Content about Automation and Technology

NEW YORK — The makers of a pill bottle that uses wireless technology to keep patients adherent won the grand prize at a recent healthcare innovation contest.

AdhereTech developers Josh Stein, John Langhauser and Mike Morena will receive $50,000 in prize money as winners in the Healthcare Innovation World Cup, an international diabetes innovation challenge funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and organized by HITLAB.

MONTREAL — Stayhealthy on Tuesday announced the selection of BroadSign International as the company's digital signage software provider as it deploys its network of HealthCenter kiosks across the United States. BroadSign will manage Stayhealthy's rapid content deployment and network operations. 

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — A search feature that allows pharmacies to quickly determine why patients are calling so they can better serve their needs and a patient registration system that allows easier enrollment in medication-time reminders, disease management and smoking-cessation programs are among the new features of the latest version of PrescribeWellness' software system.

WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health heard testimony on Thursday morning from representatives of the Food and Drug Administration and several industry trade groups following the introduction of draft legislation that sponsors said would strengthen the country's pharmaceutical supply chain.

As the Total Store Expo draws near, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores has put together a checklist to help industry members gear up for a successful event.

TSE, which marks a new concept for trading partners, will combine the Marketplace Conference, the Pharmacy and Technology Conference and the Supply Chain and Logistics Conference into one mega trade show held Aug. 10 to 13 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

AUSTIN, Texas — The makers of a new smartphone app say it will synchronize engagement between pharmacists and patients through mobile devices, social media, websites and printed media.

RxWiki announced Friday the beta release of Mobile+, a customizable mobile application that delivers medication information, news and alerts to patients' smartphones. The app is currently available for Android devices and will soon be available for Apple devices.

SAN FRANCISCO — Users of McKesson's EnterpriseRx pharmacy system can communicate with patients through several mobile communication pathways and deliver a full-featured mobile pharmacy system using the mScripts mobile pharmacy platform, mScripts said Tuesday.

The company said it had received certification for the system, following its announcement of the integration with EnterpriseRx last week.

NEW YORK — The Department of Health and Human Services issued a new rule that it said was necessary to protect the security of health information stored online.

As required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which was part of the 2009 economic stimulus bill, HHS said it would change patient privacy rules in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in order to provide for privacy and security protection for information stored in electronic health records.

NEW YORK — Alcon has launched a mobile website designed to facilitate dialogue between patients and pharmacists about eye and ear treatments, the company said Thursday.

Alcon announced the launch of Drops101 Web Tools, which offers access to information about two of its products: Ciprodex Otic (ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone), for acute otitis externa and acute otitis media in children with tymponostomy tubes; and Moxeza ophthalmic solution (moxifloxacin hydrochloride) for bacterial conjunctivitis.

NEW YORK — Pharmaceutical vending machine maker Medbox has bought a 50% stake in a Michigan-based company that has developed an automated medicine dispensing machine, Medbox said Friday.

The $5.15 million deal with MedVend includes a $300,000 capital infusion and additional loans if needed for operating expenses into a jointly controlled new corporation that will also be called MedVend.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pharmacy-automation system maker PDX has made a deal with CoverMyMeds to help pharmacies using PDX's system to expedite the submission of prior-authorization forms to health insurance plans, PDX said.

The service, which will be offered at no cost to pharmacies, is meant to decrease the administrative hassles of prior authorizations, improve turnaround time and help to stop prescription abandonment.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy has launched its new website, the company said Monday.

Diplomat said the website design had been in beta testing for the past several months, overseen by VP technology and marketing Jennifer Cretu.