Gatekeeper Innovation Awarded Fourth Patent for Locking Medication Device

The Rx Locking Cap plays a pivotal role in the prevention of prescription medication abuse.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sacramento company Gatekeeper Innovation Inc. was awarded a patent for its Rx Locking Cap, an abuse-deterrent tamper-evident locking cap that fits existing prescription vials and is designed to help reduce misuse, abuse, and accidental poisonings from medication in the home.

Addressing the opioid epidemic and misuse and abuse of other medications is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive approach. A National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives. While some are knowingly complicit in this type of prescription misuse, others are unwitting suppliers. Typical prescription bottles are easy to access when kept unsecured in the home. The consequences of rx misuse can be severe; according to the CDC, 2 out of 3 overdose deaths involve an opioid.

COVID has further complicated this, impacting mental health and contributing to a record number of overdose deaths in 2021 (over 100,000 deaths). Experts note that factors related to the pandemic likely exacerbated these trends.

The Rx Locking Cap plays a critical role in prevention and early intervention with a mission to save lives endangered by prescription drug abuse. The medication safekeeping device has been distributed to more than 9,000 Walgreens, close to 6,000 CVS locations. It is the first medication safe-storage device to receive health plan reimbursement for controlled substance prescriptions patients.

This is the fourth patent awarded to Gatekeeper Innovation, Inc. Gatekeeper founders Joseph Simpson and Nathan Langley are the inventors behind both patents. Simpson wanted to create a way to make it harder for teens to gain access to prescription medications in the home after his own family experienced opioid abuse resulting from a unauthorized access to prescription medications. His brush with the opioid epidemic inspired Simpson to develop a solution. He partnered with Langley to invent the original Safer Lock device, Gatekeeper Innovation Inc.'s flagship product, as well as the Safer Lock Box and Rx Locking Cap.

About Gatekeeper Innovation Inc: Gatekeeper Innovation Inc. is a Sacramento-based company offering tamper-evident and abuse-deterrent technology while supporting medication adherence. Gatekeeper Innovation's mission is to provide options for securing prescription medications to help prevent Diversion and Substance Use Disorder. To learn more, visit gatekeeperinnovation.com

SOURCE Gatekeeper Innovation Inc