From: "Steve Harris" <SBHarris123@ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Artificial coloring in medications
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 13:28:58 -0600

"amp_spamfree" <amp_spamfree@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1192abe3.0106110137.1e52e9ec@posting.google.com...
>
> The role and function of "trade dress" which includes color, shape,
> size, etc.) is to allow for easily visible distinguishing features in
> an effort to promote proper identification.  If all oral dosage forms
> where round white tablets, could you tell the difference between
> aspirin and Coumadin?

Right. And I'm all for shape coding, too, though I'd change a few. For
example, Diflucan looks like little pink tombstones, and I think that shape
should be reserved for ibuprofen and naproxin, which kill far more people.

One thing really bugs me. We've long had the technology to put generic name,
or a large portion of it, on every tablet and capsule. With the dose in mg
on the other side (as with coumadin). We don't because basically the
manufacturers have pressured the FDA into not requiring it. Hmmmm. So we
have numbers instead. Well, all in all, it's not as good.