FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > The Affect of Pill Appearance on Patients
G -- I think a mention of the placebo effect is helpful in this abstract.
I think your point about a medication change, like the use of generic, could have implications for patient compliance. That is worth some discussion.
You could close the document with the reminder that this knowledge can be helpful for patient communication. This addresses in part the difficult reader, doesn't it.
I think your point about a medication change, like the use of generic, could have implications for patient compliance. That is worth some discussion.
You could close the document with the reminder that this knowledge can be helpful for patient communication. This addresses in part the difficult reader, doesn't it.
May 7, 2015 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
This first year pharmacy school paper informs readers how appearance of pills affects patient’s intake of medication. Most people like routine, consistency, and familiarity. When the color, size, or shape of a pill is altered, patients are likely to want to stop taking them even if the medication is treatment for a serious disease or post surgery. Conducted studies found that patients prefer pills that are red or pink to any other color. Patients also prefer taking the brand pills to the generic ones. A familiar name or logo solidifies the integrity of the pill and assures them that their medication is working. These thoughts and preferences relate back to the placebo effect. When given a brand name pill, most patients believed that their pill was working better than a generic pill would and started to feel better. Simply, the patient’s outlook on the pill impacted the effectiveness. Understanding the psychology behind how appearance of medication affects patients is very important. What seems to be such a small detail can actually turn out to make a huge difference in patient care and treatment.
WC= 184
READER’S PROFILE:
I imagine my skeptical reader to be a health school student or health professional who does not find the placebo effect important to regard. This person believes that research on this small studied topic isn’t important and the chemical part of medicine should be emphasized.
READER’S RESPONSE:
I don’t think money should be spent researching how the appearance of pills affects patients. Maybe some people don’t like change but that is no excuse for them to stop taking their medication. We only administer the medication that is given to us. Rather, we need to focus on the actual medication. We need to research the make up of medicine and the effectiveness, not how the appearance changes the patient’s intake.