Entrepreneur creates talking prescription bottles
Patient Safety Monitor Alert, April 14, 2004
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Entrepreneur Jerry Mahoney was fed up with trying to read the small-print instructions on medication bottles and is now developing a miniature computer chip and speaker system to address this problem.
The device would fit on the bottom of the bottle and, when activated, will say what's in the bottle, how to take it, and any potential side effects or drug interactions.
When pharmacists type the label instructions, radio or infrared signal would transmit the information to the computer chip. Although it would initially increase the cost of prescriptions, the cost could drop below $1 once the product is mass-marketed, Mahoney said.
"We think this is something that will get a lot of attention (but) it's going to require a cost-benefit analysis," said Phil Blando, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. The association represents companies like Medco Health Solutions that ship medicines by mail and process electronic claims at pharmacies for insurance plans.
The system could hit the market in 18 months, Mahoney said.
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