New pillboxes arrive in France

For some years now, new models of pillboxes for patients have been appearing in the United States. The aim is to simplify the taking of medication and, in some cases, to reassure family and friends that the treatment has been taken correctly.

If we look at the French figures for monitoring patients' treatment, there are more than 8,000 deaths per year and more than 1.1 million hospitalisations due to a lack of rigour in taking treatment.

In order to reduce these alarming figures, companies have decided to market these new models in France.

In my opinion, they can be grouped into two different categories:

Nomadic electronic or programmable pillboxes

These mobile electronic pillboxes are the perfect tools for taking daily medication at specific times of the day.

The advantage of these products is their discretion. For the most part, they can be easily stored in a clothing pocket or bag.

The advantage of these pillboxes is that it is possible to set the time for taking the medication, and at the same time programme an audible and/or vibrating alert to remind us that it is time to take our treatment.

These devices have been designed to be intuitive and easy to use.

Having tested the mulTiroir electronic pillbox, I can assure you that it is easy to program. Setting the time and the four alarms to indicate when medication is taken is very simple.

Plus, its small size makes it ideal to fit in the pocket of a pair of jeans, a shirt or a jacket.

The sound alert is loud enough to be heard through several layers of clothing. As for the vibrating mode, it is so powerful that you can hear the device vibrate in your pocket.

Of course, there are many models of programmable pillboxes that are not so much technically and functionally different as aesthetically. It is possible to find electronic pillboxes with a leather and/or blue coating.

In the end, the mobile electronic pillboxes all offer the same service. As you can see, what differentiates them is their aesthetic aspect. This variety in design finally explains why it is possible to find pillboxes at all prices.

Fixed electronic or programmable pillboxes

They are larger in size than mobile pillboxes and can hold larger quantities of medication. Indeed, with these products, it is possible to prepare the intake of a treatment over a week, taking into account of course the four times of intake.

The visual pillbox is one of the new models available in France. It caught my attention because of its simple design, its large storage capacity and the security that has been put in place to protect the patient and, in a way, those around him (children).

This pillbox is called the Carrousel. It has 28 compartments that can hold a large quantity of medication.

This number of compartments makes it possible to dispense medication over 7 days, at the 4 times of the day (morning, noon, evening and bedtime). It is also possible to set the dispensing times, as well as the audible alert.

The advantage of this product over other, similar products, is that the compartment containing the medication. It can be locked. In this way, overdose accidents or children taking medication is more than reduced.

Other similar products are much more sophisticated. I am referring to the Do-Pill Secure, which, like the Carousel, monitors and ensures that the patient takes the medication.

It warns the patient by means of an acoustic signal and a light. The indicator light shows the box where the treatment is to be taken. In this way, the patient always knows where he or she is in the process of taking the medication.

The clear advantage of this product compared to the Carousel and other fixed pillboxes is that it alerts the pharmacist and/or the patient's relatives if the medication is not taken.

It sends an alert in the form of an SMS or e-mail to the patient to tell them to take their medication. The SMS and e-mail can also be sent to a relative or the pharmacist to indicate that the treatment has not been taken correctly. The patient can then be contacted to remind them that the treatment must be taken.

Whether they are fixed or mobile, these new pillboxes have only one aim, to facilitate the taking of treatment, thus reducing the number of hospitalisations and deaths linked to the failure to follow treatment.