Have you or your loved ones been struggling to take medication correctly? Has this resulted in any hospitalizations?
Spencer is an at-home medication dispensing device that will remind you to take daily meds and dispense the right medication at the right time, and alerts your care team if you miss a dose.
Simple solution to complicated medication schedules
It’s hard enough to remember to take one pill every day, but as we age many of us need to keep increasingly complicated medication schedules.
“The red ones are morning and evening, but the little white ones can’t be taken with food… And did I remember to take the yellow one before breakfast, or was that yesterday?”
Add in struggles with memory or cognitive decline, and keeping track of medications can be a cause of stress and worry for both patients and their caregivers — not to mention the ill-effects of missing essential doses. The easiest solution is usually a weekly pill organizer, and blister packs with foil backing are the next step up. But for people who need a stronger reminder, Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy offers another solution.
Named “Spencer,” this automated, interactive pill dispenser removes the guesswork for patients and their caregivers. Gray’s is the first pharmacy in the Kootenays to make it available for clients.
“It really helps people stay at home longer and manage their medications better,” says Michelle Gray, owner of Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy. “This can provide family members with peace of mind that their loved ones are automatically being reminded to take their meds. If the patient doesn’t take their medications or doesn’t hear it, the reminder gets louder.”
In addition, spencer alerts both the pharmacy and connected family members a mobile phone app to let them know when medications have not been taken. Timely follow up with the client can then take place. “It allows you to quickly determine whether your loved one is missing medications, and follow up if needed,” Michelle says.
Convenient medication organizer covered by Pharmacare
Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy owns several spencer devices, and loans them out to clients as-needed.
“It’s covered by Pharmacare for patients who are taking regular medications, and Grays prepares weekly medication cartridges specially coded to be inserted into spencer,” Michelle says.
There’s no limit to the number of times a day medication is dispensed, which means it’s easier to avoid negative drug interactions. Spencer can also remind clients of other medications like insulin and nitro patches, even if they’re not administered by the machine’s cartridges.
“While spencer may not be the solution for patients with severe dementia, it can be a good in-between step that allows people to stay in their own home a little longer,” Michelle says. “It also builds the connection between patient and their support-system, including their pharmacist, and we all contribute to ensuring better care.”
To find out more and book a medication review, call 250-427-0038, drop by the pharmacy on 304th Street at Highway 95 in Kimberley, or visit facebook.com/grayspharmacy. Learn more about spencer at www.meetspencertoday.com.