Top 100 Hospital Leesburg Regional Purchases Pharmacy i.v. Automation Technology To Enhance Patient Safety, Efficiency

ForHealth Technologies’ IntelliFill i.v. syringe preparation system part of Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s patient care, cost efficiency strategy

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., September 27, 2004—ForHealth Technologies, Inc., a leader in automated devices for intravenous drug preparation, announced today that Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LMRC) of Leesburg, Fla. will install and use IntelliFill i.v., ForHealth’s i.v. pharmacy robotic technology to place additional emphasis on patient safety and efficiency.

“We are extremely delighted that Leesburg Regional Medical Center, one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals, has placed its confidence in ForHealth’s IntelliFill i.v. device to advance the safety and efficiency of its pharmacy operations,” said Rod Wolford, chairman and CEO of ForHealth Technologies, Inc. “Our collaboration with this leading hospital once again validates and confirms the growing acceptance of our pharmacy automation technology to make healthcare safer and more affordable.”

IntelliFill i.v. automates the compounding and labeling of intravenous doses in syringes at speeds that can only be achieved through automated processes. By employing bar code scanning, vision systems and weight confirmation steps, and by providing final products that are identified with barcodes, IntelliFill i.v. reduces medication errors. Furthermore, by providing a Class 10 compounding environment, IntelliFill i.v. assures that the final i.v. product produced is of the highest quality.  The system also promotes long-term hospital cost savings by preparing the final intravenous products in a syringe instead of an i.v. bag.

With more than four million patient-use syringes prepared in hospitals by its IntelliFill i.v. robots, ForHealth understands the rigorous requirements for accuracy, productivity and sterility. ForHealth’s innovations are setting new standards for hospital pharmacies in patient safety, cost efficiency and compliance with new regulations such as U. S. Pharmacopoeia <797>. With over 24 US patents in process, ForHealth is well-positioned to continue to bring technological innovation to the i.v. compounding process.

“The IntelliFill i.v. automates the production of injectables – the highest risk category in any hospital pharmacy,” said Alan Frashier, R.Ph, MBA, director of Pharmacy Services, Leesburg Regional Medical Center.  “The potential for an adverse outcome from an i.v. room misadventure is greater than in any other category.  The IntelliFill i.v. is one of the few cost effective patient safety initiatives to come available to us.”

LMRC is a 309-bed, not-for-profit acute care hospital and 120-bed skilled nursing facility. In addition to its inpatient services that include open heart, neurosurgery, oncology and a comprehensive adult rehabilitation facility, LRMC provides an array of outpatient services that include cardiac diagnostic, chronic disease management, day surgery, diagnostic imaging, home health, rehabilitation, sleep disorders, urgent care and wellness programs.