Smart packaging company Stora Enso has joined forces with Medixine to market a new electronic compliance monitoring service.
Stora Enso's Pharma DDSi intelligent packaging solution reminds patients to take their medications and records on which particular day and at what time each tablet was taken from the package. This compliance data, stored in the microchip embedded in the package, can be read with a mobile phone and transmitted automatically to a server where it is readily and safely available to those responsible for the patient's care. Data collection and management are based on Medixine's software.
"Anti-migraine medication is one example of the future applications of this new system. Keeping a migraine diary is easy with the help of the package by simply answering questions about the symptoms. The package automatically records the amounts of drugs taken and the hours at which they were taken. All this information can easily be made available to a doctor in the form of a clear report; all the patient needs to do is touch the pharmaceutical package with his or her mobile phone," says Medixine's Managing Director Dr. Tapio Jokinen.
High-tech meets board packaging
The data is stored in the Pharma DDSi carton with the help of a conductive print and a microchip embedded in the package. Answer keys, an electronic diary of medication and a beeper or a text message to remind the patient about the medication are further features enabled by the intelligent packaging solution.
Source: Stora Enso
Forgetting to take medication and taking at incorrect times are common occurrences when patients are cared for at home. Apart from the fact that a patient's health is put at risk this can also create massive additional medical costs. Compliance monitoring keeps the healthcare provider informed and also provides pharmaceutical companies with data that demonstrates the efficacy of their drugs.
References: Stora Enso and Medixine
For more on this subject, attend Printed Electronics USA 2008 where Stora Enso will be presenting.
