Remembering which medication to take in relation to your condition or conditions can be hard. There can be numerous boxes of prescriptions all to be taken in different amounts and at different times. One in the morning on an empty stomach, two with breakfast, one before bed and etc. Prescriptions become even more challenging when individuals are unsure as to the effects they have and why they are taking them in the first place.
After two brothers experienced an emergency involving their father accidentally double dosing on insulin prescribed for his diabetes, they decided to help provide a solution for these preventable accidents. The free smart phone application ‘MediSafe Medication Manager and Pill Reminder’ attempts to make remembering prescriptions a whole lot easier. The intuitive app allows insertion of all prescriptions reminding individuals what, when and how much they need to take through video and text reminders. Individuals can then respond to a reminder sent via the app after they’ve taken their medication, however if they forget a reminder is sent to a family member or friend to ensure that they don’t forget.
Taking medication incorrectly or forgetting all together can lead to some serious adverse health consequences. It has been reported that over 700,000 individuals were hospitalised in 2008 in the US due to medication non-adherence. There is a need for the entire process to be made as simple and understandable as possible to ensure that everyone understands exactly what needs to be done to ensure optimal management of their conditions. The MediSafe Medication Manager and Pill Reminder is certainly taking a step in the right direction with an easy to understand platform… I think I’m going to have to teach my grandmother how to use a smart phone.
Jack Barton (Researcher, Rescon Ltd)
Links
http://www.medisafeproject.com/#who
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/medisafe-medication-manager/id573916946?mt=8