Patients over 50 may take meds less if pill appearance changes a lot, study says

A lack of consistency in the appearance of prescription drugs may contribute to medication nonadherence, a study conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical school found.

The researchers conducted two independent national surveys of 1,000 patients 50 years and older taking generic drugs for diseases including depression, diabetes, epilepsy, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. The surveys included 710 pharmacists practicing in chain, franchise or independent pharmacies. Responses were collected between January and April 2016.