25th April 2002

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Forgetting to take your tablets will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new £2m drug delivery system developed at the University of Ulster.

Patients are often forgetful about taking their medicine. The UU’s new system, harnessing instant internet communications technology, brings peace of mind to patients and their carers.

The University’s pioneering Medical Informatics research team has developed a medical device, controlled through the internet, which alerts individuals to the necessity of taking medication at the appropriate time - and alerting emergency services if anything goes wrong.

Here’s how it works:

• A portable device dispenses the correct dose in the patient’s own home.

• If the medication is not taken within a certain time limit, an alarm will go off reminding the patient that it’s time for their treatment.

• If the drugs are still not taken the patient’s medical adviser will receive an instant alert calling for appropriate action.

It’s estimated that two out of three prescriptions are not taken properly by the patient, either taking only some of their medication or none at all. This means millions of sick people worldwide do not receive the medical help they need - sometimes resulting in their death. The problem also places a huge burden on the healthcare system, draining valuable resources and finances.

Dr Chris Nugent, head of the research team, said: "MEDICATE is more than just one device, it acts as a whole care model in developing a support system capable of providing communication and monitoring between professionals and the patient."

Professor Norman Black, Dean of Informatics said: "The major method of treating disease in the developed world is through prescribed medication.

"Three billion prescriptions worldwide are issued annually, with costs in Europe amounting to 15 per cent of the annual domestic product.

"However, patients often do not adhere to their medication regime. Up to two thirds of patients take only some of their medication or none at all. The challenge is to achieve an increase in compliance levels.

"MEDICATE, in integrating technology with patient care, will be able to address both of the problems by reducing costs associated with inappropriate use of medications and improving patient health by facilitating monitoring of their medication."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
Tel: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk