SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the Digital Health Summer Summit, CEO Robert Pakter of PillJogger, Inc (http://www.pilljogger.com), described his company's solution to the major international health issue of non-adherence. This is the failure to follow one's prescribed treatment plan, typically involving medications.
When patients don't take their medicines for chronic problems such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and the like, it's well documented that they'll have more acute illnesses. These are typically very costly. We simply can't afford to ignore this problem," said Dr. Pakter. Each year, it's been estimated to cost up to $300 billion in avoidable health costs in the U.S. alone and cause up to 100,000 avoidable deaths.
"All the present approaches to the problem don't seem to be working," said Dr. Pakter, whose own elderly mother was recently discharged from the hospital with handfuls of new pill bottles.
"We expect folks to figure it out by themselves, and when they don't, we throw our hands up in the air," Dr. Pakter added.
His San Francisco based mobile-health startup has developed a unique medication adherence solution. "Make it simple, convenient and provide immediate value for the user" Dr Pakter explained, "and you've got 90% of the problem licked." He's quick to point out that cost is a big concern for many but that adherence remains a problem even for the insured.
The PillJogger solution is called "E.A.C.H Dose," which Dr. Pakter explains stands for "Easy, Affordable, Convenient, and Helpful."
The plan is to have all of one's medicines in a daily cartridge that fits into its own smartphone case. "That's the easy and convenient part" Dr. Pakter explains. "If we do this on a very large scale, we can get to the price far lower than existing blister pack solutions" he added.
What does "helpful" refer to? "That's the power of interactive smart-mobile," Dr. Pakter beams. "There's no limit to what we can do!"
PillJogger starts with an engaging reminder platform, upon which users see images of each pill before taking it. Deals are in the works with major sponsors to provide coupons, rebates, vouchers and other incentives targeting each specific user (a benefit users will be able to opt out of).
PillJogger Lite, a non-sponsored application, is free now on the iTunes app store. MedWheel and the E.A.C.H. Dose program should be available by Christmas.
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