New pharmaceutical pictograms
The Risk/Benefit Assessment of Drugs-Analysis and Response (
RAD-AR) Council of Japan has released a new batch of pictograms for use on pharmaceutical packaging. No more deciphering complicated dosage directions and warnings — a glance is all it takes now.
See all the pictographs
I don’t think I understand all the pictographs. If these are helpful in Japan, (assuming others in the USA see it the way I do) it might be an example of how a good idea would has to be modified to apply elsewhere. It also might be that at first we need to develop localized version but it would be helpful to move toward a universal system of pictographs to the extent possible.
Orignal article (in Japanese)
Previous healthcare post: using design to reduce medical errors.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:28 pm
I don’t know if all of those are completely unambiguous. I know it’s a good goal to not let a particular language get in the way, but a poorly designed pictograph might cause problems for all? I can’t figure out the one on the bottom left…. don’t go in the rain if you take this drug? Do not get wet?