Content about Automation and Technology

January 10, 2013

Demand among consumers for online services from drug companies to help manage chronic conditions is strong, according to a new study from healthcare market research firm Manhattan Research.

NEW YORK — Demand among consumers for online services from drug companies to help manage chronic conditions is strong, according to a new study from healthcare market research firm Manhattan Research.

January 9, 2013

Ten issues will take center stage as the healthcare industry moves to meet the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

NEW YORK — Ten issues will take center stage as the healthcare industry moves to meet the requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

January 8, 2013

The makers of a new app say that it increased users' medication adherence rate to more than 80%.

HAIFA, Israel — The makers of a new app say that it increased users' medication adherence rate to more than 80%.

The MediSafe Project said Tuesday that users reported medication adherence rates of 81%, while the rate was 84.25% for patients using statins.

January 7, 2013

A company that provides cloud-based electronic health record, practice management and care-coordination services is buying a developer of point-of-care mobile health applications for physicians.

WATERTOWN, Mass. — A company that provides cloud-based electronic health record, practice management and care-coordination services is buying a developer of point-of-care mobile health applications for physicians.

Athenahealth announced Monday that it would buy Epocrates for about $293 million, or $11.75 per share. The deal for Epocrates, used by more than 330,000 physicians, is expected to close in second quarter 2013, pending approval from Epocrates' shareholders and other conditions.

December 12, 2012

More than 10% of Americans consider Web-enabled, mobile health apps a part of their health care and key to living long lives, according to a new survey by a division of electronics manufacturer Philips.

ANDOVER, Mass. — More than 10% of Americans consider Web-enabled, mobile health apps a part of their health care and key to living long lives, according to a new survey by a division of electronics manufacturer Philips.

Royal Philips Electronics commissioned Opinion Research to conduct a survey of 1,003 adults, finding that 11% said that were it not for Web-based health information, they might already be "dead or severely incapacitated."

December 6, 2012

Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid will deliver patients' immunization notifications directly to healthcare providers over the Surescripts Network for Clinical Interoperability.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid will deliver patients' immunization notifications directly to healthcare providers over the Surescripts Network for Clinical Interoperability.

December 5, 2012

McKesson High Volume Solutions on Tuesday unveiled an all new ExpressRx Track pharmacy automation solution featuring state-of-the-art robotics, upgraded imaging and expanded vial capabilities.

PITTSBURGH — McKesson High Volume Solutions on Tuesday unveiled an all new ExpressRx Track pharmacy automation solution featuring state-of-the-art robotics, upgraded imaging and expanded vial capabilities. The company suggested the solution was ideal for pharmacies dispensing 1,000 to 3,000 prescriptions per shift looking to drive efficiency, reduce cost-to-fill and redeploy labor into revenue-generating front-of-store programs.  

December 4, 2012

The number of consumers using iPhones to gather medical information has grown by 94% since 2011, according to a new study by online medical publishing company The Patient's Guide.

IRVINE, Calif. — The number of consumers using iPhones to gather medical information has grown by 94% since 2011, according to a new study by online medical publishing company The Patient's Guide.

The study, based on engagement-behavior data on 12 million visitors to the site over two years, also found that the iPhone topped the list of mobile devices used to seek medical information online, accounting for 41% of total mobile traffic this year; the company predicts that the iPhone will surpass the desktop computer as the primary device for health information by 2014.

December 4, 2012

Pharmacy technology provider QS/1 has entered a contract with CoverMyMeds to automate a process often required by insurers to dispense specialty drugs.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Pharmacy technology provider QS/1 has entered a contract with CoverMyMeds to automate a process often required by insurers to dispense specialty drugs.

QS/1 said it entered a partnership with CoverMyMeds to automate the prior-authorization process, required for 90% of specialty drugs on the market.

"A pharmacist can spend a lot of time cutting through the red tape to get these prescriptions filled," QS/1 pharmacy market analyst John Frady said. "CoverMyMeds helps cut down on that work load by automating the process."

November 29, 2012

Use of electronic health records 
improves medical outcomes among patients with diabetes, according to a recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente.


Use of electronic health records 
improves medical outcomes among patients with diabetes, according to a recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente.


November 29, 2012

New applications based on advances in telemedicine and mobile health technology are proliferating as pharmacy providers, physicians and health plans find new ways to connect with patients who are homebound or in remote locations. The result is to extend access to care, improve convenience and lower health delivery costs.


New applications based on advances in telemedicine and mobile health technology are proliferating as pharmacy providers, physicians and health plans find new ways to connect with patients who are homebound or in remote locations. The result is to extend access to care, improve convenience and lower health delivery costs.


November 28, 2012

Kiosk manufacturer PharmaSmart got a visit from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday as he visited companies that his administration sees as leading the way in the state's economic development.

NEW YORK — Kiosk manufacturer PharmaSmart got a visit from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday as he visited companies that his administration sees as leading the way in the state's economic development.

PharmaSmart was one of two companies in the Rochester, N.Y., area and one of 20 in the state overall to become part of Cuomo's Empire State Development Program.

November 28, 2012

Novo Nordisk has launched a mobile app for hemophilia patients, the drug maker said.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Novo Nordisk has launched a mobile app for hemophilia patients, the drug maker said.

