What If We Treated Medication Like Candy?

One man thinks he has a solution to the problem of patient compliance.

Jamie Hartford

Here's a cold, hard truth: Patients often don't take their medication. It's a problem the healthcare industry is well aware of but has not yet been able to solve.

Eric R. Larson, of engineering consultancy Art of Mass Production, thinks he has an answer: We should treat medication like candy.

No, he's not suggesting patients pop a pill whenever we they a craving for sweets. Instead, he believes we need to spice up the boring packaging medication comes in to make it more appealing, kind of like a candy bar wrapper.

You can hear more about Larson's theory at the MEDevice San Diego conference. On September 2, 2015, at 11:15 a.m., he'll participate in a panel discussion on "Improving Medication Adherence with New and Effective Engagement Solutions."

Jamie Hartford is MD+DI's editor-in-chief. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @MedTechJamie.