New technology continues to change our lives. Today almost everyone has a smartphone or knows someone who does. And now, technology will soon remind us when to take our medicines as well as eliminating lapses between refills, as missed pills and improper doses is one of the major causes of more health complications. To solve this problem, advances in medicine can eliminate harmful side effects that come with people misusing their medication. Digital drugs and digital bottles are expected to hit the market in 2014 or early 2015.
Pills with sensors, the size of a grain of sand, are in the process of development by Proteus Digital Health. The sensor in the pill track who is taking the medicine. The data transfers to a one-use strip worn on the taker’s skin and then sent to a mobile application. At the user’s consent, their caregiver, doctor or family can access this information.
Seniors are a target market for the pills designed by Proteus Digital Health, notes chief executive Andrew Thompson. Because older patients take multiple medications, these technologically advanced pills can help seniors stay organized and on schedule and avoid serious health consequences.
Digital medicine is the up and coming technology that will help caregivers juggle all their other tasks at hand. With this help, no confusion will face the caregiver whether or not their senior has taken their medication. For those that may be concerned about a digitalized pill, there are other options that help caregivers and seniors with notifications via bottle.
Medicine bottles that glow different colors have been created by AdhereTech Inc. When it’s time to take a dose, the bottle glows blue. When the user has missed a dose, the bottle glows red. The company’s server can also remind the consumer via text.
Medication past the expiration date can be clearly indicated by bottles generated by the product-design firm IDEO. When the pills are expired, the bottle starts to spot like an overripe banana. This idea is still in the concept stage, but will surely help people know their medication is no longer safe to take.
Nursing homes can also take notice to all these developments in medicine. With aid by technology, nursing homes and assisted living staff members can easily keep track of who took their medication and whose medication has expired. For those who are seeking assistance in nursing homes, Caregiverlist.com has a database of over 18,000 nursing homes with options to filter by Caregiverlist’s Star Rating system. Finding the right nursing home for your loved one can be made efficiently and very quickly.
