Jones Healthcare Group Inc.

Published purpose

Poor prescription adherence is a cause in —50% of hospital admissions, causing annual deaths of —125 000 and over $100 billion in annual costs to the healthcare industry1. This project will investigate new technologies to monitor and aid adherence to prescribed medication plans, in order to enable seniors to live longer, healthier and more independent lives. The project will be split into two concurrent work streams (WS). The first WS will focus on development of next generation smart blister packaging. This project builds on almost a decade of expertise in smart packaging at Jones Healthcare Group (JHG), much of which was gained during the Printable Electronics Flagship Program in collaboration with NRC. In particular, JHG now have significant experience in the manufacture, distribution and testing of smart blister packaging, based on a multiple trials performed in recent years. This WS aims to improve manufacturability and add further functionality to smart blister packaging in order to promote adherence and enhance accessibility. The second WS will look at other technologies to aid medication adherence. This will include technologies to monitor liquid medication, as well as methods to monitor other pharmaceutical dispensing technologies. These technologies will enable older adults to live independent lives for longer by improving medication efficiency, reducing hospital admissions, and reassuring family and friends.