Top Three Features to Consider when Purchasing a Pill Dispenser
Meta-description: When purchasing a pill dispenser, choose the one that even the patients with serious illnesses and most complex medication regimen would find easy to use.
Elderly patients, people with chronic illnesses, and medical caregivers have embraced the use of a pill dispenser to manage medication. With increased demand, it is no surprise that the variety of dispensers available in the market has also risen.
The dispensers come with different features that are designed to attract customers. Some of the features can be optional while others are not.
Below are the features that you should never compromise on when purchasing the dispenser for either personal or commercial use.
The capacity
Consider the number of pills you can load at a time as well as the different doses it can dispense per day. At a minimum, the dispenser should be able to hold entire doses of different medications simultaneously.
A dispenser that can hold supply to last a couple of weeks to a month is ideal.
There are also situations where the patient has to take different medications at different times of the day. Your pill dispenser should be compartmentalized to allow the patient or caregiver to take the specific medications at the set times of the day.
Alerts for medication time
Many patients tend to forget their medication schedules. This especially affects elderly patients and patients with a wide array of medications to take.
If you have invested in or run a caregiving business, you understand that it is also difficult for caregivers to synchronize medication schedules. This especially happens when there are either many patients or many caregivers serving one patient at different times.
A dispenser with alerts or alarms can help you overcome this challenge by notifying the patient or caregiver when to take a specific medication.
Some also have blinking lights that may be of help for patients and caretakers with difficulty hearing.
The pill dispenser should be easy to operate
The user of the dispenser you’re about to buy is probably an elderly person or has a chronic illness. He or she might, therefore, need the medication when at their weakest moment physically or mentally.
The dispenser should, therefore, be as easy to operate as possible. The buttons, for instance, should be easy to press, and the labels easy to read.
The process of loading the pills should also be easy to prevent a situation where pills are placed in the wrong compartment.
Some dispensers can be electronically connected with the patient’s phone to make the operations even easier.
Final words
When purchasing the pill dispenser, you should constantly remember that you want it to make simply the administration of medication. If any of the features make the dispenser difficulty for even the frailest patient or a naïve caregiver to use, it may not be what you are looking for.
There may be other essential features to consider depending on the situation. For example, if there are pets or children in the house, ensure that the dispenser can be locked.
In some cases, you may also need accessories to complement the dispenser for improved delivery of medication. Ask the shop assistant or expert for guidance on this to avoid redundancy.