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Talking Prescription bottles are a low cost way for people with vision, reading or language challenges to identify the contents of their prescription bottles through speech output. These devices have a 60-second digital recording device that fits on the bottom of a prescription bottle. It has a self-contained microphone, a recessed recording button, replaceable batteries and an easy to find play button.
Who can use Talking Prescription Bottles?
They are ideal for:
- Seniors
- The visually impaired
- People for whom English is a second language
What can Voice Synthesized Bottles tell you?
In addition to the name of the medication, your physician, pharmacist, caregiver, or you can record the following types of information into your prescription bottle:
- How and when to take the medication
- What the medication treats
- Any potential side effects
- The dosage, number of tables, number of refills and period of prescription
- Contact information for the pharmacy in case of questions
Why are Talking Prescription Bottles Important?
The improper use of medications causes unnecessary suffering and accounts for $100 billion a year of unnecessary Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance expenditures as well as needless hospital admissions. 3.5 billion Prescriptions are written annually, one third of which are for seniors. Fifteen percent of all seniors, some seven million citizens, suffer from vision loss to the extent that their reading ability is severely impaired. For millions of others, a verbal reminder is not only helpful, but may be life saving. Talking Rx can dramatically reduce medication misuse and make it easier for everyone to take his/her medicine at the right time and in the right way.
The Benefit Goal
The device is currently available at a retail price of $12.95. Bulk purchasing in quantity and technological advances will reduce this cost significantly.
Sponsorship
Senator Stephen Baddour has agreed to be the lead Senate sponsor for this legislation.
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