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Packets to count on when taking your pills |
Packets to count on when taking your pills
Staring down at a bottle of prescription medicine, Jim Gibson tried to remember if he had already taken his daily dose when he realized how to turn his memory lapse into a real asset. Sticking with the daily regimen of three pills in the morning and four more a night wasn't easy for Gibson, who was 39 at the time, and on medication for high blood pressure. "If only I could get the pills into little packages, like sugar packets," Gibson recalled thinking at the time, seven years ago. He wanted a pill pouch that kept his daily requirement separate and portable -- a system that ensured he took his medicine correctly and in a timely manner. So Gibson invented the Dose Guardian, a breadbox-size device that allows users to divvy up their daily pill doses into individually sealed bags weeks in advance. It's similar to the old-fashioned pill box, but instead of compartments, the machine churns out detachable packets that can be dated and easily slipped into a pocket. The entire packaging system, with a three-month supply of bags, retails for $199. The company, which consists of Gibson, the president, and his wife, Merri Beth, 50, who handles the finances, is based in the The institute is a technology research organization backed by Carilion Clinic, which lent Dose Guardian $25,000 for the product's development. The loan, however, came with the stipulation that the money be sunk back into local businesses, which the company says it fulfilled. The device hit the market a month ago, and so far, the company has sold about 50 units, Jim Gibson said. Parts for the system, such as the plastic material for its box and the circuit board, are made by The Gibsons were in Martha Anderson, the center's senior services consultant, said the Dose Guardian system could be a benefit to families with an ill or elderly relative who has trouble managing a complex routine of daily prescriptions. She added that many older adults take up to seven pills a day. She even has a few patients on 24-pill daily regimens. "The art of taking your medication correctly is also a science," According to the American Heart Association, 32 million Americans are taking three or more medications daily, and 10 percent of all hospital admissions are the result of patients' failing to take prescription medications correctly. To be sure, the Gibsons aren't the first to tackle forgetfulness about taking medication. On the market are a variety of alert systems available to jolt patients into taking their medication on time. They range from a buzzing wristwatch and beeping key chain reminder to a $750 automatic pill dispenser that calls the caregiver when a dose is missed. Jim Gibson admits his product doesn't have those same bells and whistles, but it is unique in that it packages each dose separately. Plus, his wife said that they are looking into adding a phone call reminder service accessible through the company's Web site. But for the Gibsons, launching a homegrown health care business is still an after-hours job. Both work full time in the "We're just getting started," Jim Gibson said Wednesday before making the three-hour drive back to
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