NPS iPhone app now includes a medicines reminder function
No more forgetting to take your medicine! NPS has introduced a range of new features to its award-winning Medicines List iPhone app that allow people to schedule in reminders to prompt them to take their medicine.
As part of the upgrade, people can also record whether they took their medicine on time — and if not, why not, which is useful information to share when they next see their doctor.
NPS clinical adviser Dr Danielle Stowasser says the scheduling functions are a lifesaver for those who have trouble taking their medicines as recommended by their health professional.
“With the Medicines List iPhone app upgrade, your patients can set reminders to help them take the right doses of their medicines at the right time,” says Dr Stowasser.
“Health professionals should encourage their patients to record information about any possible side effects of their medicine, and whether they are taking their medicine as prescribed.”
Using the Medicines List app, your patients can set the frequency of how often they should take each medicine from a range of default options, or they can set the times to their own custom preferences.
Reminders will alert your patient at the appropriate times, which they respond to by selecting whether they took their medicine on time, late or did not take it at all.
If they miss a dose, they can record why, so they have the information to take with them to discuss with their health professional.
“The information captured using the new features in the app creates a record of your patient’s adherence over time, which they can later share with you to help inform discussions about their medicines use,” says Dr Stowasser.
“For example, your patient may have missed a dose or several doses because they were nauseous, and making use of the Medicines List app and recording each time this occurs — and sharing this record with their health professional — can provide useful information to help make decisions about their treatment going forward.”
The NPS Medicines List iPhone app has been downloaded more than 9000 times since its launch in mid 2011, and received an award for Best Medical App at the 2011 Australian Mobile Awards.
It can be downloaded for free from the Apple iTunes store, and for those who already have the app, the upgraded features will be available automatically when you next update your apps.
For more information, including how-to videos outlining the app’s features, visit http://www.nps.org.au/iphonemedicineslist