Live demonstrations of the extensive capabilities of iBergen, the industry's premier web portal, will be conducted every hour. Developed to leverage Bergen's experience and advanced technological capacities, iBergen is the gateway to BBDC's wealth of web-based products and services, company and industry news, pertinent business information and BBDC public and private professional services. iBergen, as the touch point for all customer-related activities for the Drug Company, delivers a range of comprehensive and cost effective business management solutions that improve productivity and operational efficiencies for our pharmacy customers.
iBergen has a new look and feel with added features such as a dynamic news feed and stock ticker symbol look-up capability. Users can create industry-specific topic groups matching personal and professional interests to get the latest news on companies or other topics.
The Catalog & Order Entry (COE) application continues to add new features. This real-time online system now includes a Report section, which provides 30 days of invoice confirmations and a month-to-date purchase report, a "Date Last Purchased" field showing customers when an item was last ordered from Bergen, and 24 months of purchase history and average monthly usage for each item. Additional features and add-on modules are now available to electronically aid in the physical inventory process as well as to track and manage interdepartmental billing transactions or product issues and credits.
In addition, Bergen is announcing iScanTM, a revolutionary product that optimizes the supply chain by providing efficiencies in accuracy and productivity. Although iScan currently provides precise order receiving, it is designed as a closed-loop system. iScan's expanding capabilities will include ordering and inventory management.
Doug Swanson, President, Health Systems at BBDC, reports that iBergen has enrolled over 2,000 subscribers since its initial launch. "Our customers are more than enthusiastic about the variety of features and ease of use of the portal, which increases their effectiveness and efficiency. We're gratified with the positive response to our newest offering, demonstrating once again Bergen's commitment to advancing pharmacy technology."
Bergen Brunswig Corporation, headquartered in Orange County, California, is a leading supplier of pharmaceuticals and specialty healthcare products, as well as information management solutions and consulting services. Bergen's customers include the nation's healthcare providers (hospitals, nursing homes and physicians), drug stores, manufacturers and patients. Through its subsidiaries, Bergen provides product distribution, logistics, pharmacy management programs, and Internet fulfillment strategies designed to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes across the entire healthcare spectrum.
Except for historical information, all other information set forth in this press release, such as earnings forecasts and earnings rate projections, consists of "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking statements" are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied. Such statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "think," "continue" or the negatives or other variations thereof or other similar terminology. Such risks and uncertainties include the risks described in exhibit 99(a) to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2000 and in other reports and exhibits filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the costs and difficulties related to the integration of acquired businesses, the loss or disruption of one or more key customer or supplier relationships, changes in the distribution outsourcing pattern for pharmaceutical products and/or services, the ability to obtain general financing or financing rates that would be compatible with the Company's business operations, and the costs and other effects of governmental regulation and legal and administrative proceedings. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in the release.
Bergen Brunswig press releases are available on the company's website at www.bergenbrunswig.com