WHAT’S NEW NEW HEALTHCARERELATED PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND COMPANIES
The OmniLog ID Microbial Identification System, which includes proprietary software and sophisticat ed hardware, is designed to automate and simplify the process of characterizing and identifying a wide range of aerobic bacteria. The OmniLog ID System provides microbiolo gists with the most versatile and powerful microbial identification products available. Biolog’s identification/characterization test is based in patented carbon source utilization test pan els called MicroPlates. Unlike other automated sys tems, Biolog MicroPlate test panels are based on 95 reactions from six to eight different classes of carbon sources.The scope of these reactions coupled with interpretation software, delivers unparalleled precision. This sensi tivity allows for the identification of difficult environmental and fas tidious organisms and the detec tion of mixed or contaminated cultures. It also has allowed Biolog to build databases that include envi ronmental, veterinary, plant pathogenic, and human pathogenic organisms that are absent in other com peting systems. In total, the system is able to identify more than 700 Gramnegative and Grampositive organisms and provides rapid test results in an easy to use, fully automated format. Up to 50 MicroPlates can be incubated and interpreted at once. The system begins reading the plates and calling identifications in as little as four hours. Work is easily batched and the results tracked using the Windowsbased OmniLog software. The OmniLog databases are expandable and customizable by the user. This allows for each user to add organisms that are outside of the Biolog Database or to track specific organisms. The system itself is also expandable with the addition of the OmniLog Plus. The OmniLog Plus system has the capability of identifying yeast, anaerobic bacteria, and filamen tous fungi species, bringing the OmniLog’s identifi cation capabilities to almost 2,000 species. Because the OmniLog System is used in highly regulated environments, Biolog provides tools to assist control and validation of the system. With the release of the OmniLog system, Biolog also unveils its OmniLog Validation soft ware package. The package provides the framework to perform the Installation Qualification and the Operation Qualifi cation of each of the system’s ele ments. Additionally, the software pro vides features assisting laborato ries with compliance to Federal Regulation 21 CFR Part 11. The reg ulation’s purpose is to ensure the integri ty of electronic records, and to govern the cre ation and use of these records generated by analytical instruments in use in FDA regulated labs. Improving PATIENT compliance Patient noncompliance is a $100 billion challenge plaguing the American economy.MessageTechnologies Inc.’s Adherea, an interactive patient compliance program, is based on the company’s suite of leadingedge, speech recognition technology. Adherea is designed to act as a reminder notification system and to encour age patients to take control of their own treatment programs. When patients do not take their medications correctly, the consequences hurt all parties involved in the medical process. Patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and the managedcare industry must handle issues and costs related to lost days at work,prolonged hospital stays, repeat physician visits, specialist consul tations, and billions of dollars in lost drug sales. Adherea addresses all of these issues with one comprehensive program. Patients opt into the Adherea system using the telephone or Internet access and choose a method of noti fication that will remind them to take their medications, as well as to refill and pick up prescriptions. Personal ized messagescanbe accessed via email,pager,cell phone,telephone,or wireless device,PDA or WAPenabled phone. The system can tie into the automatedrefill process that is available through numerous drug store chains and online services, streamlining the process for patients. In addition, embedded email links in text based notification messages lead patients to Websites relevant to their conditions, providing tips and informa tion about proper management and personal care. The convergence of today’s advanced technologies pro vides patients with an infallible program that fits easily into their active lifestyles. For members of the medical industry, Adherea also can provide access to beneficial information.The inter active nature of the system allows physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and managedcare companies to retrieve daily compliance data for specific drug use evaluation,information about patient interests and con cerns, and timely survey responses. Customized programs using the complete platform of MTI’s innovative technology solutions for consistent patient communication are available for all medical industry professionals. New PLATFORM identifies aerobic bacteria OmniLog ID Microbial system identifies more than 700 Gramnegative and Grampositive organisms providing test results in anautomated format The OmniLog databases are expandable and can be customized by the user to track specific organisms. PharmaDirect direct mail to pharmacists, NOWMONTHLY Delivered to more than 92,000 pharmacists in the United States, PharmDirect is now distributed monthly, instead of quarterly. Pharma ceutical Direct Inc.’s coop mailing, sponsored by dozens of major phar maceutical companies includes literature and information about new products,new formulations,and other information crit ical to U.S.pharmacists.The directmail piece is sent free of charge to pharmacists by name and by title. In addi tion, PharmDirect now carries information related to new Food and Drug Administration drug approvals to keep pharmacists current. Pharmaceutical Direct’s monthly directmail piece is distributed to more than 92,000 pharmacists in the United States. 