Georgia Couple Spearheads Pill Dispensing Invention

By Rose Scott

Atlanta, GA – According to the National Council for Patient Information and Education, about 50% of the 2 billion prescriptions filled each year are not taken correctly.

That could be caused by a number of factors especially if someone has to take multiple medications.

An Alpharetta couple has invented a computerized device that helps as a daily reminder.

As WABE's Rose Scott reports their invention was developed from a personal experience:

Imagine taking two, three or even four pills each day and at different times.

That's pretty cumbersome for any individual and for some it could mean a matter of life and death.

So now imagine hearing this throughout the day:

((your medication and message is ready press the blue button))

That's the tabletop device called TabSafe.

It has 4 trays for dispensing pills at a pre-programmed time and a small computer screen that displays messages.

It's the brainchild of Jim and Kathy Chiavetta.

It not only talks to you as Jim Chiavetta explains it talks to others:

((so what tabsafe does it reminds them when to take their medication if they forget it makes 3 phone calls to either a neighbor or son or daughter))

Jim, an engineer has worked on inventions in the past and was thinking of something new or improved that could help sustain the quality of life especially for senior citizens.

But there's also a personal connection Jim's wife Kathy:

((my daughter at age 13 had been diagnosis with juvenile epilepsy and the physician said we had 2 choices, to put her on strict medication with a strict regiment to prevent seizures or just wait and see what would happen but being a parent we chose the route to take the medicine))

Kathy says she wishes something like TabSafe was around back then because she didn't to seem like an over protection parent.

((when we did that he said she had to take it 3 times a day on time and couldn't miss a dosage so quickly it became a family affair and that middle dosage

Jim picks up the story and talks about his vision for TabSafe:

((so we saw a very definite need in our family..and we began to study medication errors throughout the country for senior citizens or for people with specific diseases such as epilepsy/children with diabetes or cancer wherever there's a difficult Medication regiment))

There are other devices that give alerts and reminders about taking medicine.

Jim and Kathy say they believe Tabsafe also helps a sense of independence particularly for seniors:

((we believe TabSafe is a technology that allows seniors to stay independent and compliant to the medication))

Something else that's special about TabSafe; with approval others can monitor the medicine dosage online.

There's no price yet for Tabsafe and the Chiavettas are still in distribution talks with various companies.

((the drawer is open..remove item and close drawer))