FDA approves
computerized medicine cabinet

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a programmable device that will allow medical professionals to monitor when and how patients take their medications, reported Forbes on Thursday.

The Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA) will be able to prevent drug identification problems and dosing errors. Medication errors harm approximately 1.5 million Americans each year, according to a 2006 study from the Institute of Medicine.

This system will be useful for aging patients suffering from memory loss and people with complex prescriptions, such as those living with HIV, the FDA explained to Forbes.

EMMA is composed of a storage and delivery unit fitted with two-way communication software that allows a healthcare provider to remotely monitor the dispersal of medications. An alarm alerts the patient when it is time to take a medication, dispensing the correct pills into a delivery tray.

The EMMA system was developed by Pennsylvania-based INRange Systems. (The Advocate)