Smart Card Technology to Provide Medication Reminder for Elderly

For many seniors, forgetting to take medication on schedule, or forgetting whether they have already taken their medication can be dangerous. Now, a design graduate student has developed a solution using smart card technology, according to a recent report by CNN.

;

The device, « PillAid, » involves a smart card and a dispenser and is aimed at improving communication among patients, pharmacists, doctors and health care providers.

;

According to its inventor, Katrin Svabo Bech, patients can give their personalized card to their doctor to load prescription information, then bring it to their pharmacist who can use their information on the card to allot the prescribed medication into a dispenser.

;

The dispenser has a tiny microchip inside, which can read the card’s information and automatically alert the patient when it is time to take the medication, and whether they need to take it with food or water.