THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a computerized medication box for marketing in the United States. Called the INRange Systems' Electronic Medication Management Assistant, or EMMA, the device is programmable and meant to be used in a patient's home to dispense medication under a physician's supervision.
The device is about the size of a bread box and is plugged into a standard outlet. It has two-way, Web-based communication software that allows a health care professional at a remote location to adjust or schedule a patient's medication. At the scheduled time, the unit delivers an auditory signal and releases the medication into a tray.
The device is aimed at those with complex medication regimens, such as HIV-infected patients, or those who need more assistance, such as the elderly.
"FDA's clearance of the INRange remote medication management system puts an important safety tool directly in the hands of patients and their health care providers," said Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement. "It will help take away some of the confusion patients can experience when taking prescription medications, and allow care providers to more closely monitor their patients' medications between office visits."
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