You’ve probably heard the saying, “there’s an app for that,” right? This trend has become so popular (there are over 500,000 apps in Apple’s App Store!) that medication and pharmaceutical companies have joined in. As I previously blogged, up to 50% of patients are non-adherent, making medication compliance a major issue. I know it can be difficult and time consuming to manage medications, especially if you’re taking multiple prescriptions or are a caregiver to others. So reminder apps can be helpful, affordable and simple to use.

Going beyond traditional medication adherence solutions that offer one-size-fits-all reminders in the form of emails, texts or phone calls, mobile apps have the capacity to engage patients in an enjoyable and more comprehensive way.

Since following apps all have reminder functions to input the name of the medicine, its dosage and the prescribed dose frequency, I’ve listed their unique aspects and why I like them. Here are my 8 favorite apps to help organize and manage your medications:

HealthPrize app

1. HealthPrize (iPhone & Android; free)
   Unlike other apps, HealthPrize rewards good behavior and successful medication management with real prizes. It works as an incentive for users to adhere to their medication regimes. It also includes games and educational tips to improve medication compliance.
2. Pillboxie (iPhone; free)
   Pillboxie has a simple interface and is easy to use. It was designed for visual people, as it has over 40 different combinations of pill shapes and colors to help you stay organized. It’s a playful app where users schedule reminders by dragging a specific pill into a virtual pill box. In this way, Pillboxie could be very useful for children.
3. MediRemind (iPhone, Blackberry & Android; $0.99)
   Among other things, MediRemind stores all of your medical contacts and is able to make a phone call with a single push of a button. This feature is useful when you’re on your last pill and you want to call your pharmacy for a refill before you forget.
   

   Dosecast App

4. Dosecast (iPhone; free)
   Dosecast lets you set reminders according to your own schedule. And as you take doses, Dosecast tracks remaining quantities, sends refill reminders and logs compliance. You may also e-mail a list of your medications and your compliance history to anyone you wish.
5. MotionPHR Health Record(iPhone & Android; $9.99)
   This app allows you to store your whole family’s medication list in one place. In addition, MotionPHR stores info about immunizations, test results and allergies.
6. Medsy (iPhone; $1.99)
   Medsy allows for personalization, as it lets you customize the icon for each medication by shape and color. For those worried about privacy concerns, Medsy stores all of your medical information locally on your phone and not on its reminder servers.
7. Rxmind Me (iPhone; free)
   By integrating with the FDA Drug Database, Rxmind allows for easy searching of medications. It also includes a plethora of different reminders to choose from, making scheduling easy to personalize.
8. MedCoach (iPhone & Android; free)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    MedCoach keeps a log of your personal medication history and shares it with doctors and pharmacists. In addition, users can easily connect to the pharmacy when it’s time to refill prescriptions. What really sets this app apart is its Shake for Help technology, which provides immediate access to customer service agents who are trained to assist in uncertain situations and have the ability to contact 911.

Easier medication management can start with the download of an app. It’s like having a pharmacist is your pocket! And, when you pair an app with a pill box, you’ve got an electronic and visual reminder for even better adherence. Since the majority of these apps are free, I suggest downloading a few for trial until you find the one that best fits the medication needs of you and your family.

Do you use any of the above? I’d like your feedback,

-Susan

Tags: medication adherence, mobile apps

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Medication Management, Mobile Apps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.