In Brazil, 51% of patients report not reading the package insert of the medicines before taking them. So, it's no surprise that misuse of medicines is the main cause of intoxication in the country, affecting 3 people every hour. Package inserts are complicated, written in complex scientific language and not answering doubts clearly. But this is about to change. Introducing Icons for Medicine: an app that translates complex information from the package inserts and crosses it with the patient's medical history for a personalized recommendation. In a country with 220 million cell phones, taking medicine has never been safer.

Having key information about the proper use of some medications in the palm of everyone’s hand should be easy and accessible, avoiding accidents that can be fatal. And that's exactly what Icons for Medicine is all about. The patient just needs to fill out some personal information and point their camera’s phone at the box of the medicine. Using augmented reality, the packaging goes through a redesign, which shows the main information about that drug through a universal language that anyone can understand: icons. Each user gets a different set of icons according to their age, weight, gender, previous surgeries, etc. And if the medicine is not recommended for the patient, they will receive an alert message, warning about the dangers of that medication to them. A complete dictionary of icons has been created, making the patient better informed about their medication. Simple, low cost and universal.

In order to understand how to execute such a complex project, we studied hundreds of package inserts. After much research, we came up with a list of the crucial information that could avoid intoxication due to misuse of medications. Then, we translated each orientation of the package insert into a visual icon that represents it as simply as possible. So, we created an entire dictionary of new icons. The icons with the recommendations for the correct use of the medicine were crossed with the medical data provided by the patient. The result is a simple system to translate complex package inserts into a universal language through augmented reality. Despite the complexity of the cross-data, Icons for Medicine is extremely easy to use. Just point the camera from the phone at the medicine box to get personalized and safe information on how to use it.

The application was released first for HCOR patients and was included in the hospital admission protocol to ensure the correct use of post-discharge medication. In the medical record, the patient has all the necessary information to download and install the app on their smartphone. Because it uses a universal language, Icons for Medicines has the potential to expand globally, making medicine use safer and simpler than ever before. Finally, people will be able to take their medicine more safely, with access to quick and clear information in the palm of their hand.

Icons for Medicines has given a new perspective to the safety of doctors and patients regarding prescription drugs. An important platform not only for the general public but also for foreigners who are not Portuguese speakers, people who are illiterate and people with reading difficulties. In a simple way, now people can have personalized, accurate, and visually available information about the medications that are taken. In a few weeks, Icons for Medicines will be available in the App Store and Google Play, making the act of taking medicine safe. Besides this, through its universal language, Icons for Medicines has the potential to expand globally, making drug use safer and simpler than ever before.