Smart Prescription Drug Bottle Polices Painkiller Usage to Curb Abuse

Sometimes, too much of a substance that's supposed to help can cause serious harm.

Drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just in 2008, for example, the CDC says there were 14,800 deaths in the U.S. caused by prescription painkillers.

Considering this problem, a group of Brigham Young University (BYU) students reimagined the prescription drug bottle and have developed a high-tech regulator.

Their invention, called Med Vault, basically lets a pharmacist give instructions to the bottle, which then dispenses painkillers accordingly to the patient. Via a USB connection, a pharmacist can use special software to load the pills and program how many can be dispensed per day. Read more...