Colour of medicines and children’s acceptability: What children think of the colour of oral dosage forms?
This study offers valuable insight into children's preferences for medicine colour. Pink and blue were associated with sweet/flavourful tastes, while neutral colours were perceived as tasteless, particularly by participants aged 12-18 years. These findings can inform paediatric formulation strategies, particularly the selection and use of colouring agents, in alignment with current regulatory requirements when their inclusion is considered necessary.
Authors
- Christina Gade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-6158)
- Pamela Dicks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1696-0757)
- Sandra Klein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7356-5780)
- Joseph Walsh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4200-7687)
- Hannah Batchelor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8729-9951)
- Tuleu Catherine
- A Franz
- Elisa Alessandrini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4594-5721)
- Sonia Iurian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5009-9550)
- Aleksander Wiśniewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5236-9219)
- R. Steven Turner
- Sveinbjorn Gizurarson
- Begonya Nafria
- Daniel Schaufelberger
- Charlotte Vermehren
- Segolene Gaillard
- Jon Traerup Andersen
- Jasmin Albano
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- Roche (Switzerland) (CH)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Inserm (FR)
- University of Iceland (IS)
- University of Health Science (KH)
- Walsh University (US)
- University of Strathclyde (GB)
- Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (RO)
- Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (DE)
- Kamuzu Central Hospital (MW)
- Frederiksberg Hospital (DK)
- Copenhagen University Hospital (DK)
- Universität Greifswald (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Tübingen (DE)
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (FR)
- Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (US)
- Hospices Civils de Lyon (FR)
- Red de Investigación en Actividades Preventivas y Promoción de la Salud (ES)
- The Capital Region Pharmacy (DK)
- Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (GB)
- Children's Memorial Health Institute (PL)
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (FR)
- Network Group (Czechia) (CZ)
- Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (MW)
- University College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Drug Delivery
- Published
- 2026-02-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fddev.2026.1744120
- Primary Topic
- Color perception and design
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00