Are drug calculation apps a solution to the problem of remembering medication names and dosages? Unfortunately, this can be very difficult, so let’s take a look at this solution.
Whether you are a consumer, prescribed several drugs to take daily, or support trained health professionals who need to make sure a patient’s underlying conditions or allergies don’t produce drug interactions or side effects, getting your information correct is essential. Fortunately, the medical technology (MedTech) industry makes it easier to keep track of prescriptions, dosage calculations, IV drip rates, and other vital drug information with drug calculation apps.
In this post, we’ll explain what drug calculation mobile apps are, explore their many benefits, and outline some of the most popular and trending apps on the app store.
What Are Drug Calculation Apps?
Drug calculation apps facilitate the prescription and management of medications and reduce the risk of complications by taking the wrong medication or incorrect dosage.
There are several different types of drug calculation and dosage applications. Some are strictly digital and native to iOS or Android, while others have IoT features and are designed to work with healthcare hardware or equipment, such as medication dispensers and medical alert devices.
Some typical features of drug calculation apps include, but are not limited to:
- An easy drug dose calculator that can provide appropriate dose recommendations based on age, weight, current medications, and pre-existing conditions;
- Detailed drug information, including chemical composition, forms, concentrations, and active ingredients;
- Potential side effects, interactions, and practice guidelines;
- Range of conditions that can be treated with a particular medication;
- Drug search based on generic or trade name;
- Medication alerts and reminders;
- Alternative medication suggestions;
- Note-taking section;
- Access to pharmacy representatives or emergency responders.
Who Can Drug Calculation Apps Benefit?
Drug calculation apps can offer numerous benefits to many audiences, from consumers to medical students to pharmacy technicians—and many more. But, of course, anyone can make a simple mistake when prescribing or taking medication. Still, drug dosage calculator apps can reduce that risk by making it easy to remember what medications should be taken and when and which drugs should be avoided based on a patient’s current prescriptions and state of health to prevent adverse side effects.
Consumers and Caretakers
Whether you have a great memory, use daily medicine dispensers, or have loved ones assist you with your drug doses, it is not always easy to remember which medications (or how much) to take. This is especially true if you have several prescriptions. In addition, many medications resemble one another both in name and in appearance, which can increase your chances of confusing them and accidentally taking the wrong one or the wrong dosage.
This can be remedied by using a mobile app for drug dosage calculations. Many of these apps are designed specifically for consumers and feature several great tools, such as unique reminders for every prescription so you can easily differentiate between medications.
MedMinder is a particularly innovative, easy drug dosage mobile app because it enables a connection between a physical pill dispenser and a smartphone via IoT technology. The dispenser itself, known as a smart pillbox, can hold up to four daily medication doses and send out digital reminders using its internet connection. The app also helps caretakers manage medication schedules by sending them reminders and alerts if doses are missed, offers telemedicine and pharmacy services, and even has its very own emergency call center.
Health Insurance Providers
Health insurance companies in the United States must approve prescriptions before an individual can obtain them from their local pharmacy, except for over-the-counter medications. As a result, sometimes, a patient may have been prescribed one medication by one of their doctors and a different medication by another physician, without either health professional being aware of the other’s RX.
Drug calculation apps can help health insurance agents in the United States quickly obtain information for all prescribed medications to determine if there are any potential hazards. For example, the app will let them know whether the dosage is incorrect or whether the medications may result in side effects based on the patient’s condition, body surface area, or from taking them together. If a problem is uncovered, the agent will advise the patient to speak with their doctors to find an alternative prescription.
Health Science Students and Health Professionals
Drug calculation apps are extremely beneficial for medical students trying to learn the names and appropriate dosages for different medications. However, even experienced health professionals, such as pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, and doctors can benefit from these applications.
For health professionals using Android smart devices, Infinite Dose: The Smart Drug Dosage Calculator is one of the best drug calculation apps because it provides accurate drug dosing information for various medications. The application offers an easy drug dose calculator for oral medications and the optimal infusion rate for intravenous (IV) medications. In addition, when faced with an emergency and a patient is not responding to the medications they have already been given, Infinite Dose can calculate alternative drugs that won’t counteract those that were administered.
Cross-Platform Drug Calculation Apps
With so many applications available for consumers and health professionals, it can be challenging to determine the best drug calculation app from search results. However, a few stand out given the extensive resources and tools they provide, exceptional reviews and content rating, and friendly user interface (UI). Best of all, these are cross-platform apps (meaning they are available to download on iOS and Android devices) and are FREE.
- Epocrates – One of the leading MedTech apps, Epocrates boasts over one million users and includes a vast range of medical tools, including disease information, a drug interaction checker, alternative medication suggestions, and hundreds of drug dose calculators that cross-reference several factors, such as drug dosages, patient body surface area, medication forms (tablet or capsule vs. liquid), frequency, strength, unit conversions, and more, to deliver accurate results.
- Skyscape Medical Library – A comprehensive app with a friendly user interface, featuring access to several medical tools and resources, medication and disease indexes, symptom analyzer, drug doses calculator, unit conversions, and more.
- Vetpocket Apps – Vetpocket offers a range of apps designed for veterinarians and veterinary technicians with built-in calculators, unit conversions, dosage sequences, and a notepad feature that lets users keep track of their preferred medications and create customized treatments.
Considering Building a Drug Calculation App? We’ve Got You Covered
If you are in the MedTech industry and are thinking about building a drug calculation app, consider finding an app development partner that can assist you.
