Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/571156
from Germans were similar, so it's a serious problem with major consequences: Not only is it difficult to deliver effec- tive treatments and support well-being, but many treat- ments are essentially wasted. That imposes a heavy burden on healthcare. Different ages, different preferences Difficulty or discomfort in swallowing tablets or capsules is often associated with the elderly and the very young. Among the American elderly respondents (aged 65 and over), 40 percent experienced some swallowing difficulty, most commonly because the tablets/capsules were either too large or became stuck in their throat. While the surveys didn't include young children, among the US participants aged 16 to 24, 66 percent reported dif- ficulties swallowing tablets or capsules. Twenty-five percent complained that the tablets/capsules were too large to swal- low, but the most common issue—reported by 35 percent of the young participants—was the unpleasant taste or smell of the tablets/capsules. Only 8 percent of the elderly group cited the issue of taste or smell. So the old and young alike experience difficulty, but of different varieties. These differences suggest an opportunity for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and dietary supple- ments to develop products that meet people's preferences and expectations. Ideally, the products would be made in dosage forms that don't need to be swallowed whole and/or that have a pleasant taste and smell. Giving people what they want To understand what patients/customers prefer and to learn what the "ideal" product would be, the survey asked which characteristics of a medication/dietary supplement would be most important (Figure 2). American participants said they would like to see a dosage form that is: • Easy and comfortable to swallow (66 percent); • Accompanied by a pleasant flavor or odor (38 percent); and • Provided in easy-to-open packaging (36 percent). In addition, one-third of respondents said that their medication/dietary supplement should not require prepara- tion. Another 27 percent said that it should be quick and convenient to take without the need for devices, and 34 percent wanted products that integrate easily into their daily routines. In short, people expect medications and dietary supple- ments to offer the same convenience and user-friendliness of any other product. This presents a dual opportunity for healthcare companies: In addition to making products easy to swallow, they could provide options for the patient/con- sumer, such as a range of flavors and packaging that is easy to open and carry around. By offering products that better meet people's needs and provide a unique selling proposi- tion, manufacturers would likely increase customer loyalty and differentiate themselves from competitors. User-friendly dosage forms All of these ideas underscore the value of what our com- pany and some others have been doing for years: develop- ing and manufacturing effervescent and chewable tablets, lozenges, instant drinks, and ODGs. These dosage forms are easy to swallow—even by people with swallowing diffi- culties—taste pleasant, and can be taken with or without liquids. In addition, they offer choice and convenience, which are important to today's consumer. They also make it possible to simplify dosing regimens. Ultimately, these dosage forms improve the user experi- ence, which makes people more likely to adhere to their dosing regimen. Research into how patients respond to dosage forms shows that a more user-friendly form—an orally disintegrating tablet (ODT), for example—can improve compliance compared with a conventional tablet or capsule [2, 3]. Furthermore, some user-friendly dosage forms simplify regimens. Effervescent tablets, for example, can include API 34 September 2015 Tablets & Capsules Figure 1 Question: What did you do to resolve your problem when swallowing tablets/capsules or to relieve the discomfort? (Multiple responses were possible) 0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% N=500 Rinsed the tablet/capsule with large amounts of fluid Broke tablet and then swallowed it Crushed tablet, dissolved in water then swallowed it Nothing Mixed tablet/capsule with meal/other food, took them together Chewed the tablet/capsule Changed to another dosage form Did not take tablet/capsule Spoke with a doctor Emptied capsule before taking it and only took contents Other