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Newton, Massachusetts, USA. October 31, 2012 — Non-adherence to medication regimes is one of healthcare’s most daunting and costly challenges, but now a new M2M solution is being brought to market.

Health plans, home health agencies, senior living residences and a multitude of health-related organisations are all dramatically impacted by the compromised health outcomes and financial loss of interrupted or incomplete drug treatments.

Now, MedMinder is introduce Maya, a novel, cost-effective, turnkey medication management system that offers patients, providers, family members and the healthcare community at large, a lasting solution to this critical healthcare problem.

Maya assists patients, particularly those on complex medication regimens, to maintain their independence and improve adherence, while providing their care-givers with ongoing, real-time status and activity reports.

Ease of use

Designed with ease of use in mind, Maya aims to combine the simplicity and familiarity of a standard plastic pill box; the power of the internet; and MedMinder’s proprietary technology to provide a solution that is completely seamless to the patient. Up to four compartments per day hold one week’s medication. Installation is as simple as plugging the power cable into an electrical outlet.

With no digital read-outs, no buttons and no need for programming, those who may be resistant to technology or new devices will, it is hoped, feel at ease and comfortable with their unit.

Maya uses an internal wireless modem to communicate with MedMinder’s central server. At the patient’s home, there is no need for a computer, wireless router or any other form of internet access. Maya prompts the patient to take medications, or refill his or her meds, through a series of optional pre-programmed visual and/or auditory alerts.

For example, if a medication cup is not removed from Maya at the scheduled day and time, the appropriate compartment will start flashing. If the cup is still not removed, after a period of time, other alerts, such as beeps, phone calls, emails or text messages can also be initiated. If the medication is taken on time, MedMinder’s central server will be informed and no alerts will be provided.

Notifications to care-givers

Care-givers can elect to receive real-time email or text message notifications about the patient’s dosage activities (for example, if a medication cup is not removed from Maya at the scheduled day and time, or, the wrong cup is removed, or a refill is missed). In addition, caregivers can subscribe to weekly reports summarising the patient’s dosage activities. Care-givers who
monitor multiple patients can opt to receive aggregate notifications and reports.

Maya is equipped with a self-contained wireless modem that links to MedMinder’s central server. Using a web interface, the patient or care-giver can easily programme the compartments’ access schedule remotely. Alternatively, patients can call MedMinder or fax/mail the registration form to the company and they will do this for them.

Maya reports the patient’s compliant or non-compliant behaviour to the MedMinder server. At any time, the care-giver can access this information via the web at www.medminder.com

Re-filling
Many chronically ill patients are on complicated drug regimes,
typically taking more than 10 pills a day. Correctly filling each medication compartment is therefore challenging and high-risk for any individual.

Maya offers two easy options to fill the compartments:
Manually: Simply lifting Maya’s lid opens all 28 medication compartments, allowing pills to be placed in the proper pill cups inside the compartments.

Pre-filled tray: Maya is designed to accept MedMinder supplied trays, pre-filled by a pharmacist or care-giver. This feature greatly reduces the possibility of medication errors and helps to ensure that all prescriptions are correctly filled.

Data Integration
Maya is designed for future integration with existing e-prescribing, EMR, predictive modelling and other incumbent clinical and administrative systems. These systems can leverage the highly detailed adherence information MedMinder collects, as well as update our system with the patient’s latest prescriptions.

For more information go to: www.medminderuk.co.uk