Building the ReMINDS ecosystem for medicine reuse requires a platform connecting all stakeholders for information exchange. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides the background for establishing such a platform where a collection of tools and concepts is proposed to realise the Internet of Pharmaceutical Things (ioPT) concept.
A list of requirements for designing an IoPT architecture and its components was recommended in this project and a major component: an IoPT smart sensor (a digital Time Temperature Humidity Indicator or dTTHI) was built based on the recommended design guidelines. The dTTHI illustrates how existing technologies applying to pharmaceutical packaging through environmental sensing, local and remote connectivity are combined to enhance quality validation of returned medicines. At the same time, it reveals the deficiency of existing technologies for implementing the proposed ReMINDS ecosystem. Future research is suggested to exploit how technologies can help to facilitate the concept of medicine reuse through electronic engineering, computer sciences and informatics, pharmacy and psychology.
Hui, T. K. L., Donyai, P., McCrindle, R. and Sherratt, R. S. (2020) Enabling medicine reuse using a digital time temperature humidity sensor in an internet of pharmaceutical things concept., Sensors, 2020, 20(11), 3080 https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113080 (Special Issue: Smart Sensors for eHealth Applications)