Fresno medical center is filling prescriptions that talk to the patient

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Nathan Pearce of Fresno is excited to be getting a new device that can read his prescriptions. The 17-year-old has a genetic condition that slowly took his sight.

Nathan is a typical teenager who wants more independence and now, with the device called Scrip Talk, he's getting it.

"I don't want everyone else telling me what medicine I'm taking. I want to do it on my own."

Kaiser provides Scrip Talk to its members who need to hear their prescription instructions.

First, a patient's prescription directions are input into the program at the pharmacy. Then an RFID, or Radio-Frequency Identification Tag, is placed on the bottom of a bottle. That bottle is then placed on top of the Scrip Talk device and the instructions for that patient's medication are sent to that RFID tag.

With their scrip talk device at home, patients can then listen to their prescription.

"It's been amazing, simply because it's new technology. It's unbelievable to have to be able to just put a bottle on to a device and it's telling you exactly what you need to take and how you need to take your medication."

Scrip Talk can also turn a patient's smartphone into a prescription reading device. After downloading the app, the patient takes their RFID-coded medicine bottle, turns their phone upside down and it will read the prescription.

Now, Nathan and his mom are looking forward to the freedom from Scrip Talk.

"It's one more thing that has made his world a far more accessible and easy place where he just doesn't need to depend on anyone for it."

"I do everything like everyone else, but you know what, I do it differently," said Nathan.