Orlando on Monday approved its part of two tax packages to bring 100 jobs to Orlando.
And one seeks to solve an age-old problem: Patients not taking their pills.
– pronounced Smart X Inc. – could move its headquarters from New York to Orlando. The company is testing a smart pill bottle to tell doctors in real-time if patients have stopped taking a prescription.
SMRxT is pilot testing with Florida Hospital. In total, it’s seeking a $330,000 incentive package from the state to create 55 high-paying jobs.
Only about half of patients who get a prescription for high blood pressure medication keep taking the drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationwide, 125,000 people die every year from not taking their medications, and it costs the health care system more than $100 billion per year.
This move also comes as Orlando uses another also tax package to bring the Ruby Tuesdays restaurant chain corporate headquarters to Orlando.
“And the diversity of these types of companies who want to relocate to Orlando speaks well for our talented workforce, quality of life and our business friendly environment,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.
Orlando Commissioner Jim Gray voted for the incentives.
“Always important to me, those are businesses that have chosen, or we hope will choose to invest their time and capital in the city,” Gray said.
Abe Aboraya is a reporter with WMFE in Orlando. WMFE is a partner with Health News Florida, which receives support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
