AudibleRx – Disrupting Health Literacy with Useful and Accessible Consumer Medication Information

Picture this, your 53-year-old brother, Steve, was recently admitted to the hospital with acute chest pain.  He is discharged five days later after undergoing cardiac angioplasty, which led to the placement of a stent in order to increase blood flow to his heart and treat his newly diagnosed acute coronary syndrome.

Steve, a skilled laborer, has never been sick a day in his life.  Now, he is sent home from the hospital with 50 sheets of paper and told to stop by the pharmacy, on his way, to pick up five new medications.  His doctor warned him that if he doesn’t take his medications he could die.

Tired from his stay in the hospital, Steve walks into the pharmacy to pick up his medications.  After a 30 minute wait, Steve signs his name at the register and meets the pharmacist at the counseling area.  The pharmacist, pressured with time and productivity metrics, discusses the most important points of all five medications in under two minutes.

Steve is now sent home with a combination of three blood pressure medications, a blood thinner and a cholesterol medication, all to treat his newly diagnosed coronary syndrome.  He feels like his life has just been turned upside down.  In his prescription bag, he has more paperwork, Consumer Medication Information leaflets, which the pharmacist said he could read over if he had any questions about his medication.

Here’s the deal, Steve has never been much of a reader.  He is smart and a quick learner; however, he is more of a “hands-on” type of guy.  Will Steve take his meds appropriately, or will he let them slide because he is feeling better now that he is at home? Does he understand why he is taking these specific medications, and importantly, does he understand the consequences of not following through on his therapy?

AudibleRx was designed with the simple mission of providing accessible and useful consumer medication information to everyone.

We know that consumers who understand their medications are more likely to take them and as a result, have better health outcomes and fewer hospitalizations. We also know that many consumers are challenged with literacy or visual difficulties and cannot read or understand their prescription bottles let alone the attached FDA required consumer medication information.

AudibleRx was started to solve this problem.  We want every consumer to understand their medication, take it as prescribed and lead healthier lives.  As a result, health care costs are saved, people are healthier and communities are stronger.

Our platform is designed with 3 specific guiding factors; simplicity, accessibility and consistency.

• Simplicity: consumers deserve medication education written in plain language. With the AudibleRx platform, consumers may listen to an audio presentation of their education while reading along with the printed text.
• Accessibility: our platform is accessible on any internet-enabled device through our web-based application. AudibleRx is designed for consumers challenged with literacy, visual impairment or just learn better by listening.
• Consistency: with everyone in such a hurry, patients rarely receive a complete medication counseling session with their new medication. AudibleRx assures patients receive education about important black box warnings, medication specific instructions, and all other FDA recommended elements of a complete consumer medication information document.

It is important to understand that our product does not replace the important face-to-face counseling and interactions patients have with their own health care providers. After a patient listens to a CMI session on the AudibleRx platform they will have a clear idea of what they do and don’t know and be in a much better position to take educated questions back to their own health care provider.