How many times have you gone to bed satisfied with your day’s work, when it suddenly hits you that you missed your lunchtime pills? You are not alone. Half of the people who suffer from chronic illnesses do not take their medication as prescribed.
Medication non-adherence leads to illness complications, drug resistance, death, and high susceptibility to opportunistic infections. If you or a loved one has a problem following prescriptions or remembering to refill pills, a medication dispensing machine is worth a try.
What is a Medication Dispensing Machine?
This is a device that is programmed to dispense pills at a specific time and in the right dose. The dispenser will flash a light and play a sound at the time when the patient should take the medicine.
The device is refilled by a nurse, caretaker, or pharmacist who locks it after, preventing access by patients who are at risk of overdosing.
Benefits of the Machine
1) It prevents errors when taking the medication
With a busy schedule, it can be easy to miss taking pills, have them twice, or take the wrong medicine. A medication dispensing machine ensures that one takes their medication on time and in the right dose.
2) It eliminates the cost of hiring a nurse
Elderly patients have a harder time following prescriptions and their loved ones have to hire help. It adds to the hospital bills and cost of medication. A pill dispenser is a one-time cost, and it offers the assurance that the patient is taking the medication as required.
3) Prompt alerts
In case of a missed dose, some devices are capable of sending alerts in the form of e-mails and text messages to the patient’s caregivers and loved ones. It gives them peace of mind knowing that the patient is taking the medicine as expected, and that they are informed when they fail.
4) It provides safety
The pill dispenser keeps the medicine under lock. This prevents access by children or pets that can consume it and experience fatal consequences. It also prevents the patient from losing the pills – medicine is expensive.
5) It saves time
For busy people, having to sort through the medicine, read labels, and open the lids takes up time that could have been put to other uses. A medicine dispenser allows the patient to focus on other attention-demanding tasks.
6) Prevents suicide by overdose
Drug overdose is a common method of suicide. For patients living with suicidal friends or family members, it is wise to keep any drugs far from their reach. A dispensing machine helps with this. It only releases the required amount at the specified time and keeps the rest of the pills under lock.
Medication non-adherence among patients is a reason for concern considering the resultant serious consequences. For most, it doesn’t happen voluntarily but can be as a result of distractions, forgetfulness, cognitive impairment among the elderly, or simply being too busy.
A medication dispensing machine makes taking drugs easier and convenient. It reduces errors, provides peace of mind to caretakers, and eliminates the cost of hiring a nurse making it a worthwhile investment.