Study on Effective Designs for the Identification and Differentiation of Tablets Using KH Coder

Yuka SHONO; Fumika NAKAGAWA; Hitomi YAMAMOTO; Saki GOBARA; Yuna TOMATSU; Hiromu MIYAZAKI; Kenichi OGAWA; Hidenori SAGARA

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Study on Effective Designs for the Identification and Differentiation of Tablets Using KH Coder

VernacularTitle:KH Coder を用いた錠剤本体の鑑別および識別に効果的なデザインに関する検討
Author: Yuka SHONO ¹ ; Fumika NAKAGAWA ² ; Hitomi YAMAMOTO ² ; Saki GOBARA ³ ; Yuna TOMATSU ⁴ ; Hiromu MIYAZAKI ⁵ ; Kenichi OGAWA ² ; Hidenori SAGARA ¹
Author Information

1. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Medical Quality and Safety Science, Sanyo-Onoda City University
2. Pharmaceutical Research Group, CMC Production Technology Laboratories, Production, Technology and Supply Chain Management Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
3. Department of Pharmacy, Juntendo University Hospital
4. Department of Pharmacy, Hokkaido University Hospital
5. Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital
Keywords: tablet; printing design; pharmacists; text mining analysis; KH Coder
From:Japanese Journal of Drug Informatics 2025;26(4):186-197
CountryJapan
Language:ja
Abstract: Background: This study surveyed pharmacists registered with the Yamaguchi Prefectural Pharmacists Association to determine the key elements of tablet printing design that enhance visibility and distinguishability during dispensing.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify suitable design components for tablets that enhance visibility and distinguishability by utilizing text data.Methods: Given the high risk of medication errors due to similar-looking tablets, the study employed KH Coder for text mining analysis of free-text responses.Results: Results indicated that design elements such as "horizontal writing," "straight lines, " and "emphasis on characters" significantly improve visibility and distinguishability, particularly for similar-looking tablets. The findings from this study provide specific guidelines for optimal tablet design, aiming to improve pharmacists' efficiency and enhance medication safety.Conclusions: KH Coder proved to be a valuable tool for analyzing qualitative data in the medical field. While the study focused on pharmacists in Yamaguchi Prefecture, expanding the survey to a national scale is recommended to validate and generalize the findings. This research supports the development of standardized tablet designs that can minimize dispensing errors and ensure patient safety, highlighting the importance of effective tablet printing design in pharmaceutical practice.