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i am studying graphic design at camberwell university of the arts london, and i am about to start my final major project on which the whole grade is based on

i have to write my own project which will last 6 weeks, i wanted to start looking at anti epileptic medication packaging for children

i find that although im 20 i would much prefer to have a box of keppra with a nice design, as it would make me want to take it to try and make me better ( i know that sounds weird)
but there is a fine line betweeen making the box child friendly and making it look like sweets, which is not want i want to do, that can cause many problems obvisiouly

so i had an idea, i thought, if i made a child's book, with the medication sheet tucked into the side, possibally for bed time storys, explaining what they are taking and how it can make you better when u take the medication it would make the prosses of taking meds easier, and the child would get a story from it aswell

so my question is, do u think your kids would prefer this way of taking medication? do u find it hard to get them to take the meds?

any info would be very very helpfull, probably the diffrence beteween a pass and a fail

thanks lucy x

Hi lucy
I think that's a wonderfull idea, maybe have with it a box which the child could personalize for they tablets especially if you going away for a few days and don't need to take the all lot of them.
also your project could eventually develope futher has you could later have a range of different books with different type of E or different type of seizure which could relate more to a child so it could also bring it to school and share the story with his/her classmates. even better if the main caractere with E could be name with the child name.
I might be going to far.
Best of luck with it and if you do go with it and need any info please don't hesitate

Sophie xxx

I agree with Soanel that a box they could personalise would be a good idea. My little one loves colouring and if her medicine box had a picture to colour she would LOVE that!

great idea goosie.
ive got plenty of choice, but you need high resolution pictures. for a folio piece?
keppra has an alright box but things like clonazepam are just in the bottle over here.
i think there are also, some risks involved in brain development taking AED's at a young age.
Most studies, double bind, are done on adults or rats, not young childeren.
because they can't really get permission.
know what i mean.
but i totally agree with the boxes, they come in all different shapes and sizes and the box really does send a mental note with it.
hope the writing goes alright.
x.

Hi lucy

i think yu should actually do it and make a business out of it
because this could be expanded to any condition which kids have to take some meds.

Sophie xxx

I think its a great idea Lucy.children have an eye for colourful boxes, my daughter can spot the Calpol brand from a mile off!

thanks guys, thats really really helpfull, could you ask your kids what they also think, becuase that is the market that i am aiming for, i am also planing on going to kings to get some more info, but u guys have been a great start off point, anymore idea would also be great...


i was actually thinking about doing that, i am actually going to be making a hardback book to start off with for the final piece, and see where that takes me from

thanks for the support
lucy x

Here's a couple of ideas, did you see the sort of stuff they have on kids' sites for diabetes to give you an idea of how to explain to children. Also NCYPE give out freebies like the current seizure diary to encourage young people, heavily illustrated and lots of interesting things to read / find out.

For me I needed a good book to explain things in the early days to the first little boy, found the 'Detective story' ok but full of wise words on 'e doesn't need to change your life' type blurb which is reassuring initally but v confusing when it turns out not that way (in our case). I never was able to get anything good enough for a sibling to be able to understand NOR subsequently to get any books or info for relatives to read explaining 'resiliant seizures' or 'genetic conditons, don't panic family!'

It's a good idea, the pacakaging could be bright and easily identifiable esp when you have an assortment of doses eg lamictal or epilim chrono. Good luck with it all

I think I prefer the idea of the book to the packaging. You'd have to be so careful about packaging - as you say, you don't want then to look like sweets! Also, you need to make clear that the medication is only good for who it is prescribed for, and can be dangerous for others - you don't want all the child's friends taking it! I think a bright, simple design would be OK, or a plain one to colour. But then it sounds like you are going to concentrate on the book first.

My son is 12 now and was 9 when he first started meds. He's never objected to taking them - just accepts that it is necessary. I'm not sure what he would have made of a book - he doesn't like fiction or pictures that do not look real - strage how ASD affects people differently!

Jane.

What an interesting thread.

My son started epilim tablets when he was 7. He had never taken a tablet whole before. We explained two ways how could do it and it's never been a problem. The tablets are the same colour as his school colour and this has been a source of mild amusement.

I think colourful packaging might be a good idea in some cases eg where a child was having difficulty with the medication and as a last resort. But I would be cautious about offerring it to all. I've not seen any childrens medication packaged accordingly and I suspect there is a reason for that.