A major health challenge facing the public and the healthcare system? Medicine Adherence. A technical way of referring to whether patients take their medicine as prescribed or not, medicine adherence is lacking to say the least. In fact, in a 2011 report from the Mayo Clinic shared that almost 50% of patients with chronic illness, don’t take their medicine as prescribed, many of them are dying because of it.
In addition to cost, lack of caregiver support, health illiteracy, and communication barriers between patients and providers, complicated drug regimens and frequent dosing are believed to be major regions for low medicine adherence. One way that the technology industry is trying to solve this problem is with integrative digital solutions and apps that help patients stay on top of their medicine schedules.
Top 6 Best Pill Tracking Apps List by Tech-Wonders.com
Top pill tracking apps include:
Pill Reminder from Drugs.com (iOS, Android – Free)
The pill reminder and medication guide app from Drugs.com features a comprehensive set of features that let patients look up drug information, identify pills, and record their own medication lists and schedules. Their free Pill Reminder app for iPhone can alert you when you need to take your medicine as well as when your prescriptions need to be refilled.
CareZone (iOS, Android – Free)
Great for patients and their caregivers, CareZone integrates pill scheduling and reminding into an app that also features a journal for tracking day-to-day health and a calendar to keep track of appointments and prescription refills. An additional contact list component helps patients and caregivers store important numbers for doctors, pharmacies, insurance companies, etc.
Mango Health (iOS, Android – Free)
This health-based app which helps you monitor everything from diet to exercise and blood pressure also features a medication schedule platform where you can track your prescriptions and get alerted when it is time to take them. By gamifying the experience and offering points towards rewards for staying on track, Mango Health provides positive motivation many other apps are lacking.
Medisafe (iOS, Android – Free)
Medisafe medication management and pill reminder app encapsulates the continuum of care when it comes to patient health working with everyone from the drug maker to the pharmacist, doctor, and patient. On top of helpful pill reminders, Medisafe educates and motivates patients in regards to sticking with their medication schedule and streamlines communication between patient and providers to make sure important details don’t fall through the cracks.
Pillboxie (iOS – $1.99)
This pared-down pill reminder app offers unique visual representations of pills to make it easier to confirm exactly what you are taking and when. Patients can drag and drop virtual pills into pillboxes on the app, set medicine schedules, and count on automated reminders. Plus, you can share medicine lists with other parties via email.
Dosecast Medication Reminder (iOS, Android – Free)
Syncing to multiple devices real-time, Dosecast lets you set up your medicine regimen and schedule alerts as needed, all while tracking your own medicine adherence. This app will also follow the remaining quantities on your pills, pinging you when it is time to refill and letting you log how you take your medications as well.
Assistive devices for seniors like dressing sticks and safety rails can simplify daily tasks and ensure patient safety, while pill tracking apps can help any patient young or old stay on top of complex medicine regimens. The unique benefit technology offers patients, especially elderly and chronically ill patients, is the ability to sync and share important information with a care network, be it family members or private caregivers. Some early studies have shown more effective medicine adherence when a caregiver is alerted that their loved one has not taken their medicine. Integrative technology solutions may be just the answer to preventing unnecessary deaths from non or incorrect medicine usage.