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Matt Simpson, a 75-year-old combat-disabled Vietnam veteran of Palm Beach County, Fla., juggles 15 different prescription medications each day.
His wife, Dee Simpson, often finds pills gone astray when cleaning up kitchen countertops.
But a new automatic pill dispenser created by a pharmaceutical-technology company has changed the veteran's daily routine, making it easier for him to ensure he isn't missing any important medications.
Medication nonadherence accounts for up to 50 percent of treatment failures, around 125,000 deaths, and up to 25 percent of hospitalizations each year in the U.S, according to a report in the U.S. Pharmacist.
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Matt Simpson is a combat-disabled Vietnam veteran, juggles 15 different prescription medications each day. An automated pill dispenser from MedMinder brings organization and peace of mind. (Photo courtesy of Matt Simpson).
Simpson has also suffered five strokes, and proper adherence to medications is critical as he takes multiple blood thinners and blood pressure-stabilizing pills throughout the day. The veteran and his family members told Fox News about the peace of mind they found in a certain pharmaceutical-technology company called MedMinder, which created the automatic pill dispenser that the 75-year-old now relies on.
“We found it very difficult to open the door and have 15 bottles in there every day; which one is the morning, which one is the afternoon, which one is the night?” Simpson recalled of his struggles before finding MedMinder.
MedMinder helps seniors across the U.S. take the right prescription medications at the right time through its automatic pill dispenser. Sensors positioned below each pill cup detect when users remove the cup to take medications. If users do not take the medication in time, the device sets off beeping alarms or voice reminders. The MedMinder pill dispensers have a built-in cellular connection; no Internet connection is needed. Additionally, the device sends text messages, emails, and phone calls to users' family members if they don't take their required medications.
This automated pill dispenser by MedMinder helps organize prescription medications for seniors, sending alerts if medications are not taken on time. (Courtesy of Matt Simpson)
The MedMinder company doubles as a pharmacy and source for technological solutions to bring organization and ease for seniors in navigating prescription medicines.
Simpson’s son, Mike, also attested to the convenience MedMinder brings. Isolation brought on by the U.S. coronavirus epidemic has made it harder for him to check on his parents, ensuring his father, in particular, is taking his prescriptions.
“I live about 3 miles from them, normally I would be able to check up on them weekly, during the current lockdown in Palm Beach County here not been able to check on them as frequently,” he said. “With that being said, I have access to the MedMinder portal and can log in and check up on them without them knowing, and remind [them] with a phone call if need be.”
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The service comes at no extra cost to users, aside from co-pays they would already be paying elsewhere.
“The whole company is really proud and filling our mission,” Eran Shavelsky, MedMinder Systems founder and CEO, told Fox News.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Shavelsky said the company has doubled in growth, receiving interest from health care systems, insurance companies, and individuals.
Shavelsky says the solution was designed to keep seniors safe and secure at home while offering peace of mind for patients' families and reducing the burden on hospitals.
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