By Erin Smith
Medication errors, especially those involving heart medications, pain killers and hormone therapies are common occurrences. Nationwide there are more than 1.5 million medication errors made each year. CVS Pharmacies are now offering TimerCap to help fight opioid addiction as well as preventing potentially lethal medication mistakes.
Phillip Sugarman, who is with TimerCap.com, said, “The TimerCap is currently being used to help reduce medication errors among patients worldwide. The TimerCap is currently being sold at every CVS and Rite Aid Pharmacies worldwide.”
The way the caps work is they have a timer installed in the cap that tells the patient or care giver how long it has been since the last dose was administered. The cap will continue to count until it is reopened. This allows you to know when the bottle was last opened and if someone has opened the medication and how long it has been since it has ocurred.
In the battle against the abuse of opioids, Bladen County reported no opioid-related deaths were reported in 2005 and 5 opioid-related deaths were reported in 2015. The State of North Carolina reported 642 opioid-related deaths in 2005 and 1,110 opioid-related deaths in 2015—an increase of 73 percent.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta have developed opioid prescribing guidelines. They also encourage providers to screen their patients for opioid abuse disorder and help patients to find treatment. You can read the full guidelines here.
The CDC estimates the financial costs of opioid abuse to be about $78.5 billion per year nationwide. This estimate includes health care costs, lost hours at work, treatment for addiction, and involvement in the criminal justice system, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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