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B. Braun Horizon Outlook®
IV Safety Infusion System Is First To Address Proposed FDA Bar Code Requirements
Helps the Right
Patient Receive the Right Drug, at the Right Dose, at the Right Time.
Bethlehem,
PA (September 3, 2002) – B. Braun Medical Inc. today announced
its Horizon Outlook® IV Safety Infusion System
is the first IV infusion system to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiative to develop a
regulation on bar code labeling for human drug products to reduce the number
of preventable drug errors in the U.S.
The recently introduced
Horizon Outlook IV Safety Infusion System from B. Braun uses barcode
technology to ensure the "right" patient is receiving the "right"
drug in the "right" dose from an "authorized" clinician.
Its patented DoseScan™ barcode technology creates a primary level of safety
– with automated checks and balances that augment the manual procedures
commonly used today. Secondary protection is provided by DoseGuard™
software, which notifies clinicians if institution–defined dose limits are exceeded.
The combined technologies help to reduce human error and enable hospitals
to provide an unprecedented level of IV medication delivery safety for patients.
In the June 18, 2002
issue of the Federal Register, the FDA made the statement, "Errors
related to dispensing and administration can be minimized through the use
of bar codes. For example, if a clinician could use a bar code scanner to
compare the bar code on a human drug product to a specific patient's drug
regimen, the clinician would be able to verify that the right patient is receiving
the right drug, at the right dose, and at the right time."
"Human error
is the root cause for the vast majority of medication errors that cause
significant patient harm or result in patient death," said John Tourville,
Director of Pharmacy at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. "The most
common source of human error is inaccurate manual programming of intravenous
pumps. B. Braun has virtually eliminated the need to manually program IV
pumps with the barcoding technology in its Outlook® system.
The proposal by the FDA to require barcode labels on human drug products would
further ensure patient safety by eliminating the need to manually label the most
common IV medications in the pharmacy."
"We fully
support the FDA's initiative to develop bar code regulation to address
the growing issues surrounding medication errors in the U.S.,"
said Caroll H. Neubauer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of B. Braun
Medical Inc. "As a company we are dedicated to developing products
that increase both patient and clinician safety. The Horizon Outlook
IV Safety Infusion System is a key product in our People, Products, and Programs safety
initiative and we are pleased that the FDA recognizes the potential benefits
of bar code technology in managing patient care."
About
B. Braun
With more than 28,000 employees worldwide, B. Braun is a full
line supplier of innovative healthcare products & programs
designed to improve both patient and clinician safety. Through
its People, Products, and Programs - "Working Together for
Excellence in Safety™" initiative, B. Braun promotes
best practices and products for continuous improvement of safety.
B. Braun
is proud of its longstanding tradition and commitment to delivering
innovative healthcare products and programs with unmatched quality,
superior technology, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining
environmental responsibility. For more information about B. Braun
or its safety healthcare products, call 800-854-6851, or visit
B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.
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