Prescription drug abuse is a US epidemic.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that approximately one-third of all drug abuse in the US is prescription drug abuse.  More Americans abuse prescription drugs than the number who abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and inhalants, combined.  According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the number of Americans abusing prescription drugs has risen about 80% in the last 9 years. Per the NIDA, the most commonly abused classes of prescription medications include opioids (for pain), central nervous system depressants (for anxiety and sleep disorders), and stimulants (for ADHD and narcolepsy).

According to IMS Health, from 2000 through 2006 there was about a 48 percent increase in the number of prescriptions dispensed for hydrocodone opioids in the US (from about 88 million prescriptions to 130 million prescriptions).  Per IMS Health, the US constitutes 99% of the world's consumption of hydrocodone opioids.

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):

• Approximately 6.2 million Americans aged 12 or older reported current (past month) use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, representing 2.5% of the population. Most reported abusing opiate pain relievers in particular.
• The overwhelming majority of teens obtain prescription drugs through people they know. Research shows that over 45 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds who abuse prescription pain relievers get them for free from a friend or relative. Another 11 percent of these teens buy them from friends or relatives, and an additional 10 percent take them from friends or relatives without asking.

Lack of adequate security of abuse-potential medications contributes to prescription drug abuse, across all age groups, from pre-teens to the elderly. Clearly, an easy to use, cost effective, portable, tamper-resistant, programmable pill-dispensing technology is needed.  The nearly universal "pop top, access all at once" pill container provides essentially no security, beyond a possible childproof closure.  Remove the cap, and all pills are immediately available.  The standard container's security shortfall is full of danger when used with abuse-potential medications.

Dose Control's patented (US patent 7,108,153) dispenser is portable, tamper-resistant, programmable, internally self-locking, refillable, and serial-numbered by device.  The device is designed to dispense pills no faster than the prescribed and programmed rate.  The battery-powered, high impact ABS plastic dispenser is about 5 1/2 inches diameter X 2" high.  The device accommodates preconfigured custom blister packs of pills, or individually loaded pills, and holds 30 dosages which can each consist of more than 1 pill.  The device locks internally without a key, and can be opened for refilling after all dosages are accessed.  It is a class 1 FDA device which can be purchased "over the counter".  LCD display, LED status light, and optional beeper alert can provide medication adherence reminders.  Market launch is scheduled for 2010.

More information can be found at www.dosecontrol-llc.com