AHFSfirst Software Gives Healthcare Professionals Instant Access to Drug Information.

SAN BRUNO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--June 7, 1999--

First DataBank, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) today announced the latest release of AHFSfirst(TM). This drug information software combines two of healthcare's most widely used sources of drug information, the National Drug Data File(TM) (NDDF) from First DataBank and the AHFS Drug Information(R) full-text monographs from ASHP.

The two databases are linked so healthcare professionals can move between sources on topics such as drug interactions, drug indications, side effects, dosing information, pediatric precautions, pregnancy precautions, and more. Users can search by brand or generic drug name, by title of an AHFS monograph, by manufacturer, by keyword in a monograph text, or by therapeutic class in either drug database.

"AHFSfirst makes it easier for a pharmacist, physician, or any healthcare professional to research a particular drug," stated Joseph L. Hirschmann, President of First DataBank. "Clinicians in both retail and hospital settings can use the application to find specific drug information without having to reference a complicated, printed source," he added.

Additionally, the latest release includes a new feature that identifies pharmaceutical products by imprint data, color, shape, and other physical characteristics. "This valuable feature will be extremely useful in emergency situations, where the rapid identification of an ingested drug may be needed to save a life," said Dwight Tousignaut, Vice President of Drug Information at ASHP.

AHFSfirst can also store patient-specific information, including the patient's personal drug information, last name, first name, and identification number. "One of the advantages of using AHFSfirst is that users can perform prospective and retrospective checks for drug interactions and duplicate therapy on a patient's drug list," added James L. Wilson, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of First DataBank.

AHFSfirst is available in a single-user Professional Edition or in a network Enterprise Edition for Windows(R) 95/98/NT.

The National Drug Data File is the largest and most comprehensive drug knowledge base in the world, covering every drug product approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. The AHFS Drug Information full-text monographs for the professional are one of the most comprehensive, authoritative sources of unbiased, evaluative drug information available.

First DataBank, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation, develops knowledge bases and software for the pharmacy, medical and nutrition marketplaces. Their products provide clinical and diagnostic decision support information and nutrition analysis for hospitals, pharmacies, managed care organizations, insurance companies, physicians, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals.

ASHP is the 30,000-member national professional association that represents pharmacists who practice in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, home care, and other components of healthcare systems. The Society has extensive publishing and educational programs designed to help members improve their delivery of pharmaceutical care, and it is the national accrediting organization for pharmacy residency and pharmacy technician training programs.