Do you have times when you forgot to take a dosage of your medication? Would it help if you had someone or something that would remind you when the next does is due? Well, just recently Amazon announced that the Amazon Alexa voice assist device can do just that! This is an example of how cutting-edge technology can assist healthcare consumers in taking care of themselves and their loved ones.

Just recently, Amazon partnered with Giant Eagle, a pharmacy chain in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia and Indiana. If a customer has a prescription and an Alexis device, the medication management skill on their Alexa device can be accessed and activated. The head of Amazon’s health and wellness team, Rachel Jiang, said Amazon started working on this service when they became aware that consumers were creating medication reminders on their own. In order to provide this service to meet customer privacy, Alexa will walk the user through a process of setting up a profile and a personal passcode. This will prevent Alexa from delivering a medication list to the wrong person.

Medication management can be a very complicated task for many individuals, particularly for seniors who may be taking a multitude of medications for chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. As a nurse and patient advocate, I am often asked about the best way to help a client manage their medication and take the medication safely. Although a “reminder” device may assist with the client taking their medication at the correct time, there are other components to consider when you educate a client on medication management. Here are some “medication administration and preparation tips” that may be useful for clients and their families:

Keep an updated list of your medication available so that you and your family are aware of the name of the medication, dosage and schedule. This list should include prescription medication, over-the-counter medications and supplements.
Know what each medication is for and what the potential side effects are.
Store all medication in a designated area in your home, that is dry, clean and away from moisture. Keep all medication together, unless they require refrigeration, such as insulin.
Be sure all medication is stored out of the reach of children.
Expired medication should be discarded.
Pill box dispensers, such as a 7 Day Pill Organizer may be a device that can organize medication by day and time to be taken. This will enable the client to take the right medication at the right time on the right day. Some pill box organizers also come with a built- in alarm system that is battery operated.

This seems to be a new trend to watch for medication management utilizing technology. We will continue to watch how this trend develops in 2020.