title: The "Next Dose" dosage spoon circa 1927 as an aid for proper dose measurement and enhancement of medication compliance.
abstract: These "Next Dose" spoons were marketed until the 1960s in the United States. Unfortunately, the further paths crossed by Messieurs Morgan and Bushey cannot be further elucidated. Nor can further information be identified for the eventual marketer of the "Next Dose" spoon. What we can surmise is that the use of specialized devices to administer and remind patients about dosing is not new. There is scant mention of compliance in the literature too years ago, but pharmacies and patients no doubt found these devices to be useful. For the pharmacist, advertising on the spoon provided a reminder of their services, and for the patient, a reminder was present on the body of the spoon to remind them of the next dosing time. Most medications during this time were in liquid form, and a device to help accurately measure liquid, elixir, tonic, suspensions was a highly sought-after item welcomed by patients and/or caregivers.
authors.affiliation: The University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4246 Health Sciences Building, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, 816-235-5909, USA.
authors.forename: Jack E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fincham
mesh_terms: D004864:Equipment and Supplies / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations