Wolters Kluwer Health Beefs Up Its Industry-Leading Pharmacogenomics Content throughout Drug Information Solutions
OHIO, HUDSON — (May 19, 2014) — Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that it is enhancing its industry-leading pharmacogenomics content across its clinical drug information solutions. This greater depth of pharmacogenomics content is now included in the databases and application programming interfaces (APIs) of Wolters Kluwer Health’s embedded drug data solution, Medi-Span®, and is accessible through its premier online and mobile drug references, Lexicomp® Online™ and Lexicomp Mobile Apps.
Drug information monographs within Lexicomp Online and Mobile Apps now include three new fields of information on pharmacogenomics, or the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs. The new fields examine whether gene testing is required, recommended or to be considered for a specific drug therapy. Reference links within the monographs allow users to instantly access more detailed content from the in-depth Lexicomp proprietary pharmacogenomics database. Medi-Span incorporates the same information into its drug and disease contraindications screening functions, providing clinicians with alerts when a prescribed medication may be affected by a patient’s genetic variation. Enabling the addition of pharmacogenomic information in the electronic health record during order entry can improve patient safety by preventing adverse drug events.
A recent study[1] in the Journal of the Medical Library Association on the availability of pharmacogenomics in drug information resources ranked Lexicomp as the “strongest” resource and the only one with a dedicated pharmacogenomics section. “But we have no intention of resting on our laurels,” stated Steven Kerscher, Vice President & General Manager, Clinical Drug Information, Wolters Kluwer Health, Clinical Solutions. “Pharmacogenomics is a developing field of study that will only increase in importance as we grow our understanding of its potential to guide tailored drug therapies to improve patient outcomes. Wolters Kluwer Health is dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals with the most current proven pharmacogenomics information to help advance their knowledge and ability to provide cutting-edge patient care.”
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries worldwide, clinicians rely on Wolters Kluwer Health’s market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions throughout their professional careers from training to research to practice. Major brands include Health Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Medicom®, Medi-Span®, Medknow, Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®, ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.
Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2013 annual revenues of €3.6 billion (US$4.7 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.[1] Vaughan, K.T.L, MSLS, AHIP, et al. “An evaluation of pharmacogenomics information provided by five common drug information resources.” J Med Lib Assoc, January 2014; 102(1).