HemaGo — available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices — is designed to track hemophilia treatment, bleeding episodes and life events, helping people with the condition and their caregivers monitor the details of treatment, including medications, dosing, bleeding information and the disease's effects on life events.

November 27, 2012

A division of Quality Systems has teamed up with Microsoft to develop and launch what it called the first joint consumer-based mobile healthcare information technology application for the Windows 8 platform.

HORSHAM, Pa. — A division of Quality Systems has teamed up with Microsoft to develop and launch what it called the first joint consumer-based mobile healthcare information technology application for the Windows 8 platform.

November 26, 2012

A healthcare technology company introduced its latest health kiosk at a consumer-electronics event in New York.

NEW YORK — A healthcare technology company introduced its latest health kiosk at a consumer-electronics event in New York.

HealthSpot showed off the HealthSpot Station at CES Unveiled New York. The walk-in kiosk provides acute care patients with live access to board-certified doctors through high-definition video conferencing and interactive digital medical devices.

November 14, 2012

MediSafe Project has launched what it called the first cloud-synced mobile app to help prevent emergencies caused by over- or under-dosing medications.

HAIFA, Israel — MediSafe Project has launched what it called the first cloud-synced mobile app to help prevent emergencies caused by over- or under-dosing medications.

The app, which is available for Android devices and compatible with iPhones and iPads, is designed to remind users when it's time to take medications and also send alerts to family members, friends and caretakers.

November 14, 2012

NCR Corp. is partnering with health kiosk maker SoloHealth to service interactive consumer healthcare kiosks at retailers as SoloHealth rolls them out around the country, the two companies said Tuesday.

DULUTH, Ga. — NCR Corp. is partnering with health kiosk maker SoloHealth to service interactive consumer healthcare kiosks at retailers as SoloHealth rolls them out around the country, the two companies said Tuesday.

NCR's services group has signed a three-year contract with SoloHealth to provide on-site repairs after the units are installed in what the companies expect to be more than 2,500 retail locations by the middle of 2013.

November 13, 2012

The University of Illinois College of Pharmacy has named Kirby Lester president and CEO Garry Zage its 2012 Alumnus of the Year, the pharmacy automation manufacturer said Tuesday.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The University of Illinois College of Pharmacy has named Kirby Lester president and CEO Garry Zage its 2012 Alumnus of the Year, the pharmacy automation manufacturer said Tuesday.

Zage, who graduated from the college in 1977, purchased Kirby Lester in 2005. He has worked in pharmacy for more than 35 years and focused on pharmacy automation for more than 15 years, the company said, adding that the award recognizes graduates who are innovators, exhibit leadership and have contributed significantly to the pharmacy profession.

November 9, 2012

Electronic health record firm Allscripts may be looking at an acquisition by another company, Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman said Thursday when the company announced its third-quarter 2012 earnings.

CHICAGO — Electronic health record firm Allscripts may be looking at buyout offers from other companies, Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman said Thursday when the company announced its third-quarter 2012 earnings.

November 5, 2012

Industry leaders at an annual retail pharmacy conference in Canada got a look at a kiosk that allows patients to order prescription drugs through an Internet connection.

TORONTO — Industry leaders at an annual retail pharmacy conference in Canada got a look at a kiosk that allows patients to order prescription drugs through an Internet connection.

TCE Group announced the introduction of its Pharma Kiosk, or PK+ terminal at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores in Toronto.

November 5, 2012

Whatever dazzling visions science fiction may offer of the widgets of the future, the long, uphill road of technology inevitably leads to the smaller and the simpler.

Whatever dazzling visions science fiction may offer of the widgets of the future, the long, uphill road of technology inevitably leads to the smaller and the simpler. The horse and carriage gave way to the automobile; vacuum tubes gave way to transistors; and computers that took up entire rooms and required intricate climate-control technologies now fit in one’s pocket. 


Technologies used in health care have undergone a similar transition, and much of that has happened in the last few years thanks to the spread of mobile technology. 


October 29, 2012

About 97% of online pharmacies are "rogue" operations operating outside U.S. laws and regulations, according to a new report.

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. — About 97% of online pharmacies are "rogue" operations operating outside U.S. laws and regulations, according to a new report.

October 24, 2012

Pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran has won contracts with Indiana's state Medicaid program, the company said.

LISLE, Ill. — Pharmacy benefit manager Catamaran has won contracts with Indiana's state Medicaid program, the company said.

October 23, 2012

Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy has launched a mobile app for patients to manage their prescriptions, the retail pharmacy chain said Tuesday.

BOULDER, Colo. — Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy has launched a mobile app for patients to manage their prescriptions, the retail pharmacy chain said Tuesday.

The app, which operates on a secure network created by San Francisco-based Mscripts, includes dosage reminders, health information and features for getting prescription refills and pickup reminders. The company also launched a new mobile website, at M.pharmaca.com.

October 19, 2012

A division of Wolters Kluwer Health has released a new version of a Web-based quality-assurance software for pharmacy compounding.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — A division of Wolters Kluwer Health has released a new version of a Web-based quality-assurance software for pharmacy compounding.

Pharmacy OneSource announced the release of a new version of Simplifi 797, used for ensuring compliance with USP chapter 797 regulations, which call for proper training of staff who prepare sterile compounded products.