Don’t forget to take your meds! The costs of non-adherence are staggering.
Medtipster Source: www.pharmalive.com; www.vitality.net; www.att.com
Don’t forget to take your meds! The costs of non-adherence are staggering.
Life is expensive. You work for a living. Your employer offers health insurance. You’re a diabetic. Your doctor prescribes Glucophage (Metformin Hydrochloride). The average monthy cost is roughly $97.00 (or $8.99 for the generic at Rite Aid….Thanks Medtipster.com!).
Now, what happens if you forget to take or refill your medication? That’s easy. Blue Cross & Blue Shield likely saves $97.00. WRONG. The correct answer is: You get sick and the non-adherence to your medication costs on average 100 times more. According to a study published in August by the New England Healthcare Institute, non-adherence costs the U.S. $290 billion in added medical spending each year. Mortality rates are twice as high among diabetes and heart disease patients who don’t take their pills properly, it said.
A Cambridge, Mass.-based startup called Vitality Inc. took note of the New England Healthcare Institute study and is gearing up to offer an extremely innovative solution. Not only that, but they have brought along AT&T, one of the nations largest communications providers, along for the ride. Their solution: A pill bottle cap that keeps track of when and how often it is opened. If not opened according to the pre-programmed clinical specifications, you will be notified via the AT&T network. The cap can also be programmed to notify your spouse, parents, or children. You can run, but you can’t hide! We, at Medtipster, love this innovation. See full press release below:
Using sophisticated pattern recognition, Vitality uncovers the key motivational levers for each individual, and then tailors programs to activate these levers and break through whatever barriers exist. Data generated by GlowCaps can be used to automatically refill prescriptions as pills deplete.
“For the first time in the healthcare industry, we can use minute-by-minute adherence data to motivate healthy behavior,” said David Rose, CEO of Vitality. “The AT&T wireless network enables Vitality to know when people do and don’t take their medication, then send reminder calls, compile progress reports, and refill people’s medications before they run out.”
“GlowCaps offers a very intuitive solution to an ongoing issue in the daily lives of many consumers,” said Glenn Lurie, president, AT&T Emerging Devices and Resale. “We look forward to providing the network connection for GlowCaps, delivering timely wireless data that will assist consumers in sticking with a prescription regimen, keeping them connected with doctors and family members, informed and on schedule.”
Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.