Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 14, Number 8 > Pp. 410-414

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RESEARCH Original articles

Mobile phone text messaging for pharmaceutical care in a hospital in China

Yudan Mao ^*, Yantao Zhang  and Suodi Zhai ^* 

^* Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing; Power System Department, China Electrical Power Research Institute, Beijing, China

Correspondence: Suodi Zhai, Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China (Fax: +86 10 8226 6699 5740; Email: zhaisuodi{at}163.com)

We have developed a mobile pharmacy service system (MPSS) to deliver individualized pharmaceutical care via text messages sent to the mobile phones of patients. The text messages were: (1) reminders about medication – from the day following discharge, reminder messages were automatically sent to patients approximately 10 minutes before their medication was due to be taken. The system stopped sending messages when the prescription ran out and suggested that patients should come to hospital to renew any prescribed medicines; (2) practical information about medicines, such as information about methods of administration; (3) information about adverse drug reactions. In a 3-month trial in a general hospital, 100 patients were provided with pharmaceutical care using the MPSS for an average of 3.5 medicines per patient (range 1–9). They received pharmaceutical care for an average of 12 days per patient (range 3–19). A survey was then conducted which indicated that most patients were satisfied with the pharmaceutical care provided by MPSS through text messages, and that they had positive attitudes despite some limitations. The use of the MPSS should improve pharmaceutical care, widen the knowledge of pharmacists, reduce the burden on pharmacy staff, improve pharmacist–patient interaction, and improve the effect and safety of medication.

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