Keeping track of your medication intake can be a daunting task. Aside from sorting pills and remembering when to take them, you also need to make sure you never run out of prescription. If you are living with a loved one, there’s a good chance he has his own set of pills to take, too. That means more bottles and medicines to remember and refill.

Sounds like a lot of work, right?

Hero aims to lessen all these tasks for you. It’s a smart appliance that can keep track of your medication intake as well as remind you when it’s time to take them or get them refilled.

Cool things to know about this smart appliance:

• It’s a Wi-Fi connected device that can remind you when to take your pills.
• It includes a 9V backup battery so you can still access your pills in cases of power outages. It also has an override key for the same purpose.
• You can set up a 4-digit pass code to make sure your children don’t get their hands on your medicines.
• It can hold 10 kinds of pills.
• Hero can automatically restock your medicines through Amazon.

Setting It Up

The device is a bit bulky, around the size of your coffee maker. It weighs 10 lbs and can fit most kitchen counter. Although you can place it on any flat surface, it’s very important that you avoid setting it up on areas of your home that are exposed to humidity and extreme changes in temperature- like your bathroom.

• To get started, you need to plug Hero into a standard wall outlet.
• There’s a small LCD screen and a push button panel on its front which you can use to key in your name and the name of your medicine.
• After those details, you can start setting up your intake schedule as well as the dosage.
• Once Hero has all the information, you need to place your pills inside the device.
• Open the front door and you’ll see a carousel of 10 pill holders.
• Take one of the cups, fill it with your medicine and replace it inside the device before closing it.

Hero doesn’t have a medication data base, which means you have to spell out the names of your medicines. Since the device can handle 10 types of pills, it’s also essential that you make sure the right medicine is linked to the right name. Technically, more than one person can use Hero but its capacity is limited to 10 medications.

You can fill Hero with most types of pills but it won’t work with children’s vitamins that are soft and gummy.

How to Use It

When it’s time for your medication, Hero will alert you. However, unlike other pill dispenser, this one doesn’t just dole out pills. You’ll need to hit the enter button first before it will dispense your pills. This is actually a nice feature that can keep your pills safe from contamination.

Hero doesn’t necessarily have to be connected to your Wi-Fi. However, if you want to get notified about you and your family’s medication intake through your mobile phone, make sure to have it linked.

The App

The Hero App is available for download from both Apple and Google Play Store. Its functions include:

• Alerts you when it’s time to take your pills
• Notifies you when the device gets opened
• Alerts you if its power supply gets cut off
• Keeps track of your medication intake
• Lets you know if your pills are running low
• Connects you to communities of people taking the same medications or those who have the same condition as yours
• Provides trivia related to your medicines

If you don’t have a smart phone, you can still use Hero as it is. However, instead of push notifications, you’ll receive text messages and reminders.

How Much Is It?

Although it does sound helpful for those who take a lot of medications, Hero’s price can be a big deal breaker. Currently, it’s available for $599 through pre-ordering. Once the pre-sale period ends, you’ll be able to buy one hero unit for a hefty price of $999.

The price includes a fully assemble Hero unit and a 90-day free access to Hero Connect, which is a premium notification service. On top of that, you’ll also get a 30-day money back guarantee to test the product out first. The same offer is applied to our top rated home security system, Frontpoint.

You can pre-order your unit online today. However, since Hero was released for presale, shipping of the next batch will probably start by next year, 2017. Hero is currently available in the US only.

THE CHECKLIST:

Hero can hold 10 types of pills.
 It has a backup battery and an override key in case of electricity failure.
 You can use it with or without the app.
 It can be programmed with a 4-digit pass code for childproofing.
 It should be placed in areas without humidity or moist.
 Hero doesn’t have any medication data base.
 Shipping of recent pre-orders is expected to start by the first quarter of 2017.
 It’s a bit expensive.
 It comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.