Innovative technologies improve patient compliance
New drug delivery systems such as transdermal patches can keep drugs and biological agents at desirable levels in the body, reducing the need for frequent dosing and improving compliance. Said Robert S. Langer, Ph.D., the Kenneth J. Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, "Because of recent technological innovations, patient compliance is improving tremendously and new treatments are being developed." Such drug delivery systems may benefit those with mental illness. Continuous medication use is absolutely necessary for these patients, because of the "24/7" nature of conditions such as schizophrenia, said Robert R. Conley, MD, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacy science at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Langer and Conley spoke at an AMA media briefing held recently in New York City. Funding for the conference was provided by an unrestricted educational grant from Janssen..
