Trinity University Student Entrepreneurs Launch Pilot with Texas Pharmacies — PatchRx

Patchrx Logo

SAN ANTONIO – Sept. 11, 2020 – PRLog — Trinity University dorm room startup, PATCH (Pill Administering Technology for Compliant Healthcare), now PatchRx, (http://www.getpatchrx.com/) founded by Andrew Aertker and Gavin Buchanan, ensures that people “take the right medication at the right time.” PatchRx is now offering free pilots of their adherence management service to pharmacies to help patients across the state remember to take their medicine as prescribed by their doctors and put loved ones at ease during the COVID-19 quarantine. As Aertker puts it, “It’s hard to remember to take medication, we make it hard to forget.“

The PatchRx service has three primary components: a free, universally-fit smart pill bottle cap attachment, a user-friendly app, and a data-streaming service to help pharmacists promote better adherence among their patients. The PatchCap is a nickel-sized device that sticks to the underside of any size pill bottle making it the first truly universal smart pill bottle cap. This device tracks each time a patient takes his or her medication and reports it to the patient’s PatchApp, which sends reminders and push notifications to patients when it’s time to take their medications. The PatchApp also gives caregivers the ability to monitor the dosages of their loved ones and reports dosage information securely to pharmacies so they can resolve medication errors before medical attention is required.

Nearly one-third of adults in the United States take 5 or more medications. Each year, Adverse Drug Events (ADE’s) account for nearly 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) PatchRx’s goal is to prevent medication errors and reduce the number of ER visits in order to lessen the burden on hospitals during the pandemic and beyond.

According to PatchRx co-founder, Andrew Aertker, “We learned very quickly from the pandemic triggered by COVID-19 how difficult it was for caretakers to remotely care for family members and ensure their loved ones were taking their medications appropriately. We are confident PatchRx will streamline that care and make remote patient monitoring a simple process in pharmacy going forward.”

2018 H-E-B pharmacist of the year, Tracy Girault, agrees. “PatchRx is the next step in patient engagement. They’re saving pharmacies time and money while promoting simpler, better care for patients.”

PatchRx released its consumer app and smart pill bottle cap in June 2020 and has since partnered with an innovative North Texas pharmacy, Allen Pharmacy, to pilot its service. PatchRx’s service is now market-ready, and the founders are identifying additional health systems and pharmacies to partner with as they expand throughout Texas.

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About PatchRx: PatchRx’s two founders, Gavin Buchanan (’20) and Andrew Aertker (’21), met at Trinity University and have spent the last three years creating innovative solutions to improve healthcare. They designed a smart pill bottle cap to be used in conjunction with a smart-enabled app: together, this medication adherence technology provides real-time medication monitoring and a streamlined relationship between patients, pharmacies and physicians. PatchRx’s pill administering technology made them finalists at Trinity’s annual Stumberg Entrepreneurship Competition with subsequent features on Texas Public Radio, KLRN’s (PBS) SciTechNow show, and CyberTalkRadio. To learn more about PatchRx visit www.getpatchrx.com.