Forgetting to take medicines on time is a daily problem in many households, especially with elderly parents. One answer is the automatic pill dispenser, a small device that sounds an alarm or flashes a light when a dose is due. Prothom Alo's lifestyle pages explain how it works and what it costs.
Inside is a round tray divided into compartments. Each compartment is filled with the dose for a given time according to the patient's schedule, a job a relative, carer or pharmacist can help with. Once the times and alarms are set, the tray turns at the set time to bring that dose to the opening in the lid.
Tilting the device drops the pills into the palm or a small cup, which usually stops the alarm. Because the lid is locked, other doses cannot be taken early, reducing the risk of taking too much by mistake. Some models go further: if the dose is not taken within the set time, a text message goes to a family member's phone so they can call and remind the patient.
Prothom Alo says automatic pill dispensers are sold in Bangladesh by medical equipment shops and online, typically for Tk 3,000 to Tk 20,000 depending on features. They can help families of older people living alone or anyone who takes several doses a day, though which medicine to take and when must still follow the doctor's prescription.
Photo: Dvortygirl / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Prothom Alo
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