Building an online platform to test personalised patient information leaflets - Pfizer

What is the health issue?

More than one billion medicines are prescribed each year in the UK, but a large proportion of patients do not take their medication as instructed, which can lead to worse health outcomes. Providing patient information leaflets (PILs) for all medicines has been a legal requirement in the UK since 1999.  They provide information to patients about the medicines they are taking. Electronic Product Information (ePI) can be used to improve patient experience by providing access to trusted, up-to-date, tailored information in a digital format. Providing patients with more accessible and meaningful information should help them take their medicines correctly which should lead to improvements in patient outcomes and reduce the burden on the NHS through fewer unnecessary visits due to taking medication incorrectly. 

What are the researchers trying to find out?

Through this project, Pfizer is seeking to understand whether it is possible for ePIs to be integrated within healthcare records to produce content relevant to the individual, including their health profile, demographic and additional needs.

Why does the research require the use of health data?

Through this project, Pfizer, in collaboration with NHS Kent, Medway and Sussex, is seeking to understand whether it is possible for ePI to be integrated with healthcare records to produce content relevant to an individual or patient profile, including their health profile, demographic and additional needs. This project requires access to de-identified data from healthcare data to tailor the content of the ePI to patients. 

How is the research being done?

Pfizer worked with NHS Kent, Medway and Sussex Secure Data Environment (SDE) to tailor medicines information in the ePI which can be made interoperable with the SDE’s patient healthcare data.    

Access to de-identified patient healthcare data via an SDE ensures that only people with permission have access to the data. This is done by employing a strict application process, including ethics board review, training, and security measures to prevent people who do not have permission from getting access.

Why will the results matter?

This project will give patients clearer and more relevant information about their medicines, helping them to better understand how to take their medicine. By making this information available on a digital platform, patients can access details on potential side effects, medicines they should avoid and allergens in a more visually engaging way. This may lead to more patients taking their medication properly and result in better patient experience.

Another potential benefit could include fewer unnecessary visits to healthcare professionals. This is due to better-informed patients, reduced hospital visits from incorrect medicine use, and more specific information available to support healthcare professionals during patient appointments.

It is hoped that the results from this project will inform the pathway for wider deployment of personalised ePI across England. 

Further information

This case study has been adapted from the project: Establishing a prototype innovation sandbox where tailored medicines information can be tested in a trusted environment, using de-identified healthcare record data. 

Glossary

Anonymised data: data where personal information has been removed so that individuals cannot be identified. This process ensures privacy and confidentiality, making it safe to use the data for research or analysis without revealing who the data belongs to.

Electronic Product Information (ePI): a structured, digital format for medicinal product information (i.e. Summary of Product Characteristics, Patient Information Leaflets, pack artwork) that replaces traditional PDFs with machine-readable, interoperable data.

Innovation sandbox: A controlled environment to test new products or services in a controlled, safe way under strict supervision.

Patient information leaflets (PILs): documents provided with medications to inform patients about various aspects of their treatment. They include important information on how to use the medicine safely, potential side effects, and any precautions that should be taken.

Secure Data Environment: a controlled digital platform that allows approved researchers to access and analyse de-identified NHS health and social care data for research and analysis.

Job reference: PP-UNP-GBR-12750 
Date of creation July 2025