ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss Proposed FDA Rule on Mandatory Bar Codes of Drugs.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2002

TOPIC: The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Drug Safety has scheduled a public meeting for Friday, July 26, 2002 to discuss bar code labeling for drug products and medical devices, according to an article by Premier Safety Share. Experts say barcoding can minimize medical errors related to drug dispensing and administration. According to the agency, 30 percent of medical errors that result in death involve FDA-regulated drugs, devices, blood products or vaccines, the article says. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story: -0-


Mr. John B. Grotting is president, chief executive officer of
Bridge Medical, Inc., a leading health information technology (HIT)
firm. Grotting joined Bridge in May 1997, shortly after its founding.
He and Bridge Medical are nationally known for their innovative
educational and technological efforts in the patient safety arena.
Bridge's MedPoint(TM) patient safety system was recently named a
finalist for the MS-HUG award. The company partners with a variety of
prestigious organizations, including the VA's National Center for
Patient Safety, and local and national hospital associations, on
initiatives to enhance patient safety. Grotting brings over 28 years
of healthcare management experience in a variety of health service and
technology settings and has served in CEO or COO roles at Legacy,
Healthone, and Allina. At Allina Health Systems, Grotting was in
charge of Care Delivery Operations which accounts for all hospitals,
the 560 provider Allina Medical Group, long-term care and diversified
services (home care, transportation, clinical equipment, medical
oxygen, printing services, hospice, materials management and home
equipment management).
PR: Carol Somer, 858-314-5538,
[e-mail]

Mr. David Shulkin, of the Patient Safety Officer Society is the
founder and president of the Patient Safety Officer Society. Shulkin
is Drexel University School of Medicine's first Chief Quality Officer
and the Chief Medical Officer of the Medical College of Pennsylvania
Hospital. He is former chief medical officer/chief quality officer at
the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
215-842-6020,
[e-mail]

Mr. John Armitstead, of the University of Kentucky, is an expert
regarding medicine and pharmacy.
859-323-6029

The FDA meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26 at the
Natcher Auditorium, Building 45, National Institutes of Health (NIH),
Bethesda, MD. Any interested party may attend the meeting, but
pre-registration is required. The registration deadline is July 12,
2002. For more information, go to
http://www.fda.gov/oc/meetings/barcodemtg.html.

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