VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Oct 1, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) --AmerisourceBergen Corporation
(NYSE: ABC) today announced that its Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions (PHS) unit
has signed a co-marketing and investment agreement with ClinPharm LLC. ClinPharm
develops advanced clinical software programs designed to enhance patient safety
and optimize drug therapy.
ClinPharm's primary product, MedStorm(TM), enables pharmacists to easily search
and analyze medication profiles and laboratory results to identify patients at
risk for medication related adverse events and initiates an automated physician
notification process. The program provides pharmacists and physicians with
recommendations for optimal care by integrating national guidelines, published
recommendations and hospital-specific protocols into its medical logic modules.
"We are excited about the prospect of offering to our customers an efficient and
inexpensive system of reducing adverse drug events," commented Allen Zimmerman,
President of Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions. "ClinPharm's programs are quite
expansive and represent a new generation of proactive software to the market."
During the development stages, MedStorm won an "Innovation in Teaching" award
from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and it's founder, Gamal
Hussein, Pharm. D., won the prestigious "Health System Practitioner Award" given
by the National Pharmaceutical Association. In addition, the International
Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring has supported and promoted the
evaluation of the program by its members in more than 40 countries.
Under the terms of the agreement, PHS will initially take a minority ownership
of the company with rights to purchase the remainder of the company during the
term of the agreement.
Dr. Hussein stated, "We are pleased that we will be working with PHS and
AmerisourceBergen to expand access to MedStorm's innovative technology. This is
the best time to unite our efforts to optimize one of America's top healthcare
priorities: patient safety."
About Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions
Pharmacy Healthcare Solutions is one of the premier providers of pharmacy
support services in the United States with a diverse range of software products
and consulting services designed to assist health systems and pharmacy providers
in achieving a cost effective, quality driven pharmaceutical care model. PHS is
the largest provider of indigent pharmaceutical recovery services, serving more
than 130 facilities encompassing 27,000 hospital beds and over 25 outpatient
pharmacy clinics. The company also provides a wide range of clinical, operations
and technology consulting services to hospitals seeking to improve their
pharmacy operations and optimize the use of pharmaceutical agents.
About AmerisourceBergen Corporation
AmerisourceBergen is the largest pharmaceutical services company in the United
States dedicated solely to the pharmaceutical supply chain. It is the leading
distributor of pharmaceutical products and services to the hospital
systems/acute care market, alternative care facilities, and independent
community pharmacies. The Company is also a leader in the institutional pharmacy
marketplace. With approximately $36 billion in annualized operating revenues,
AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs more than
13,000 people serving over 25,000 customers.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's
current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in
circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from the expectations
contained in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements
herein include statements addressing future financial and operating results of
AmerisourceBergen and the benefits and other aspects of the merger. The
following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially
from those described in the forward-looking statements: the risk that the
businesses of AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig will not be integrated
successfully; failure to obtain and retain expected synergies; and other
economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting the business
of AmerisourceBergen generally.
More detailed information about these factors is set forth in AmeriSource's and
Bergen Brunswig's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
each of their Annual Reports on Form 10-K for fiscal 2000, their most recent
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and their joint proxy statement-prospectus dated
August 1, 2001. AmerisourceBergen, AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig are under no
obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter
their forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
CONTACT:
AmerisourceBergen Corporation
Michael N. Kilpatric, 610/727-7118
mkilpatric@amerisource.com