Set the Dose. Eliminate the Risk.
At SetDose we are all about the safe and effective delivery of liquid medicines
Our story
Many of the calls made to poison information centre hotlines are by care-givers who have accidently administered too much medicine to their patient. We wanted to understand this, and so studied how parents measure and draw up liquid medicines for their children. What we found shocked us. Nearly half of the parents misread the directions on the box with regard to dosing, and then when drawing up the medicine via a syringe 1 in 5 didn’t draw up the correct amount of medicine [1]. In a follow up study 2 out of 3 parents administered an incorrect quantity of medicine to their child [2].
People living in aged care facilities are particularly vulnerable to being given the wrong medicine or the wrong amount of medicine; research has shown 15% of patients on liquid medicines in aged care facilities got the wrong dose [3]. Today in Australia, around 400,000 people live in aged care, and this number is expected to increase by 3.4% each year over the coming decade [4]. Importantly, 1 in 4 people in aged care need a liquid medicine due to difficulties in swallowing tablets.
So we asked ourselves, how can we ensure they get the right medicine at the right dose?
1. Management of children’s fever by parents and caregivers: Practical measurement of functional health literacy, Journal of Child Health Care, 2014, 18(4), 302–313.
2. Australian caregivers’ management of childhood ailments, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2014, 22, 205–215.
3. The influence of formulation and medicine delivery system on medication administration errors in care homes for older people, BMJ QUality and Safety, 2011, 20, 397-401.
4. Aged Care Residential Services in Australia, Q8601, IBIS World, April 2023.
SetDose is for those who care about preventing medicine overdose in young children and the elderly
The SetDose Device
SetDose is a revolutionary medical device that makes it impossible for care-givers to under, or overdose, their patients when administering liquid-based medicines via a syringe. When the patient’s medicine is dispensed, the dose is set in the device by the pharmacist. Then, anytime the care-giver administers the medicine, they simply load the syringe into the device before drawing it up. The dose counter allows for the accurate tracking of medicine delivery over time. The label on the back of the device shows the patients picture along with their name, and the name and dose of their medicine, ensuring the SetDose device is used for the right patient.
About us
Dr Nial Wheate
After spending the first 10 years of his career as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy, Nial transitioned into medicines design and formulation. Having held research positions at various Australian and Scottish universities, and frustrated with his lack of knowledge in commercialising his medical discoveries, he completed an MBA taking subjects with a specific focus in innovation and enterpreneurship.
Dr Rebekah Moles
Bek is a pharmacist with extensive community and hospital practice experience. She is a professor of pharmacy practice education and reserach in the School of Pharmacy at The University of Sydney. Her goal is to improve medicines safety in vulnrable populations, particularly children and the elderly. Bek is a founding inventor of the SetDose device and this is her first company.
Partners
It takes a village to raise a child, and in the start up world this is no different.
SetDose was developed by an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and engineers.
Since then, we have received support through the Medical Device Commercialisation Training Program at Cicada Innovations, mentoring and guidance through Incubate, and further support from both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and The University of Sydney.