76 S e p t e m b e r / O c t ob e r 20 01 PharmaVOICE 77 PharmaVOICE S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 00 1 WHAT’S new ADVERSE DRUG INTERACTIONS available through Franklin’s technology The Medical Letter Handbook of Adverse Drug Interactions is available from Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc., a worldwide provider of handheld eBooks and medical refer ence products, for use on the company’s eBookMan multimedia content device. The eBookMan puts critical drug reference information — along with address books, sched ules,notes,and other personal information — in a portable,pocketsized device, ideal for busy doctors, healthcare professionals, and medical students. With a few taps of the stylus, users have access to accurate,uptodate drug infor mation in a matter of seconds. More importantly, prescribers can easily find possible adverse drug interactions between as many as 30 drugs at a time. Available for $249.95, the Medical eBookMan comes with a leather carrying case,stereo earbuds,and an extra stylus for convenience.The Medical Letter Hand book of Adverse Drug Interactions can be downloaded to eBookMan for $59.95. PDRx launches RXWEBPAD to prevent script errors According to an Institute of Medicine’s study, as many as 7,000 Americans die each year because of errors in prescribing medicine. One of the greatest causes identified was fulfillment mistakes due to illegible handwriting. PDRx Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s electronic prescribing device called RxWebPad is intended to eliminate prescribing errors. Michael Cohen,president of the Institute of Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing medical errors says,“More than 25% of the errors identified through studies and papers are related to drug name mix ups caused by poor physician handwriting. Within the next five years,every prescription should be created and rout ed electronically.” The RxWebPad, is a handheld PC wireless elec tronic prescribing device that uses the Windows CE operating system as a portable tool for healthcare providers to electronically prescribe and communi cate with other caregivers. PDRx’s proprietary soft ware system was developed to interact with the products designed by HewlettPackard Co., NEC Corp., and other handheld PCs. The PDRxNet Sys tem is a software/hardware network that provides physicians with the capability to electronically communicate and network with traditional and nontraditional pharmacy deliv ery systems. Handheld ebook provides critical drug reference information, including adverse interactions. Physicians can use the RxWebPad to generate electronic prescriptions and interface with pharmacy delivery systems. BIOLOG INC. is a biotechnology company based in Hayward,Calif.For more information, visit biolog.com. FRANKLIN ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS INC., Burlington,N.J., is a market leader in handheld electronic books.For more information, visit franklin.com. HEALTHINFO DIRECT LLC is a direct marketing company based in Schaum burg, Ill. For more information, call 847 9950085 or visit healthinfodirect.com. MESSAGETECHNOLOGIES INC. is a privately held company based in Atlanta. For more information, visit adherea.com. PDRX PHARMACEUTICALS INC. is a publicly held company based in Oklahoma City. For more information,visit rxwebpad.com. PHARMACEUTICAL DIRECT INC. is a direct marketing company based in Dover, N.J. For more information,visit PharmDirect.com. Follow up HEALTHINFO DIRECT expands marketing services To provide clients with broader services in direct marketing, HealthInfo and its sister division, Generations Publishing, have joined forces with two other companies to create HealthInfo Direct LLC. “ Technological advances, costcontrol pressures, and the growth of ethnic groups in America are redefining direct marketing,” says Marita Gomez,CEO, HealthInfo. Under the new umbrella name, the directmarketing group will provide clients with turnkey solutions to directmarketing challenges.The companies that form HealthInfoDirect LLC are: . HealthInfo, a marketing communications company that assists pharmaceutical companies and corpora tions with their directmarketing and publicrelations initiatives. . Adelante Marketing, a crosscultural marketresearch and strategicplanning company that specializes in providing integrated marketing strategies and programs for His panic markets. . Swanson Direct, a fullservice datamanagement company that offers data acquisition, data warehousing, data hygiene, and data integration. . Generations Publishing, a publishing company that ser vices associations with media buying and exhibitor solicitation needs. Marita Gomez, CEO, HealthInfo; Norman Swanson, president, Swanson Direct; Laura Cruz, president,Adelante Marketing; and Mathew Stone, president, HealthInfo.