Smart Medicine Dispensing System wins Rep. Andy Biggs’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Arizona’s Fifth District

When asked what inspired the creation of Smart Medicine Dispensing System, the students said, “We were inspired to take action on the drug under-dose problem when one of the individual’s mothers forgot to take her daily thyroid every day, leading to ulcers in her mouth. This led us to be concerned about the potential impact this could have on her health. On our school’s campus, we have witnessed a few of our peers consuming opioid drugs, and saw the effects this had on their health. To prevent this from happening again, we decided that we wanted to tackle the drug overdose problem. 

We learned that drug overdose is a serious public health issue that can have devastating impacts on individuals, families, and entire communities. In 2022, over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdose, with the majority of the deaths being from patients on prescription opioids. Even in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Service reports that more than five people die of opioid overdose daily. The crisis became so severe that a statewide public health emergency declaration occurred in 2027, focused on reducing opioid related deaths. Additionally, an alarming 67% of Americans do not adhere to their prescribed medications, leading to harmful effects for them. Forgetfulness is the primary reason for medication non-adherence, contributing to 125,000 deaths and 10% of annual hospitalizations in the United States. This inspired us to tackle and create a solution to the drug overdose and under-dose problem.”