Wolters Kluwer Health's The Formulary Monograph Service (FMS) Celebrates 20th Anniversary; Detailed Research in Monographs Saves Significant Time for Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee Members.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. -- Wolters Kluwer Health, the leading drug and health information provider, today announced the 20th anniversary of The Formulary Monograph Service (FMS), an essential tool for hospitals and managed care pharmacists that provides detailed information about recently released and investigational drugs.

The monographs are written and presented in a customizable format appropriate for Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee presentations, saving hours of research time and providing indispensable drug information.

"Reaching the two-decade mark is a major accomplishment for any product," said Dennis Cada, PharmD, FASHP, FASCP, Executive Editor for Wolters Kluwer Health. "We are particularly proud of The Formulary Monograph Service because of the significant impact it has on our clients' ability to do their jobs efficiently and effectively."

In addition to providing comprehensive drug information, the monographs also include comparative charts and tables that illustrate how each new drug compares with similar agents, as well as a full complement of data references.

The monographs are prepared by the Washington State University Drug Information Center. Monthly updates include five carefully researched papers about the most recently released drugs, as well as those in late Phase 3 trials.

"I have been using The Formulary Monograph Service for over 10 years," said Marylou Kosmatka, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. "It is the first reference I reach for when I am preparing a drug review for the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. I know if a monograph exists, my preparation work for the meeting is literally cut by days. Providing clinical pharmacy support in a non-teaching community hospital is always a challenge. With FMS, I am well prepared to meet it!"

Recommendations in the monographs are clinical trial-based, enabling hospitals and managed care organizations to meet regulations requiring primary literature-based formularies. Given new Medicare Part D plan requirements, The Formulary Monograph Service's ability to compile and support appropriate formularies is especially relevant. Additionally, the monographs provide pharmacoeconomic analyses when available. To date, more than 1,000 monographs are available.

About Wolters Kluwer Health

Wolters Kluwer Health (Conshohocken, PA) is a leading provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons; electronic information providers, such as Ovid Technologies, Medi-Span and ProVation Medical; and pharmaceutical information providers Adis International and Source(R).

Wolters Kluwer is a leading multinational publisher and information services company. The Company's core markets are health, corporate services, financial services, tax, accounting, legal, regulation and education. Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2005) of EUR 3.4 billion, employs approximately 18,400 people worldwide and maintains operations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its depositary receipts of shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. For more information, see www.wolterskluwer.com.