Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drug Labeling: Format Preferences

Abstract

The present research examines two different consumer groups' perceptions of the readability of OTC medication labels. Twelve labels depicting an OTC medication with a fictitious name were constructed and attached to bottles. The labels varied in (a) print size (4 point, 7 point, 10 point), (b) amount of white space between lines or sections of text (no spacing; label section spacing; and line spacing), and (c) label design (standard vs. extended/pull-out). Ninety-nine older adults and 102 undergraduates rank-ordered the labels according to overall ease of reading. In general, participants preferred the labels printed with larger type and line spacing. White space appeared to have less influence over the rankings than print size for older adults. However, the use of both a larger print size and increased white spacing appeared to influence the undergraduates' ratings. Also, there was no clear preference between the extended and standard label designs but their evaluation was only conducted with for the small print conditions. The implications of these results for the design of OTC medication labels and other consumer products are discussed.