MAKING sure that patients take their correct medication could become a little easier thanks to a Romsey inventor.

Brian Stickley has come up with the idea of 'talking labels' that can be attached to bottles of medicine or boxes of pills.

The credit card-sized device works by simply playing back the patient's recorded message detailing dosage instructions at the touch of a button.

Mr Stickley, director of Talking Products Ltd, based in Romsey, said: "Managing medication is a serious issue.

"When I first started to research this product, I was amazed at just how much medication some people have to take on a daily basis and just how many of them get very confused with the task."

The talking labels concept has been developed from the technology used in talking greeting cards. It is designed to reduce the risk of any confusion arising when it comes to taking medication.

Mr Stickley, who graduated from Southampton Institute with a BA (Hons) business and finance degree five years ago, won an Innovation SMART award to help fund the research into the project.

He has also been helped by the product design team at Southampton Institute's faculty of technology.

Dr Andrew Upton, associate dean (external development), said: "It is excellent for our product design team to have helped Brian develop the talking labels.

"It is another product that is innovative and will assist a wide range of people in their day-to-day living."

A group of blind people in Hampshire have already tried out the talking labels and the product is due to be officially launched this month. Various pilot schemes are already being run at a number of NHS primary care trusts across the country and the Royal National Institute for the Blind has agreed to become one of the product's official distributors.