High tech approach to medication compliance

Informedix and McKesson Bioservices are testing the Med-eMonitor, which reminds patients to take their medicine, and can be programmed to ask for patient-specific information. The device communicates automatically with a web server.According to CIO Insight:

The device is about the size of a videocassette and can be carried in a fanny pack. Multiple drawers each hold about a month's supply of medicine. It alerts the patients when to take medicine, records the date and time when a medicine drawer is opened, and prompts patients to answer questions and complete other tasks.

The CEO of Informedix, Bruce Kehr says he thought up the Med-eMonitor after seeing his elderly grandmother struggle to manage her multiple drug therapy. Doctors often don’t know what to do when they see patients who aren’t responding to treatment –are the medications not working or are patients just not taking them as directed?The device is being used now in a schizophrenia trial, where it is helping patients remember to take their schizophrenia medications. This has a big impact on the patients’ ability to function.The Med-eMonitor and once a month osteoporosis pill (Boniva) I posted about on Monday are contrasting approaches to the challenges of adherence and compliance. The Med-eMonitor attempts to manage complex regimens, while Boniva attempts to reduce the complexity.