pharmacy TECHNOLOGY products

Abacus TPN Calculation Software

Baxa Corp (Englewood, Colo) recentlyintroduced version 2 of its Abacus TPN(total parenteral nutrition) CalculationSoftware. The product is a Windows-basedsoftware application used for TPNorder entry and compounding. Designedby health-systems pharmacists, the softwareensures safety and reduces theopportunity for user error in the prescribing,calculating, and mixing of multisourcecompounds. Versions are offered to supportstand-alone compounding for calculationwithout an automated compounder,single workstations for drivingone compounder, and multiple workstationsfor order entry from multiple locationswithin a single facility. The Abacussuite of products provides built-in safetyfeatures such as bar-code generation,user customization for warning limits,ordering templates, and security. A graphicaluser interface and drop-down menusmake Abacus easy to use and assist staffpharmacy training. For more information,visit www.baxa.com, or call 800-567-BAXA (800-567-2292).

Apothetrac MDTS

Apothetrac LLC (Maywood, NJ) recentlyintroduced the Apothetrac MDTS(Medication Delivery Tracking System).The product uses bar-code technology toinstantly track and locate missing medicationdeliveries for easy retrieval. Healthcare professionals no longer have towaste time searching their institution forlost medication. Apothetrac MDTS cansave time and money by eliminating theneed to recompound and redispenselost medications. The system also preventsexpensive medications frombecoming expired returns. The productpackage includes the Apothetrac MDTSsoftware and Symbol bar-code handheldscanner. Medications are scanned by apharmacy courier at designated dropoffpoints within an institution, which onlytakes seconds. Signature capture allowsfor an added level of accountability.From a central pharmacy workstation,staff can locate all scanned medicationsquickly and easily. The system can alsointegrate with an institution's existingpharmacy system. For more information,visit www.apothetrac.com, or call877-276-8438.

Epocrates

Epocrates Inc (SanMateo, Calif) recentlyintroduced new safetyand monitoring sectionsto its Epocratesmobile drug referenceguide to aid the>500,000 health careprofessionals in the Epocrates network.Epocrates now prominently displaysblack-box warning information throughoutits application. Epocrates has alsoadded a new safety and monitoring sectionthat includes information on monitoringparameters for common drug classessuch as cardiovascular, psychiatric, andneurologic agents. Physicians reviewmonitoring parameters—including laboratorytest results, vital signs, and physicalfindings—to identify potentially harmfuleffects of medications. By identifyingissues early in drug therapy, physicianscan reduce the risk of injury related toadverse drug events. Another new section,pharmacology, provides informationon drug metabolism, excretion,class, and mechanism to aid physiciansin better understanding the propertiesand actions of the drugs they are prescribing.For more information, visitwww.epocrates.com.

PharmASSIST ROBOTx

Innovation Associates Inc's (JohnsonCity, NY) PharmASSIST ROBOTx is idealfor all types of pharmacies. With itsergonomic design, high-speed dispensing,and continuous operation, the productis easy to use, delivers unparalleledthroughput, and never takes a break.The PharmASSIST technology comprisesa universal workflow software—Pharm-ASSIST Symphony—and dispensing platformthat serves as the common denominatorof the company's suite ofproducts. Pharmacies can add yetanother layer of quality control toROBOTx by incorporating the Pharm-ASSIST Symphony workflow managementsystem to create their own end-toendrobotic dispensing and process controlsolution. With Symphony, pharmacistscan establish quality checkpointsthroughout their pharmacy by employingbar-code scanning, digital imagery ofmedications and original paper prescriptions,and high quality software protocols.Symphony information managementtools can provide full visibility intoa pharmacy's daily activity and ROBOTx'sperformance. Armed with this detailedinformation, pharmacies can makesmarter, quicker decisions, develop bestpractices, and increase profitability.Pharmacies can implement any Pharm-ASSIST product or combination of productsto address their immediate requirements,and they can either incrementallyupgrade the system at their own paceor migrate their system to the next levelof automation at any time. For moreinformation, visit www.innovat.com, orcall 877-742-7627.