CVS Pharmacy has developed ScriptPath™ Prescription Schedule to “help patients understand the best time of day to take their prescribed medications to ensure greater efficacy, increased safety and improved adherence.” The new label, which will be introduced early in 2018, employs simple icons to make the process of taking multiple medications less complicated or prone to mistakes. Renowned graphic designer Deborah Adler of Adler Design is working with CVS on the system; the company has nearly 10,000 locations nationwide and sees the project as both a positive service and an opportunity to strengthen the role of its brick and mortar presence. All materials will be available in English and Spanish.
Of the project, Adler states: “We are delivering a simpler, more effective way for people to take their medicine. Design matters in health care and this is a powerful example of how design can play a key role in changing behavior and improving health outcomes.” Adler’s firm is known for its work in the healthcare area. She has long been emotionally invested in using design to protect patients, and she had an early — legendary — success in designing a pill bottle system that could be colored coded: it was adopted by Target, is now in MoMA permanent collection, and has been included as a Design of the Decade by the Industrial Designers Society of America.
“Fifty percent of patients struggle with understanding how and when to take their prescription medications, and for those with complex prescription regimens it can be even more challenging,” adds Troyen Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health. “By providing them with a clear and concise dosing schedule, which incorporates all of their current CVS Pharmacy prescriptions and reduces the number of times a patient takes medication each day, we can help improve medication adherence and, ultimately, health outcomes.”
