Commack HS Student Matthew O'Connell Develops Software For Pharmaceutical Info

A Pictogram is Better than Words

If you’ve ever had difficulty reading the very small print on medicine bottles and in the pamphlets, help is on the way. Matthew O’Connell, a junior at Commack High School, developed software to relay pharmaceutical information using pictograms - illustrations that represent ideas or words. He was honored to present his work at the annual International Pharmaceutical Federation Congress in Dublin, Ireland on September 3, and was surrounded by pharmacist professionals who wanted to know when the software would be available for use.

Matthew’s pictogram software will help pharmacists worldwide to accurately communicate with patients who speak a different language or have difficulty understanding and reading the literature that accompanies medications. The Java-based program utilizes translations and pictograms to ensure that patients are able to understand the details about their medications and to follow prescriber’s instructions.

Matthew has been working with mentors from The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. A few years ago, Commack High School Science Research teacher Richard Kurtz and some of his students were working on a project that involved the construction of a device that would deliver medication to patients. Mr. Kurtz developed a working relationship with Dr. Régis Vaillancourt, Director of Pharmacy at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and other doctors there. Mr. Kurtz asked Régis if he needed any special things done, and that’s how Matthew’s project was born. Matthew is a current science research student under the guidance of Richard Kurtz and Lorraine Solomon. He also received a tremendous amount of help from his computer science teacher, Kristin Holmes.

Matthew said, “I developed the software to fill a need. It is going to be utilized by pharmacists worldwide to better facilitate, through the use of pictograms, the communication of the proper use of prescription medication to patients where there are language and/or literacy barriers between patients and pharmacist.”

Courtesy of Commack SD