Seeing Red

Target pharmacies is reinventing the pill bottle, beginning May 1. Called ClearRx prescription-packaging, it is designed by a visual arts designer, rather than an engineer. There are pros and cons to this. The new bottle features the name of the drug in large letters,easy to read use instructions, and color-coded rings for different family members. Future plans include labels that self-destruct (or at least change color) when expired, and a slide out magnifying lens. Problems: 5 percent of the population is color blind. Second, since the bottle is upside-down (to allow wrap-around labels) you can't use the cap as a tray. Many folks who take multiple medications use the cap from one bottle to collect all the pills they plan to take right then. Can't do that with this design.