GREAT Companion Item

   Men's Health Magazine recommends consumers look at the Gasketed VitaCarry in their March 2011 issue for people concerned about how their Meds degrade from exposure to moisture, air and UV light.

In fact, the Gasketed VitaCarry (pictured here) is uniquely designed to be Air Tight, Water Tight and protect from damaging sun rays. This makes an ideal companion product for anyone carrying pills or supplements with them as they leave the house. 

Variant Products in Rochester, NY developed the new Pill Grinder as it does so many of its' other items - with a strong passion to build better solutions for people who manage medicines and supplements. Adherence products specifically help to improve compliance - tools like medicine and supplement organizers, Pushbutton Pill Cases, Pill Splitters, Pill Crushers, etc.

Christopher Gardner is President & CEO and has a background in industrial design. The net result is a manufacturing company with a focus on design. Variant Product's two name brands are VitaCarry and VitaBuddy. Though tablet cases and organizers are the root of Variant's offering, the company has stepped up efforts to employ the latest technologies accross a continuum of health and health related adherence and compliance products.

For more information, visit www.variantproducts.com

The staggering cost of non-adherence

Total estimated cost of Non-Adherence: $300 billion
10-25% of all hospital admissions
40% of hospital admissions for age 65+
$2,000 annually in additional MD visits per patient
340 deaths per day
50% of all patients are taking their medicine incorrectly
36% of all pharmacy sales are lost due to non-adherence

Studies have provided the following:
More than 125,000 Americans die each year due to prescription medication
non-adherence, twice the number killed in automobile accidents.
Every day, prescription non-adherence costs more than $270 million in
additional hospitalization and other medical costs.
9 out of every 10 outpatients are taking prescribed medicines
improperly, contributing to prolonged or additional illness.
People who miss doses need 3 times as many doctor visits as
others and face increased medical costs.

When prescriptions are written:
1/3 of patients take the medicine as directed
1/3 take some of the medicine
1/3 never fill the prescription

Nearly 60% of the prescription medication non-adherence
problems could be prevented by improving adherence or compliance.

At any given time, regardless of age group, it is estimated up to 59% of those on five
or more medications are in non-adherence. This event alone is responsible for:

11% of all hospital admissions
23% of all nursing home admissions
Additional $2,000/yr. spent on healthcare costs
Three times as many doctor's visits
20-25% of employer's healthcare expenses
$300 billion lost to complications of medication errors (US)
1.5 million people each year are injured (US)

218,000 people die as a result of medication errors (US)

To increase adherence
At least one study has shown that the simple use of an adherence or apothecary aid (e.g. pill cases, pill boxes, pill reminders, etc.) can improve adherence by as much as 450%

When a medicine or supplement is hard to swallow
12% of Americans over 65 are clinically diagnosed with Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
A pill grinder  or a pill crusher can be a useful tool as an aid to compliance if someone is avoiding taking medicines or supplements as prescribed because they are difficult to swallow.

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