Pill Properties that Cause Dysphagia and Treatment Failure

Conclusions Our survey results suggest that 4 out of 5 adult Americans take several pills daily, and do so without undue effort. It also suggests that half of today’s Americans encounter pills that are hard to swallow. Up to 4% of our participants gave up on treatments because they could not swallow the prescribed pills. Up to 7% categorically rejected taking pills that are hard to swallow. Specific material properties are widely blamed for making pills hard to swallow; extra-large capsules and tablets are universally feared, whereas medium-sized pills with a smooth coating are widely preferred. Our findings suggest that health care providers could minimize treatment failures and complications by prescribing and dispensing pills that are easy to swallow. Industry and regulatory bodies may facilitate this by making swallowability an essential criterion in the design and licensing of oral medications. Such policies could lessen the burden of pill taking for Americans and improve the adherence with prescribed treatments.
Source: Current Therapeutic Research - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research