Prescription medications are common, as millions of people take them to stay healthy every day. But those medications are also powerful, and if not taken according to instructions, can create adverse reactions.

But technological advances have been improving the medical field, and prescriptions are no different. Two local health organizations are living examples of this, as they are using new methods to offer better services to their consumers.

One of the services is an automated medication dispenser that works like an alarm clock and has a special feature meant to save a life. The other is an electronic scanning system that ensures medications are administered effectively and efficiently.

The dispenser, known as the Med Ready, is used by the Cayuga Health Association. Director Ken Knight said the organization only has a handful at the moment for its clients, but they expect more soon.

The device is meant to administer the right dosage at the right time using a clock. While its function may seem simple, taking your medication properly is not as easy as it sounds.

Almost a quarter of emergency room visit are the result of medication errors, Knight said. And this can be an even bigger risk if the person taking the medication has memory, he said.

“These meds are so powerful nowadays,” Knight said. “A couple of pills off, and you can get really messed up.”

The Med Ready has 28 different slots, each one for a separate dose. It works on three different timers, and a flashing light and buzzer reminds people when it is time to take their meds.

On top of that, the device is hooked up to a telephone line and connected to Cayuga Health Association's Link to Life service. If the consumer does not take a dose of meds for a period of time, the device contacts Link to Life, and the client's relatives are contacted.

“It's a squealer,” Knight said. “It turns them in.”

Unity House has also seen recent updates to its prescription program. Last year, the organization's nursing services installed a bar code scanning system to refill prescriptions for some of its residential consumers.

The program was initiated to make the process more efficient and accurate, according to nursing director Mary Mancinelli. And, she said, it has so far worked.

“It seems to be much more efficient,” Mancinelli said. “And things go smoothly in terms of the follow-up process.”

Unity Houses uses the Syracuse-based pharmacy Omnicare for its eight residential units in Ithaca and three in Auburn. Before the new system, the nursing staff made refill requests over the fax. But if there was some sort of issue with the order, Unity House would sometimes not hear for a few days, she said.

Now, any issue with the prescription comes up in real time via the Internet.

“We can check out the prescription and find out why it is not available or not there,” Mancinelli said. “We're getting our medications much better.”

While Unity House chose its system for efficiency, Knight said Cayuga Health Association chose its service for a different reason. One of the organization's main goals is to help its clients be able to receive health services without going to a hospital.

“We want people in their own homes to be safe,” Knight said.