Apple is making it easier for users to track their medications

[helvella]

Yesterday, Apple started their WordWide Developer Conference.

In amongst the features and products in their keynote streamed presentation, they made quite a song and dance about medicine tracking and reminding.

I quote a bit of the story from MacRumors:

With iOS 16 and watchOS 9, Apple is making it easier for users to track their medications. Medicine, vitamins, and supplements can all be added to the Health app in iOS 16 for tracking purposes, and custom reminders to take medication can be set up.

You can add your prescription medications to the Health app on the iPhone through the new "Medications" category. You can search for your medications and manually add them or scan them using the iPhone's camera. If you're scanning a medication, just give the app permission and then put your medication in the camera frame.

Most of the time, the iPhone can read the label and interpret what you're taking, though you might need to fine tune your dose. From there, you can add in the time you take it and how often you take it to get a reminder. You can create a custom schedule for each medication, and give each one a unique visual with customizable background.

Despite the obviousness of choosing what is, perhaps, the most prescribed medicine in the USA (and some other countries), it was still good to see Levothyroxine sodium chosen as the primary example medicine.

Rest of article here - I think you can read but not comment without registration:

forums.macrumors.com/thread...

There are several comments pointing out this rather removes the reason for existence of a number of existing apps which don't do much more than this feature.

Obviously, this is only of any use to those with at least one bit of Apple hardware. However, where Apple goes, Google (and Android) are often not far behind. And vice versa.

Definitely NOT intended to promote Apple, their products, or this feature. It is simply to keep you aware of what is happening in one niche of technology.

[shaws Administrator]

Quite scary to think that relying on an 'app' for everything that our brain might stop remembering anything at all.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to shaws]

Though a brain affected by inadequate thyroid hormone being available might already have stopped remembering many things!

(This is a completely serious comment though there is, obviously, the possibility of mild humour.)

[shaws Administrator in reply to helvella]

How many GPs are aware that if the patient has insufficient dose that it can affect everything in our body, particularly brain?

I believe many GPs have no knowledge at all. I know that for a fact as I've told the GP that he is incorrect.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to shaws]

Maybe Apple understand that better than our GPs?

(This is jocular. But could have a grain of truth.)

[shaws Administrator in reply to helvella]

Yes! definitely and I have had a couple of stupid comments from a GP and I told him "that's incorrect doctor".

[TSH110 in reply to helvella]

Talking of grains….Is NDT on their list I wonder

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to TSH110]

I haven't yet identified what data they are using. But if they do not cover a particular medicine, you can enter it manually.

However, would be nice to think they started off with all medicines known to the FDA, the MHRA, the Canadian medicines people, etc.

Some countries seem to obsess over preventing non-medical people having any access. (Germany is odd - sometime information is hidden away, but other times it is readily available. I think some companies simply have not seen the need to make things available to mere patients.)

For photos of tablets/pills/capsules, the UK is awful. Seem to think if we knew what they looked like we would be enabled to do something terrible.

[TSH110 in reply to helvella]

Mine seems to have rather a chaotic memory no guarantee quite what will or won’t be remembered. Would I remember if I had taken it when the alarm sounded? I try to take it at the same point in my daily routine it works 99 % of the time

[TSH110 in reply to shaws]

Use it or loose it!

[BB001 in reply to shaws]

You mean your brain hasn't already stopped remembering? Lucky you 🤣

[Star13]

Didn’t the WW22 also mention that it will also have an alert for medication and supplement clashes etc too. That would be quite useful given GPS arn’t pharmacists and they don’t seem to check everything these days either.I was impressed that their presentation actually had Liothyronine as well as Levo!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Star13]

Yes - there is more information in the link I included.

I'd like to know more about their information sources and how they will be managed!

[jgelliss in reply to helvella]

Helvella with everything that we advance there are set backs too. I'm just concerned since they can track everything if this is not another control thing? Just another thought.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to jgelliss]

I think not. They absolutely insist that all the data remains ONLY on the phone itself (other than in backups, of course). It would be a major upset if they were lying about this - their relative privacy and security being regarded a huge differentiator from many other companies and their products.

[jgelliss in reply to helvella]

I hope your right Helvella. The world we are living in I don't know what to believe any more . Sad but true.

[SilverAvocado]

As I take my thyroid hormone in four doses (one during the night), I use several alarms during the day. I set these as an ordinary alarm on my smartphone (as in, the same kind of alarm that is most used to wake people up). That's before counting other supplements and medication, where I usually rely on other indicators it's time to take them, like eating a meal or bedtime.

I've searched around for better solutions, but haven't found anything that really is better. I've looked at many apps, but never found them to be enough.

My dream solution is a small dosette type box (ideally very small, as thyroid tablets are always small ones), that had an easy to reset alarm attached, I adjust the timing of my doses slightly every day, depending on when I finish eating. I actually hate having to carry my phone with me everywhere when I'm out and about to make sure I will hear my alarm and have the tablets to hand. To me it would be a great luxury to be able to hang up my phone with my coat and bag and not have to keep track of it like other people do.

I imagine this dream box to be small enough to fit into a pocket, or even on a necklace or clip to a belt loop.

I would really want to avoid having to click an app every time I take a tablet all day... It's just nice to get off the phone and into the physical world for something as elemental and important to life as thyroid hormone.

[Aurealis]

I think I already do most of this with the alarm feature…