Exco InTouch responds to UK government calls for greater emphasis on patient safety.

"It is critically important to patients, the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry that the public have trust in and benefit from advances in medicines". Dr Richard Barker Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry.

With UK MP's, Committees, Regulatory bodies, Health Services and Companies looking for someone to blame for the dangers of patient non-compliance and drug safety issues it’s time to learn how the simplest technology can deliver the biggest rewards and bring you closer to your patients.

It's a known fact that patients rarely comply with their medication exactly as they should, and pharmaceutical companies and Doctors are starting to pay the price. In the US, patient non-compliance costs the economy $100 billion annually and in clinical trials, can top 80%. Most importantly, non-compliance costs lives. In the US alone, 135,000 people are killed each year by taking their medication incorrectly. Simple, time-critical reminders and brief questions monitoring symptoms delivered direct to patients through their mobile phones could be a vital step in preventing loss of life and add value to patients with complex regimens such as those suffering from HIV.

With more than 1.369 billion mobile phone users worldwide, text messages are now a crucial part of our daily lives which is why they represent the ideal choice for keeping in constant contact with patients without the need for costly and sophisticated processes, training and equipment.

Currently 5% of all UK hospital admissions are attributable to adverse drug reactions, forcing greater Government and regulatory scrutiny upon the already stringent policies and processes relating to drug development and marketing. Simple and regular communication through SMS help to guarantee patient eligibility, increase prompt site attendance and monitor adverse reactions. The use of SMS can improve safety and deliver measurable commercial benefits by reducing recruitment and enrolment activities, which currently eat up 25% of the clinical development timeline.

In a recent UK report, the Pharmaceutical industry and government both said they were committed to ensuring patients' safety was paramount and with 650 million prescriptions written each year by GPs, concerns where highlighted relating to the over-prescription of drugs. Richard Tupman, Director of Exco InTouch, a Global mobile phone applications provider said, "SMS communication with patients would facilitate constant contact, allowing GPs to more closely monitor symptoms, gauge the effectiveness of medication and alter prescriptions accordingly". He added, "The most important aspect of our work is to protect the patient, and deliver tangible health benefits through the application of our technology".