Graphic design in over-the-counter drugs' packaging

There are some legal obstacles in promotion and marketing of OTC drugs. Furthermore, due to the lack of graph education in the information of both physicological and fundamental, the graph design of the packaging does not effective on consumers' purchasing decisions. In this study, the graphes of design being effective on the purchasing decisions of consumers, have been tried to be determined on the packaging of OTC drugs being purchased in the pharmaceutical industry. In the study, a Socio-Demographic Information Form, consisting of 7 questions, and a Questionnaire to determine the influence level of graphic design in the OTC drugs' packagings on purchase decisions of consumers, consisting of 16 items, both of which were developed by the researcher, were used. The 200 participants of the pharmacy shoppers, nursing, pharmacy and medical students, doctors and teachers formed the sample of research. According to the findings; the shapes and visuals, all textual types, expiry date over OTC drugs' packagings, that the packagings are made of a hard material, suitable for recycling, easily opened, have a structure for easily seeing the drug inside have an effect on the purchasing decisions of consumers. On the other hand; the quality of packaging, typefaces on, be made of natural materials, provide the consumers easily to distinguish the brands they want, having price tag,license and serial number on itself have no effect on the purchasing decisions of consumers.