Design and development of an IoT-enabled smart pill box prototype with a smartphone app-based medication reminder

Non-adherence to medication regimens remains a significant concern in healthcare, negatively impacting patient outcomes and increasing costs. This pilot study investigated using Internet of Things (IoT) and microcontroller technologies to enhance adherence through a smartphone-app-driven smart pill box. The prototype integrated an IoT-enabled microcontroller with a custom app designed to send real-time medication reminders and log pill box usage. Ten participants with chronic conditions requiring daily medication evaluated the device over four weeks. Adherence rates, self-reported before the trial, were compared to those monitored during the trial. Results indicated a marked improvement in adherence, increasing from 78% at baseline to 92% during the study. Additionally, 90% of participants rated the system as user-friendly and expressed willingness to continue its use. The study highlights the potential of this IoT-enabled smart pill box to address medication non-adherence effectively. However, further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to confirm its broader applicability across diverse populations and medical conditions. These findings suggest that integrating IoT and microcontroller technologies into adherence interventions could significantly benefit chronic disease management and healthcare outcomes. This innovative approach holds promise for addressing the widespread challenge of medication non-adherence, but larger and more demographically diverse studies are needed to validate its long-term effectiveness and generalizability.