Pill Timer tells you when to take your medicine

Published: 17-Aug-2010

Rexam and Med Time Technology team up to provide medicine management system

Pharmacists will soon be able to dispense prescription medicines in vials with special caps that beep and flash when it is time for patients to take their drugs.

Med Time Technology (MTTI) and Rexam Plastics have signed a strategic alliance in which a device called the Pill Timer will be fitted to Rexam’s plastic medicine vials.

MTTI, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US says the Pill Timer is a simple, cost-effective solution to the problem of treatment failures owing to non-compliance with drug regimens, and will help to reduce adverse drug events.

The disposable Pill Timer is programmable for all prescribed regimens. An alarm sounds for 20sec when dosage is due, while a red light flashes for one minute. The alarm automatically resets with each use. An LCD monitors the time since the last dosage was taken and will continue to blink if a dosage is missed. An hourly reminder alarm also sounds if a dosage is missed.

MTTI says the device, which glows in the dark, prevents accidental under- and over-dosing and eliminates guesswork for patients.

According to Craig Schreiber, co-creator of the Pill Timer, this is the first medication management system built into a prescription vial cap that is programmed by a pharmacist.

‘Innovative packaging solutions to medical problems is the lifeblood of our business,’ said Mike Vanderpol, Rexam sales director. ‘This strategic alliance enables our customers to help patients with chronic illness and life threatening diseases by effectively managing a medical condition with proper medication management.’

Ian Shendale, ceo of MTTI, added: ‘Until there is a cure for diseases or chronic conditions, the next best thing we can do to help patients maximise health benefits and minimise risk of treatment failure is by taking medications on time.

‘Rexam's goal was to select a partner who could supply a single, harmonised platform that presents state of the art, interactive medication alerts,’ he said.

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