‘Talking’ pill bottles
Pharmacies in Northern California have begun stocking talking
prescription bottles to help older and partially sighted patients take
their medicines, following research revealing that fewer than 30% of
older people in the US take their medication accurately.
The bottles, which go by the name of Rex, contain a voice chip,
battery and a speaker. When dispensing, the pharmacist inserts the
bottle into the recording dock, which connects with the pharmacy
software and translates the label information using speech-recognition
technology. While the label is printed, the recording is uploaded, and
patients can hear it by pushing a button on the base.
The information recorded in the bottle can include what the drug is
for, how regular the dosage is, whether refills are available and the
contact number of the pharmacist or GP.
The bottles were created by MedivoxRx Technologies, a subsidiary of
Pittsburgh-based Wizzard Software and will be available at 140 Kaiser
Permanente pharmacies and healthcare facilities. Kaiser is based in
Oakland, California.
Source: bjhc&im September 2006
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