University of Oklahoma student’s idea takes headache out of medicine
OU STUDENT’S IDEA TAKES HEADACHE OUT OF MEDICINE
BY DUSTY SOMERS
A University of Oklahoma pharmacy student took medicine to the new level without inventing a new product. His tactic is to eliminate confusion of the consumer when trying to choose the right cold and flu medication.
Chad Harrison, 30, invented SymptomPak which is more of a marketing strategy that enables users to buy a group of medications, all with separate purposes. Depending on the symptoms, the consumer can choose either one pill, or all five. The purpose is to take only medications that are needed and to educate the consumer on what each does. With a combination pill, the consumer doesn't always know what is or is not working.
Harrison had a difficult time pitching the idea due to his "student" status. He finally got a small manufacturer in New York to agree to produce the product.
http://newsok.com/ou-students-idea-takes-headache-out-of-medicine/article/3383389?custom_click=lead_story_title
I think Harrison is on the right track with his idea. It is true that consumers don't know what they are ingesting every time they take a medication. The product he is producing not only has one specific purpose, it educates the user as well. The users will be more informed on what they are putting into their body. When it comes to one's health, ignorance is not always bliss. I would love to try this product because there is no need to be taking a medicine for one purpose and get multiple side effects from the other active ingredients that I don't need.
I personally use tylenol for most sick symptoms. This is an interesting idea that could be really cool. It would be really irritating to have a pack full of everything except the exact medication that matches the symptoms you have.
ReplyDeleteThis would help people from taking the wrong medications, possibly making over-the-counter a little bit safer.
I'll betcha some of the resistance to Harrison's idea was not because of his "student status," but because the OTC manufacturers don't want us buying only what we need. There's much more profit in selling the multi-symptom relievers (and hiding the risks in small print).
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