REDMOND, Wash.
ó
Sept. 18, 1996
óMicrosoft Corp. today announced that PDX, a leading supplier of pharmacy software, has selected Microsoft® Internet technologies to anchor its re-engineering of retail pharmacies. Using the Windows NT® platform and ActiveX
™
Technologies, PDX will link physicians, pharmacists and patients via the Internet, making efficient, comprehensive health management as close as the nearest drugstore
ó
or computer keyboard.
The announcement signals that the front lines of preventive health care are moving closer to home, and that pharmacists can expect to play a new, significant role in helping maintain patients’ health.
ì
Pharmacists are becoming much more active in disease and wellness management,
î
said Ken Hill Sr., president and founder of PDX.
ì
That trend will only continue.
î
The PDX initiative comes at a time when managed care is forcing health care provider organizations to shift from managing revenues to overseeing reductions in operating costs, all while improving the quality of patient care.
As smaller health care organizations become part of larger provider networks, there is a need to coordinate information among multiple parties
ó
including hospitals, physicians
í
offices, laboratories and insurance companies
ó
to create an integrated health care delivery system.
To meet this need, PDX will target its initial efforts at the area of prescription services. The company
ís Windows® operating system-based systems will enable physicians to submit prescription orders electronically, reducing the chance of error and speeding delivery of medication. Pharmacists can notify doctors when they dispense medicine, or they can ask questions about a particular drug therapy, all electronically. Patients who need a prescription refill can request one through e-mail.
It is after pharmacists provide medication, however, that PDX promises to dramatically change their roles. Using PDX® systems, pharmacies will be able to develop patient histories that include clinical, prescriptive, disease-state and allergy information. They can then use this information to counsel patients on everything from appropriate exercise and diet regimens to eliminating sources of stress in their lives.
The PDX approach also creates an online early-warning system for primary-care physicians. If a patient suffers side effects from a medication, a pharmacist can quickly consult a physician online for a change in the prescription. A pharmacist can also notify a physician electronically if a patient is not following dosage instructions. The physician can then change her or his refill instructions online to make future prescriptions contingent on an office visit.
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This isn
í
t a simple streamlining of an industry
í
s operation, but a complete redefinition of its function,
î
said Graham Clark, group manager of retail and distribution industries at Microsoft.
ì
PDX hasn
í
t just made the pharmacy more efficient; it has fundamentally re-engineered its business model.
î
Hill of PDX called his company’s approach a natural consequence of cost-conscious health care.
ì
The only way we
í
re going to increase wellness is to get patients involved
ó
and that means getting pharmacists out from behind the counter to actively support the therapies doctors are prescribing.
î
PDX systems will also provide online access to each patient’s medical history. And these histories will be portable. Patients can share them with whomever they choose
ó
doctors, pharmacies, insurance companies
ó
and can change that access at will.
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This is not about building a data warehouse,
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Hill said.
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It
í
s about getting patients the critical disease and wellness information they need so they can share it with those they trust to provide their health care.
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PDX chose Windows NT for its computing platform and ActiveX software to preserve client/server functionality across the Internet. The company
í
s systems will also incorporate Java
™
programming, making them a natural fit for Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, the Microsoft Web browser that supports both ActiveX and Java technologies.
PDX will have access to Microsoft security software to preserve the integrity of its online transactions. Microsoft development tools will help the company reuse core software components as it develops new applications for other health care providers.
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The primary concern of the health care industry is creating efficiencies that enable fast, effective care,
î
said John Carpenter, worldwide health care industry manager at Microsoft.
ì
Our Internet solutions can streamline the administration of health care so providers can concentrate on its most important aspect
ó
delivery.
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Hill praised Microsoft
í
s strategy.
ì
They understand the future of retail computing, that people will use objects instead of files, graphical user interfaces instead of character-based systems, and Internet-based networking instead of proprietary solutions,
î
he said.
ì
That
í
s why we
í
re excited about this relationship.
î
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
ì
MSFT
î
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT, ActiveX and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
PDX is a registered trademark of SDT Inc. in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.
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