Improvement of prescription medicine adherence through the development of an intelligent pill organization and dispensary system "Claire"

Abstract

Incorrect medication adherence is one of the costliest problems in the United States. In addition to the thousands of people who die each year due to accidental drug administration, the nation spends over $100 billion annually on health care costs directly related to incorrect medication adherence. Most medication non-adherence is caused by unintentional mistakes, especially among the elderly (65+ years old) with multiple regular prescriptions. This thesis describes the design process, preliminary design and test mockups, a preliminary business model associated with a new product concept developed for this costly problem, "Claire." Claire is a Compact, Low-cost, Accurate, Intuitive, Reliable, Easy medication management system that automatically sorts, dispenses, and tracks pills. By simplifying the pill-taking process, Claire will improve medication adherence among elderly patients with multiple prescriptions and reduce anxiety among their caretakers.