pharmacy TECHNOLOGY products

ARMS Helps Pharmacies Maintain Quality Assurance

Isensix Inc's (San Diego, Calif) Advanced Remote Monitoring System (ARMS) is a state-of-the-art wireless monitoring and alert system that continuously monitors vital parameters such as refrigerator and freezer temperatures, room temperature, humidity, and more. With a broad suite of sensors and applications, ARMS was designed to enable pharmacies to maintain the highest level of quality assurance and more efficiently meet USP <797> and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requirements. The system provides continuous monitoring and alerts for temperature, humidity, airflow, and door access; a user-friendly Web browser; central data collection record keeping on a secured server with Intranet and Internet remote access; and real-time visual, audio, email, paging, voice notifications to staff, biomedical engineering, and workstations. For more information, visit www.isensix.com, or call 866-634- 2767.

ScripTalk Station Informs Patients About Their Rxs

En-Vision America Inc (Normal, Ill) recently introduced a new version of the ScripTalk Station&#8212;an audible prescription reader. The device uses radiofrequency identification and text-tospeech technology to speak printed prescription label information to individuals who cannot read due to blindness, dyslexia, illiteracy, or other print impairments. The new version was modified to make installation within the pharmacy available at a lower cost. The pharmacy unit connects to a computer via a USB or serial port and interfaces with existing Windows-compatible software. The pharmacist imports prescription information from the existing program, places a talking label (affixed to the prescription) on the device, and presses a button. The label is encoded with all the printed information, including warnings, side effects, and patient monograph information. ScripTalk Station is also compatible with auto-fill systems. At home, the patient uses a similar device to hear the label information. With the press of a single button, the unit reads all the needed information. The patient can sort through information or have pieces repeated as necessary. For more information, call 800-890-1180, or visit www.envisionamerica.com.

Lexi-Comp ONLINE Meets Pharmacists Needs

Lexi-Comp (Hudson, Ohio) and the American Pharmacist Association (Washington, DC) recently released Lexi-Comp ONLINE for Community Pharmacy. The service is designed to provide answers to drugrelated questions quickly and effectively. The Internet-based platform includes Lexi Drugs, which contains multiple fields of information presented alphabetically; Pediatric Lexi-Drugs, which contains detailed guidelines complied by pediatric specialists and up to 40 fields of information per monograph; Geriatric Lexi-Drugs, which contains extensive information on drug interactions and drug dosing in the elderly; Lexi-Interact, a complete drug and herbal interaction analysis program that reviews a patient's entire regimen, identifies potential interactions, and provide appropriate management steps; Lexi- Drug ID, a tool that provides quick identification of unknown medications based on imprint, dosage form, shape, and color; and Adult-PALS and Pediatric- PALS, which are patient advisory leaflets. Other tools in the Lexi-Comp ONLINE for Community Pharmacy are a calculations module and databases on poisoning and toxicology, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures, and natural products. For more information, visit www.pharmacist.com.

ZM Printers Enhance Productivity

Zebra Technologies Corp (Vernon Hills, Ill) recently added ZM400 and ZM600 to its Z Series thermal printer line. The printers have connectivity options that allow for easier integration and increased productivity in a wide range of production and commercial environments, including health care. The ZM400 and ZM600 thermal printers now offer network connectivity options so users can easily integrate through secure 802.11b/g wireless, USB 2.0, and simultaneous parallel and Ethernet connectivity.

The easy-to-use ZM400/ZM600 thermal printers deliver 10-inches-per-second print-speed capability with fast throughput and low maintenance. The printers also offer application flexibility that includes a choice of print resolution up to 600 dpi, an XML-enabled printing option, and Asian-language support. For additional information, visit www.zebra.com.