Delivering the Goods
Unfortunately, as we age, we develop conditions that need constant medication. These chronic conditions can be managed with medication, and the industry offers a variety of treatment options for each condition.
So, the medications are out there, the problem that arises is making sure patients take their meds as prescribed AND renew AND get their meds when needed.
Packaging advancements have made taking and keeping track of what you have taken, easier. Personally, I have been in a situation where I cannot remember if I have taken my daily dose of medication and have had to dump all my pills out of the bottle and count them – then figure out when I started my prescription and see if the numbers add up. And let us just say math was not my strongest subject.
Packaging can help with this dilemma, simple blister packs help with keeping track of doses, and more advanced packaging solutions offer technology that goes far beyond simply counting doses by looking at open blisters.
Getting people to renew recurring prescriptions has also progressed. From merely a note on a bottle telling you how many refills you have -to phone call reminders from your pharmacy, to now text message reminders – the push to keep people on their meds has embraced technology. Although I will admit getting a text message that says my prescription for “A” is ready for refill – and if I want the full name of the drug to click on the link – sets off spam/ phishing alarm bells – the intent is duly noted.
So, we have the technology to track doses using packaging, and the means to quickly remind patients to renew prescriptions and that they are ready for pick-up, but the problem remains: how to get the medicine into the hands of the patient. Studies have shown that many filled prescriptions never get picked up.
Prescription drug delivery has been around for a long time. As a kid, I can remember the local pharmacy had a Ford Bronco parked in the lot that they used for delivery if a patient could not come in. It sat there, rarely used, but available for delivery. I think it slowly rusted away.
Given that you can now get a cup of coffee delivered to your house, at almost any hour of the day, getting your prescriptions delivered should be easier and cheaper than ever.
I think prescription delivery is heading in that direction. I also think that many people are just not ready for a delivery person to know their health situation – and possibly pass that information on.
Until we can ensure that prescription information is hidden from delivery people – I am not sure prescription delivery is the total solution to getting drugs to people who need them.
After all, if my delivery person knows I like pepperoni and extra cheese on my pizza it’s ok with me. Anything else and I am going to have to err on the side of personal privacy.
What do you think?
Mike Auerbach
Editor-In-Chief