BERRY Healthcare has revealed that new pharmaceutical packaging and devices are supporting the trend towards eHealth.
eHealth is described by Berry as seeking to promote health and wellbeing in people, and enhance carer practice, through the use of information management and information and communication technology (ICT).
Berry said eHealth can encourage the shift towards ‘personalised and precision’ medicine, which allows care to be tailored to individual patients based on their genetic profile and medical history.
eHealth is also important in the move towards remote diagnostics, which has been accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis. According to the US Centre for Disease control, doctors meeting patients via videoconferencing and real-time chat technologies increased by 154% in the early stages of the pandemic.
Marco Franza, Berry Healthcare’s sales and business development director – global inhalation and medical devices, said, “eHealth can bring many benefits for patients, with technology allowing diagnosis to be carried out remotely, and the care and treatment to be integrated into their daily lives. At the same time, carers can easily share relevant information and data can be analysed as part of disease management or a clinical trial. Ultimately, this can improve patient engagement and encourage positive behaviour.”
Berry Healthcare has recently launched its RS01X single dose Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI) with built-in sensors and digital capabilities that tracks inhaler use and connects to the Respiro app from Amiko Digital Health, which provides personalised guidance to improve adherence and inhaler technique.
The app reminds patients when it is time to inhale a dose and provides insights to help them self-manage more effectively.
Berry added that the RS01X is a ‘first of many’ inhalers from the company which will feature digital capabilities. The firm is also working on new digital product developments, including pill dispensers that can adjust treatment and dosage based on data provided, and systems for tracking medicines to ensure safe distribution, storage at the correct temperature and delivery to the right patient.
