms [10]. To standardize the nomenclature of the responses, a board displaying various tablets, capsules, caplets, gelcoats, liquid-filleds, and chewables was provided. One major finding, as Figure 1 indicates, is that the characteristics important to consumers— "easy to swal- low," "won't stick in the throat," "no bad aftertaste," and "maintains strength of medicine"—are closely associated with capsules, caplets, gelcoats, and liquid-filleds. Tablets and chewables were most associated with "tamper resis- tant," "vegetarian," and "cheapest in price." Interestingly, consumers also placed importance on the characteristics of "won't dissolve in mouth before swallowing" and "no break-up in the bottle" when making their decision. Tablets & Capsules Capsules and Capsule Filling Desktop Reference May 2014 5 Figure 1 Perceptual map of characteristics associated with different dosage forms across all major OTC therapeutic classes [9] Gelcoat Caplet Capsule Tablet Liquid-filled Chewable Easy to swallow for everyone Good value for the money Tamper resistant Vegetarian Natural No acid indigestion Cheapest price Works quickly Modern/up-to-date Maintains strength of medicine No unpleasant odors Easy to put into mouth Highest quality standards Won't stick in throat No bad aftertaste Won't dissolve in mouth before swallowing Characteristics considered most important Characteristics considered of moderate importance Characteristics considered least important Generally easy to swallow No break-up in the bottle c-Capsugelart_4-7_Jasper Art5.0 #11 4/30/14 1:34 PM Page 5