APhA, Lexi-Comp Announce Release Of New Drug Information Solution For Community Pharmacists

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 19 Oct 2007 - 15:00 PDT

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The American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the national professional society of pharmacists, and Lexi-Comp, a leading provider of clinical content for the health care industry, have announced the release of Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ for Community Pharmacy. The online service, created to meet the particular needs of community pharmacists, is an affordable resource designed to provide answers to drug-related questions quickly and effectively. Using an Internet-based platform, the resource delivers the most current drug information available anywhere.

"Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ for Community Pharmacy is a useful drug information resource for community pharmacists. It is designed for easy use, it is updated daily, and it supports community pharmacy's goal of providing medication therapy management services," says Winnie Landis, President of APhA and a community pharmacist. "This new product expands the breadth of drug information resources provided to members by APhA in collaboration with Lexi-Comp, and it is why Lexi-Comp is the official drug reference of APhA."

Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ for Community Pharmacy includes the following databases and modules:

- Lexi-Drugs®, which contains multiple fields of information presented alphabetically such as Adverse Reactions, Dosing, Drug Pricing, FDA Special Alerts, and trade names from 125 countries

- Pediatric Lexi-Drugs®, which contains detailed guidelines compiled by pediatric specialists and up to 40 fields of information per monograph, including detailed neonatal and pediatric dosing

- 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 provides appropriate patient management steps

- Lexi-Drug ID™, a tool that provides quick identification of unknown medications based on imprint, dosage form, shape, and color

- Adult-PALS™ and Pediatric-PALS™, which are patient advisory leaflets written at a user-friendly reading level, organized in a format ideal for patient counseling, and available in up to 18 languages

Other tools in Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ for Community Pharmacy are a calculations module and databases on poisoning and toxicology, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures, and natural products.

"We have tailored this product offering to provide community pharmacists with the key information they need to help improve medication safety, streamline their workflow processes, and ultimately ensure positive patient outcomes," said Steven Kerscher, President and COO for Lexi-Comp, Inc. "We are pleased to once again be collaborating with APhA to provide pharmacy professionals with trusted drug information," Kerscher added.

Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ for Community Pharmacy can be accessed with the purchase of a single user license. (More than one pharmacist in the same pharmacy would have access, but only one person at a time.) APhA members who order the product through the APhA Web site, pharmacist.com, receive a 5% discount on the annual license fee. A free 30-day trial is also available. Pharmacists should go to http://www.pharmacist.com, click on Shop APhA, and then click on Lexi-Comp Products and Lexi-Comp ONLINE.

Since 1978, Lexi-Comp® has been providing the health care community with high-quality, affordable, and portable drug information references, available electronically and in print. Today more than 500,000 clinicians rely on Lexi-Comp for critical information on prescribing, administering, and monitoring medications. APhA and Lexi-Comp have been collaborating in the pharmacy market since 1991.

The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 60,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others dedicated to improving medication use and advancing patient care. APhA is the first established and largest professional association of pharmacists in the United States. APhA members provide care in all practice settings, including community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term-care facilities, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and the military.

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