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• Patient Preference Study
• STAVZOR for Bipolar Disorder
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• Educational Resources

Patient pill swallowing preferences

For many people, swallowing pills, tablets or capsules is a challenge that may prevent them from adhering to recommended therapy.

A patient survey supports patient preference for small, easy-to-swallow soft gel capsules. STAVZOR soft gel capsules are up to 40% smaller than Depakote® or Depakote ER® (divalproex sodium)* tablets (500 mg dosage formulation).

Pill swallowing difficulty

Noncompliance is a particular concern for patients with chronic neurologic disorders.

Many people have difficulty swallowing pills, according to a survey of swallowing difficulty with oral medications in adults in the United States:

• Forty percent of individuals who have taken oral medication reported difficulty in swallowing pills.
• Eighty-four percent reported they hesitate taking medication due to pill size.
• Fewer than 25% discussed the problem with a healthcare professional.

Study design: Harris Interactive investigators conducted online interviews with 679 adults ages 18 and older. The study population was weighted to ensure a sample representative of the general adult population. The most frequently reported diagnosed conditions were allergies, hypertension, and arthritis. Conditions were generally treated with oral prescription or over-the-counter medications. Survey included 66 questions, some of which were excluded for individual participants based upon response.

Patient preference for soft gel capsules

Clear oval soft gel capsules like STAVZOR help meet patient's needs:

• When asked to view various dosage forms, 71% (86% female) of consumers preferred clear oval soft gel capsules.
• A patient survey confirms that 83% of Depakote/Depakote ER* patients would prefer soft gel capsules like STAVZOR as long as it was equal in effectiveness and side effects.
• 85% of Depakote/Depakote ER patients would have preferred that their physician would have prescribed a soft gel capsule like STAVZOR if it had been available when they started therapy.

Adapted from JonesWJ, Francis JJ.
Pills shown were photographed together, then proportionally reduced to fit into the chart. The clear, oval softgel is STAVZOR(valproic acid) Delayed Release Capsules, the oblong compressed tablet is Depakote®. Both were used in the study. Other dosage forms, except the opaque oblong softgel, are OTC products comparable to those used in the study.
Study design: Adults aged 25-60+ examined 8 unidentified dosage forms laid out on a sample board (they were not allowed to ingest any product). They were asked to describe each dosage form, then rank it in terms of ease of swallowing, time to onset, length of action, and other criteria. Respondents could choose more than one dosage form. Results for ease of swallowing are shown in column 2. Overall result across all criteria is shown in column 3.

*Depatoke/Depakote ER (divalproex sodium) are registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL.