As the mother of a teenager with sickle cell anemia, Tresalyn Butler of Columbus, Ohio, worried daily that her daughter may miss some of the crucial, half-dozen pills she needs to avoid severe pain, fatigue and other complications of the hereditary blood disease.

Until recently, Ms. Butler typically spent ten minutes a week sorting out pills into a case that held a week's supply. She tried not to touch the medications a lot, as some might lose efficacy with too much exposure.

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