GE Medical Systems Acquires BDM, Leading Developer of Pharmacy Information Systems; Offers Clinicians "Next Generation" Medical Ordering Technology for Safer Patient Care.

Business Editors/Medical Writers

MILWAUKEE, Wis. and SASKATOON, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 16, 2002

GE Medical Systems Information Technologies, the healthcare IT business of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), announced today that it has acquired BDM Information Systems Ltd. to provide clinicians with an advanced pharmacy information system to enable more accurate medication ordering.

With BDM's premier pharmacy information system, RxTFC(R) ("Pharmacy for the Twenty First Century"), GE is better positioned to create and deliver its "next generation" medical ordering technology, a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, so clinicians can provide safer patient care through a paperless process that eliminates handwritten documents.

The combination of GE and BDM's technologies will allow clinicians to order medications electronically and enable healthcare organizations to implement a variety of safety measures. For example, before the final prescription is complete, the intelligent system will automatically check the patient's information, such as weight, allergies, and any other medication therapy, before determining the appropriate medication type, dosage, and frequency, resulting in better outcomes.

"Medication errors can be prevented if clinicians have more knowledge about their patient's background and specific drugs at the touch of a button," said Greg Lucier, president and CEO of GE Medical Systems Information Technologies.

"With BDM's advanced pharmacy information system, GE has the ability to provide clinicians with an even more comprehensive CPOE system that offers real-time access to information. For medication orders, it means more medical certainty--from the time the order is entered to cross-checking it with the patient's electronic medical record to documenting that the medication was administered to the patient," added Lucier.

"We are excited to be joining the GE Medical Systems family," said Dallas Howe, CEO of BDM, the 30-year-old firm that has systems installed in more than 105 healthcare facilities in the U.S. and Canada. With the strength of our latest generation RxTFC pharmacy product and our continual R&D in the areas of productivity and patient safety, we have gained significant momentum in North America."

"Joining an organization with the size and resources of GE Medical Systems will expand the reach of our products globally. Our clients will receive the benefits of GE and BDM's shared commitment to healthcare as we make a significant stride toward our vision of an integrated health information system with pharmacy as a key component. Together with GE, we'll be able to offer an intelligent paperless workflow solution that acts as a decision support tool for healthcare providers all over the world," said Howe.

Fewer than two percent of U.S. hospitals today use a CPOE system, but many more are expected to embrace the technology as organizations like The Leapfrog Group reward healthcare providers financially for implementing the technology. The Leapfrog Group--a group of businesses in the U.S. whose mission is to promote quality healthcare--has called for CPOE systems in hospitals because of their proven reduction of medical errors by more than 50 percent.

According to the Institute of Medicine report, almost 98,000 patients die every year from preventable medical errors, including medication errors, which are estimated to cost $2 billion each year. Many of these preventable medication mistakes occur during prescribing because physicians are expected to take information from various sources and piece it together by hand.

BDM's pharmacy information system has received recognition from industry research firm KLAS Enterprises as a premier pharmacy information system for healthcare providers. BDM's RxTFC helps prevent overdoses, incorrect doses, allergy reactions and drug interactions.

"BDM understands pharmacy workflow and is renowned in the industry for its premier pharmacy IT solution and its deep commitment to its customers," said Sunny Sanyal, vice president of Clinical Information Systems at GE Medical Systems Information Technologies. "We're looking forward to reaching more healthcare providers globally with BDM's advanced decision support system."

Over the last several years, GE Medical Systems has invested more than $1.5 billion in technologies to help healthcare organizations better manage clinical workflow. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About GE Medical Systems Information Technologies

GE Medical Systems Information Technologies provides hospitals and healthcare systems with advanced solutions to improve their clinical performance. The Company's expertise spans the areas of cardiology, patient monitoring, image management, clinical communications, clinical information systems and Six Sigma-based management tools to enable a real-time, integrated electronic medical record. GE Medical Systems Information Technologies is a business of GE Medical Systems, a $9 billion global leader in medical imaging, interventional procedures, and healthcare services. Additional information about GE Medical Systems can be found at www.gemedical.com.

About BDM Information Systems Ltd.

BDM is a highly regarded supplier of information systems in the health care field specializing in the design, implementation and 24x7 support of enterprise-wide pharmacy information systems. BDM integrates its products with a wide variety of health information systems, clinical decision support tools, provider-based systems, multiple automated /robotic pharmacy dispensing devices and popular wireless personal productivity tools used by healthcare professionals.

BDM's achievements include three decades of uninterrupted profitability providing leadership and innovation in pharmacy information software functionality and the expertise required to assist clients in taking full advantage of technology in the most straightforward to the most complex pharmacy environments. BDM estimates that its pharmacy systems have processed in excess of 240 million orders representing more than 4.3 billion doses of various forms of medication delivered. These systems have assisted in providing medication to over 24 million patients. Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; BDM has several world-renowned medical centers among its U.S. and Canadian customer base. Additional information about BDM can be found at www.bdm.ca.