To study the role of color in expectations of drug effects, 80 Chinese participants (40 females and 40 males) were asked to classify each of seven single colored capsules and six differently colored two-piece capsules into one of four classifications of drug effects. The results from the Chinese sample were also compared with that from four other cultural groups studied elsewhere. The Chi-square test results showed that all seven single colored capsules yielded non-chance distributions in classifications of drug effects, with six showing specific effects; and that five two-colored capsules had non-chance distributions, with four significantly associated with specific effects. Notable gender differences were observed in the expectations of drug effects. While the cross-group comparison revealed consistent red-stimulant and blue-depressant associations across the five cultural groups, disagreements existed for other colors among the groups. The findings emphasized the importance of color in drug design and administration in support of drug differentiation, medication adherence, and drug efficacy, and suggest gender and cultural implications on the basis of color to achieve better drug effects. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published Online 13 January 2016 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).