Pill Logic? Red,pink pills are preferred over others

R.K. Srivastava and colleagues surveyed 600 people for over-the-counter (OTC) medications and showed that for three quarters of people the color and shape of their tablets act as a memory tag for compliance.

Strangely,they found that 14 percent of people think of pink tablets as tasting sweeter than red tablets whereas a yellow tablet is perceived as salty irrespective of its actual ingredients.

As many as 11 percent thought of white or blue tablets as tasting bitter and 10 percent said orange-colored tablets were sour. “Patients undergo a sensory experience every time they self-administer a drug,whether it’s swallowing a tablet or capsule,chewing a tablet,swallowing a liquid,or applying a cream or ointment,” said the team.

“The ritual involving perceptions can powerfully affect a patient’s view of treatment effectiveness,” they added.

The findings were published in the International Journal of Biotechnology.