``The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit'' to Prepare Industry for Pending FDA Bar Code Rule.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers/High-Tech Writers

Frontline International Supply Chain Week 2003

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2003

Chris Begley of Abbott Laboratories Delivering Keynote on the Use

of Bar Code Technology to Save Lives and Reduce Costs

Advanstar Communications, Inc., announced today the addition of The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit to Frontline's International Supply Chain Week. This inaugural event, produced and hosted by the Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC), and co-hosted by both the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), takes place Sept. 17-18, 2003, at McCormick Place North in Chicago.

Patient safety and the efficiency of drug product purchasing, storage, and distribution in hospitals have drastically improved with the use of bar code technology. The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit will be a comprehensive conference to educate pharmaceutical manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers; hospital and managed care executives; and healthcare purchasing and supply chain professionals on the use of bar code technology to reduce medical errors and increase patient safety.

In March 2003, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a proposed regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that would require bar codes based on the standards of the EAN.UCC System on virtually every dispensed drug--including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs packaged for hospital use, and vaccines. Under this proposal, medications and vaccines will use a bar code with an associated National Drug Code (NDC) number to uniquely identify each drug, including its strength and dosage.

Chris Begley, senior vice president of Abbott Laboratories, and president of Abbott's Hospital Products division, will kick-off The Summit with his keynote speech, "Optimizing Patient Safety in the Hospital," on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m. He will share details on Abbott's success in bar coding 100 percent of their hospital injectable-pharmaceuticals and IV solutions--a feat that encompassed more than 1,000 products, impacting millions of hospital patients. He will also discuss how bar codes have improved Abbott's supply chain communication and overall management.

In addition to the keynote, The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit will feature industry leaders and experts who are at the forefront of the industry-wide initiative to support and drive the impending FDA bar coding regulation. Sessions will cover real-world case studies and direct messages on bar code standards, symbologies, policies, procedures, implementation strategies, and lessons learned--as well as the hardware and software tools necessary to integrate bar code technology into business models. Speakers--encompassing a "Who's Who" in the pharmaceuticals industry--include representatives from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, AmeriNet, AutoID LLC, Baxter Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Healthcare eBusiness Collaborative, HCA, Intermec Technologies, Johnson & Johnson, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology, Pfizer, and Premier; as well as The Summit's hosting organizations. Dr. Lonnie Bristow, former president, American Medical Association, and a member of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Quality Healthcare in America, will also be featured.

"The use of bar coding for medication administration at the point of care is an important component in the adoption of technology in reducing errors," said Allen J. Vaida, PharmD, executive director of the ISMP. "The FDA proposed rule on requiring bar code identification of medications and the response by many industry leaders to include bar codes on their products should have a dramatic effect on patient safety. Knowing the strong impact bar code technology has on the healthcare industry, ISMP is pleased to take part in the inaugural Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit."

"Bar code technology has dramatically improved the speed, accuracy, and traceability of pharmaceutical and healthcare products," said John Roberts, director of healthcare for the Uniform Code Council, Inc. "Efficiency and precision have always been key components of this industry. Bar coding has not only significantly enhanced the efficiency of the pharmaceutical supply chain process, but it has also improved patient safety and reduced medical mistakes. The UCC is pleased to produce and host the Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit, where attendees will gain critical insight on the key standards that help optimize effective supply chain solutions in the healthcare and pharmaceutical markets."

Sponsors of The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit include AIM, Formulary magazine, Managed Healthcare Executive magazine, Pharmaceutical Executive magazine, and Pharmaceutical Technology magazine.

In addition to The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit, Frontline's International Supply Chain Week will feature industry-leading keynotes, The RFID Summit, an AIDC Interactive Learning Lab, four solutions-focused conference tracks, and five exclusive Industry Forums. An expansive exhibit hall will provide one-stop access to the best suppliers of Auto-ID, bar code, RFID, mobile computing, and wireless communications hardware, software, and services; as well as inventory and warehouse management, and enterprise, collaboration, and supply chain management solutions. For complete details about The Pharmaceutical Bar Code Summit and Frontline's International Supply Chain Week, visit www.supplychainweek.com. To attend, call 1-877-232-0132 or to exhibit, call 1-888-822-4321.

About the Uniform Code Council, Inc.

The Uniform Code Council, Inc., (UCC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development and implementation of standards-based, global supply chain solutions. Under its auspices, the UCC operates two wholly owned subsidiaries, UCCnet and RosettaNet, and it co-manages its global EAN.UCC System with EAN International. UCC-based solutions, including business processes, XML standards, EDI transaction sets, and the bar code identification standards of the EAN.UCC System are currently used by more than one million member companies worldwide. For more information about the Uniform Code Council, please visit www.uc-council.org.

About Institute for Safe Medication Practices

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) is a 501c (3) nonprofit organization that works closely with healthcare practitioners and institutions, regulatory agencies, professional organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry. The Institute provides an independent review of medication errors that have been voluntarily submitted by practitioners to a national Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP) operated by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). All information derived from the MERP is shared with the US Food and Drug Administration as well as with pharmaceutical companies whose products are mentioned in the reports. For more information, visit www.ismp.org.

About Healthcare Distribution Management Association

The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) is a leader in stimulating innovations that enhance the distributors' role in health care. Formerly the National Wholesale Druggists' Association (NWDA), HDMA secures safe and effective distribution of healthcare products, creates and exchanges industry knowledge affecting distribution management, and improves standards and business processes that influence healthcare commerce. Learn more at www.healthcaredistribution.org.

About Advanstar Communications, Inc.

Advanstar Communications, Inc. is a worldwide business information company serving specialized markets with high quality information resources and integrated marketing solutions. Advanstar has 105 business magazines and directories, 80 tradeshows and conferences, numerous Web sites, and a wide range of direct marketing, database and reference products and services. Advanstar serves targeted market sectors in such industries as art, automotive, beauty, collaboration/e-learning, CRM/call center, digital media, entertainment/marketing, fashion & apparel, healthcare, manufacturing and processing, pharmaceutical, powersports, science, telecommunications and travel/hospitality. The Company has nearly 1,300 employees and currently operates from multiple offices in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.advanstar.com.