Solbright Group, soon to be renamed Iota Communications Inc., launched cue-Rx™, a new medication adherence system that it believes will revolutionize at-home medication dispensing for patients and caregivers by delivering prescriptions in their original containers.
Launched earlier this month at the National Association for Home Care & Hospice Expo in Dallas, Texas, cue-Rx made news for being the first medication adherence system that operates with its own dedicated radio communications system.
There are more than a dozen active trials currently underway for cue-Rx. The system begins with an automated device that alerts patients and delivers their prescription at the exact time they should be taking their medication, in their actual prescription container, said a press release.
As the cue-Rx carousel turns and opens to the correct pill bottle compartment, the patient is then able to take their medication as prescribed – right from the original pill bottle. The system provides clinicians, caregivers, and families with timely phone, text, and email alerts in order to quickly identify non-adherent patients. The system is designed so that patients at any location, such as hospitals, in home-care, assisted living facilities, senior living facilities, and continued care retirement communities can take their medications. The device is also designed for home use – to improve medication adherence long-term, allowing more patients to stay home longer living comfortably and safely.
Non-adherence to medication is a costly problem for the US healthcare system. According to a 2014 NIH study, between $100 and $300 billion of avoidable health care costs have been attributed to nonadherence in the US annually, representing 3% to 10% of total US health care costs.
“As health systems, providers, and families work to better manage high-risk, and high-cost chronic patient populations in order to reduce costs, cue-Rx™ is positioned to play a pivotal role by minimizing non-compliance,” said Kevin Casey, President of Solbright/Iota Healthcare. “cue-Rx is a plug and play device and connects via its own dedicated radio system directly to the cloud, thus eliminating reliance on either the patient's or the facilities' networks. This flexibility not only offers critical reliability of access to end users, but it also reduces overall costs. Clinicians are enthusiastic about the positive impact cue-Rx™ will have on compliance.”
Dr. Daniel Kullukian, M.D. of Surgical Healthcare, LLC in Phoenix, AZ, who recently reviewed cue-Rx for use in a post-acute medication reconciliation trial said “cue-Rx's simple design and powerful software will help our patients stay on track with their medications, improve their quality of life, and give families the peace of mind that their loved ones are taking their meds as prescribed.”
“When you consider the positive effects of cue-Rx™ across our entire patient population, the savings to our health system from improved compliance will be enormous; largely in our geriatric population.”
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Ms. Erleen Lane, one of the patients in that trial, said cue-Rx made her more consistent with her medication dosages and has helped improve her quality of life. “I began my cue-Rx trail one week ago, immediately following my discharge from the hospital. It has already made improvements in my life. cue-Rx's simple and sleek design, easy-to-use software, and improved alerts will help me stay on track with my medications,” she said.
