medication timer

medicine timer !

medication reminder

medicine reminder !

medication alarm

medicine alarm ! medicine dispenser!

dosett

medication dispenser !

Med-O-Wheel Smart for safe dosage Photos: Risto Kähäri

History

Inventor Reijo Varis

The birth of Addoz Oy

In the year 1999 a mental health care nurse asked a question:”Would it be possible to develop a dispenser to remind the patient to take the medicine on time and prevent misuse?”
Nursing organisations have to continuously evaluate the patients’ capability to handle their own medication. If such evaluation fails, patient safety is placed at considerable risk with sometimes fatal consequences. If all patients are nursed personally, the need for personnel would put considerable strain on medication logistics.

At the time, we received data from the department of Social Pharmacy in Kuopio that indicated that one-third of dispensed medicine was taken on time, one-third sporadically and one-third was not taken at all (source: Prof. Hannes Enlund). Similar results were also found in various studies made around the world, and so we believed that the problem was about the same everywhere. Such irresponsible usage of medicine may considerably reduce patients’ functional capacity and activity. Medication misuse is one of the main reasons for patients being taken into systematic care. It has been estimated that due to medication misuse, patients have to be taken into care from 2 to 2.5 years earlier than necessary. According to work flow reports in health care organisations, about 16% to 28 % of nurses’ total working hours are spent administering medication logistics. This time could be better spent on caring for patients.

These reasons provided the incentive to start developing a system that could help in dealing effectively with such problems. The entire medication logistics chain, from the pharmaceutical company to the end user, was studied for the first time ever. As a result, several problem-solving ideas were patented as a precaution. At the same time, potential partners were sought with a view to setting up the company and merchandising these innovations.

A group of private investors were interested and believed in innovation, and also the Spinno-seed fund indicated its interest. The final decision to start a business was made when the Runar Bäckström Foundation also provided Addoz with a grant to develop innovative and merchandisable products. Addoz Oy was founded at the end of 1999.

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