iSOFT partners with Healthcare Software to deliver next generation of integrated medication management for hospitals

26 September 2007

Delivering critical medication management to the point of care

iSOFT and Healthcare Software have joined forces to provide an application that will improve clinical workflow processes, provide better health outcomes for patients and reduce the high number of fatalities resulting from medication error each year.

The Australian Government continues to refine costs of its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) providing subsidies for medicines to ensure and maintain public affordability of health care, at a cost of approximately $A6 billion. The cost and adverse health care impacts associated with the current state of managing prescribed pharmaceuticals are well documented and understood by governments and are deemed to warrant significant information systems expenditure.

Inadequate medical information and record keeping result in the death of 3,000 Australians every year, with a large proportion due to avoidable error in the application of medicines. 

iSOFT’s i.Pharmacy application, which is the leader in the hospital pharmacy market, can now incorporate Healthcare Software’s PharmCare application for clinicians to document patient information. It makes critical information relating to patient treatment available at the point of care, allowing clinicians to generate a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s capacity to receive and administer medication.

Nigel Lutton, iSOFT’s Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, said: “i.Pharmacy has an extensive footprint of over 260 sites worldwide in the core dispensing and manufacturing area and provides a solid basis on which to provide the extended ePharmacy functionality being sought in our region. The exclusive partnership with Healthcare Software is a valuable and natural extension to our current medication management capabilities – making the critical medication history available to the clinical pharmacist at the patient bedside or anywhere within the hospital.”

The combined functionality provides direct safety benefits for patients with the potential to reduce the number of medication errors. And, there are direct advantages for hospitals with the reduction of hospitalisation costs and increased pharmacy efficiencies. 

“We feel that we have formed a perfect partnership,” said John Elkerton, CEO, Healthcare Software. “The PharmCare application is considered to be ‘best of breed’ and now will be marketed with the leading application in the hospital pharmacy market in this region.”.

The iSOFT and Healthcare Software partnership is one of a number of more pragmatic clinical solutions being progressed by iSOFT to directly target improved patient health outcomes.

 

For more information:

Laurie Giles
Head of Marketing, Communications and Events
Tel:      +61 (0) 3 8633 5705
Fax:     +61 (0) 2 8633 5777
Email: laurie.giles@isoftaus.com.au

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:
iSOFT is one of the world’s leading suppliers of advanced software applications for the healthcare sector. With its next-generation product – LORENZO – iSOFT is at the forefront of the technology revolution taking place in healthcare. The company has extensive international experience and reach, with a strong presence in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Its products are used by more than 8,000 organisations in 27 countries for managing patient information and driving improvements in healthcare services. iSOFT focuses on developing innovative application solutions and has over 1,300 technology specialists engaged in software design, development and solution delivery. Further information: http://www.isoftplc.com.