I believe the act of swallowing a pill successfully is all in the head. If you just imagine your throat to actually be a huge drain pipe that is draining all the bath water down it, then the pills go down very easily. Its when you think you might choke you then clam up that space by making it constrict with your subconcious fear.
Maybe they ought to do therapy for people. Hypnotize them or something or call this a syndrome.