Smell medication effects

Changes in elderly patients abilities to taste various substances do not necessarily affect the ease or difficulty of administration of medications, but these changes do have an effect on the patients acceptance of a product. For instance, although it may be easier for patients to swallow liquid medications, they may find the taste or smell of the product so objectionable that they will refuse to take any medication prepared in this manner. Indeed, even some solid dosage forms carry with them objectionable tastes or odors that result in limitation of patient acceptance. Although there have been few studies assessing elderly... 

Boyce, J. M. and Shone, G. R. (2006). Effects of ageing on smell and taste. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 239-241. 

---