PillDrill’s device includes a RFID scanner that can scan the RFID tags it provides for pill bottles.
PillDrill, the company behind a medication adherence kit imvolving smart pill bottles, which bears more than a passing resemblance to a clock radio, has closed a $3 million seed round from unnamed angel investors, according to a press release.
The funding will be used to support the launch of the kit, specifically to build distribution channels for the business, the release noted.
PillDrill, which launched its device earlier this year, has a direct-to-consumer business model. In an interview with MedCity News in April, PillDrill CEO and Founder Peter Havas said the package would initially be sold directly to consumers for $199, which includes the main device, a pill organizer and RFID stickers that can be applied to pill bottles.
Here’s how the kit works. When it’s time for users to take their medication, the drug name flashes on the screen. The device asks users to hold the pill bottle up to the device’s RFID scanner to read the RFID tag on the stickers applied to the pill bottles. It interprets these scans as the user taking their medication and records that data on a companion app.
A companion app can also be used to change the settings on the alert and scanning device. When users miss a dose, the device face blinks and elicits an alarm. A RFID tag can also be applied to a mood cube and scanned so that caregivers know how their parents or loved ones feel. The idea is to give family caregivers peace of mind knowing their parents or grandparents are taking their meds according to their care plan.
Several companies have taken various approaches to smart or connected pill bottles. Medisafe added smart bottle caps and pill boxes this year — referred to as Medisafe iConnect. AdhereTech and SMRxT have also developed connected pill bottles to support adherence.
