The FDA has published a compliance policy guide for implementing feasibility studies and pilot programs for radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology to deter counterfeiting and diversion. The agency has also created an internal RFID Workgroup
to monitor the adoption of RFID technology in the prescription drug supply chain. (For more on RFID)
Out with the old Wolters Kluwer Health has removed old medical abbreviations from its drug databases in order to comply with a new patient
safety goal set by JCAHO. The drug information publisher has upgraded its Medi-Span product offering with a new component,
the Supplemental Name file, in order to reduce Rx errors caused by dangerous abbreviations. For exampl' the former abbreviation
for microgram could be confused with milligram' so the dangerous symbol for microgram has been replaced with the term "mcg." There's more information at http://www.medi-span.com/ or send an e-mail to Charles Conroy at conroy@drugfacts.com
.
Under new management LifeScan Inc. has introduced a tool to help healthcare professionals manage diabetes patients by downloading information from
their OneTouch blood glucose monitor. The OneTouch Diabetes Management Software Pro with SnapShot automatically prints reports
without the need to launch the software' select a report menu, or even hit the print key. All it takes to generate and print
any or all of the software's 11 reports is to plug the patient's meter into the computer. For information' go to the Web site
at http://www.Lifescan.com/ or phone 1-(800) 227-8862.
Just whistle American Scientific Resources has signed a supply deal with Novation for its Whistle Watch asthma-monitoring device. The agreement
gives American Scientific access to 2,300 VHA and University Health System Consortium hospitals. Marketed under the Kidz.Med
line and currently sold in CVS and Walgreen's drugstores, the whistle alerts parents when their child is stable or in immediate
need of medication. The child blows on the whistle just as with any other peak-flow meter, but the device produces a whistling
sound. The whistle lets parents monitor their kids by phone. There's also an adult version. The Web site is at http://www.AmericanSci.com/Family tree Pharmacists can encourage their patients to build a family medical history by using a free Internet-based computer program
that compiles information about six common diseases that often afflict several generations, such as heart disease, cance 'and
diabetes. The information paints a better picture of genetic factors that might impact a patient's health. The "My Family
Health Portrait" software is at http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory. Print versions in English or Spanish can be obtained from the Federal Citizen Information Center at 1-(888) 878-3256.
Sonic boom Net-Rx is deploying secure virtual private network technology from SonicWALL to help its 350 pharmacy clients ensure business
continuity, increase productivity, and reduce administration hassles associated with HIPAA compliance. Based in Vancouver,
Net-Rx is a specialist provider of IT operational consulting to pharmacies. One key service is outsourced management of solutions
and remote devices, plus maintenance, logging, auditing, storage, and backup of information in response to the HIPAA mandates.
The Web sites can be found at http://www.net-rx.com/ and http://www.sonicwall.com/
On the record Leading vendors of electronic health records (EHR) recently banded together in a new association to foster adoption of the
technology. The HIMSS EHR Vendor Association will operate as a unit within the Health Information and Management Systems Society
(HIMSS) for vendors of EHR software solutions. Founding members include Cerner Corp., GE Healthcare, McKesson Provider Technologies,
Siemens Medical Solutions, and WebMD.
Drug Topics archives are now available on ModernMedicine.com, a new online resource designed to meet the evolving needs of physicians.