Contact Information: For additional information, please contact: ForHealth Technologies, Inc. Katie Delach Hart-Boillot 781-893-0053 kdelach@hartboillot.com
IntelliFill i.v. Robot Now in Use to Increase Patient Safety at Methodist University Hospital
Leading Hospital Focuses on Certainty, Speed, and Precision to Improve I.V. Medication Safety
| Source: ForHealth Technologies
DAYTONA BEACH, FL--(Marketwire - October 30, 2008) - ForHealth Technologies, Inc., a pioneer
in I.V. medication safety and hospital pharmacy automation, recently
announced the installation of its robotic I.V. dose preparation system,
IntelliFill i.v., at Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, TN.
IntelliFill i.v. will enable the hospital's pharmacy to automate its I.V.
drug preparation process to reduce medication errors, increase patient
safety, and lower costs. The new system was activated in September 2008.
Methodist University Hospital joins a rapidly expanding community of
leading US hospitals putting the latest I.V. room technology from ForHealth
to work to improve I.V. medication safety.
IntelliFill i.v. automates the preparation and labeling of intravenous
doses. The system dramatically reduces I.V. dose errors through advanced
robotics, and bar code verification. The system has demonstrated its
effectiveness in the preparation of over 23 million patient doses.
The 693-bed Methodist University Hospital located in the heart of the
Memphis Medical Center, is the largest, most comprehensive hospital in the
Methodist Healthcare system. The third largest healthcare system in the
country, Methodist Healthcare recently topped the list of the Top 100
Integrated Healthcare Networks in the country.
"We carefully evaluated ForHealth Technologies' robotic I.V. technology and
found it to be extremely accurate and reliable, which gives us the ability
to improve patient care," said Alison Apple, administrator, pharmacy,
Methodist University Hospital. "The IntelliFill i.v. robotic technology is
simply amazing and ensures medication safety through the use of barcodes.
It just makes sense to purchase this technology, especially when the
equipment will pay for itself in just less than two years."
By eliminating the need to make I.V. admixtures, the robot affords
pharmacists the ability to be more engaged in activities that are highly
valued by patients, families, physicians and nurses, including patient
education about medications and assisting with the management of complex
medication therapy.
Cost-saving measures include more precise drawing of dosages so there is
less drug waste, and drawing doses from larger containers enables drugs to
be purchased in bulk. Before installing IntelliFill i.v., a number of
cost-increasing, premixed drugs were purchased. Methodist is now using
fewer I.V. bags, saving money there as well.
The possibility of medication errors is on the rise due to an increase in
both the number of potent drugs and intravenous drugs being administered.
Hospitals pharmacists like those at Methodist University are calling for
better technology. As a result, ForHealth Technologies, Inc. has seen an
increase in hospitals choosing their I.V. room technology to reduce or
eliminate errors made in hospital pharmacy I.V. rooms throughout the year.
About ForHealth
Founded in 1998, ForHealth Technologies delivers 21st century technology
combined with professional support to uniquely enable hospital pharmacies
to stay ahead of the growing challenges faced in preparing injectable
medications. ForHealth Technologies solutions deliver quantum-leap
improvements in key I.V. room performance metrics: accuracy, patient
safety, clinician safety, speed, cost reduction, and regulatory compliance.
More information is available at www.fhtinc.com. ForHealth Technologies:
Innovating for Your I.V. Room's Future™.