Which Pill When: Packaging That Aids Compliance in Taking Prescribed Drugs

摘要: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the industry partner in this project, was concerned about the problem of non-compliance in taking drugs. It prompted them to initiate this study into the means by which compliance could be integrated into medicine packaging. Many compliance aids have been introduced on the market but the problem of non-compliance persists. At an annual cost is estimated at£ 60 billion worldwide. Mawle undertook the first year of the study and was joined by McGinley for the second and final year of the work during which the user network was expanded further to include, among others, medical professionals. At the outset of the study, existing compliance solutions were analysed. The exploratory design studies which followed generated a range of off-pack memory aids. A user group of 12 people was formed and their usage patterns observed. These provided key insights into common patterns of user behaviour. As part of the study, the compliance problem was ‘deconstructed’, and three design proposals emerged: the Access Pack, which included an access aid as an intrinsic part of the packaging; the Moving Pack, incorporating a diary and a special detachable box to support discreet use of packaging when on the move; and the Remind Pack, with a collection of prompts that can be placed around the house as personal reminders. These formed the centrepiece of a special compliance kit produced at the end of the project. It provided design guidance on the issue to GlaxoSmithKline’s in-house design teams. The case study demonstrates how in-depth research into long-standing problems can open up hitherto unexplored integral, low …