Physician IT

Epocrates introduces products for clinicians in Canada

SAN MATEO, Calif. – Epocrates Inc. announced its expansion into the global market with the introduction of local brand and generic drug names integrated into its clinical applications. The company’s mobile solutions, including the Epocrates Rx free drug reference and the Epocrates Essentials premium drug, disease and diagnostic guide, now include drug name indexes for four countries – Canada, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

“Epocrates products have become invaluable to me, with immediate access to current clinical information, such as drug dosing and interactions, on my personal digital assistant. The addition of the local drug content will help me provide even better care for my patients,” said Michael Golbey, family physician, Kelowna, BC.

An Epocrates survey, conducted prior to the launch, found that nearly 90 percent of clinicians currently using Epocrates applications in the four countries believe that using Epocrates has helped them avoid medical errors, and more than 50 percent reported avoiding at least one medical error a week.

Furthermore, nearly 30 reported saving more than 30 minutes per day by using Epocrates, which often translates to more time with their patients. Epocrates anticipates that use of the new customized drug indexes will result in even greater patient safety and efficiency.

“With over 60,000 healthcare professionals outside of the U.S. actively using our products today, we are well on our way to becoming a global company,” said Kirk Loevner, chairman and chief executive office of Epocrates. “We are committed to localizing our products to support clinicians around the world in their pursuit to provide superior patient care. We also look forward to working with international healthcare companies seeking to communicate with our growing network of clinicians.”

The addition of the local drug indexes is Epocrates’ first step towards making its products and services even more valuable to clinicians outside of the United States. Epocrates will continue to enhance its clinical content and add services, including news alerts, medical education and market research. The Company also plans to expand into additional countries, including France and Italy in 2006.

About Epocrates, Inc.
San Mateo, CA-based Epocrates is transforming the practice of medicine by providing innovative clinical solutions at the point of care and deploying leading-edge technologies that enable communication. The company has built a clinical network connecting more than 500,000 healthcare professionals, including one in four U.S. physicians and nearly one in two U.S. medical students, with the healthcare industry. Epocrates’ products have shown a positive impact on patient safety, healthcare efficiency and patient satisfaction. Epocrates was recently ranked 257 in the 24th annual Inc.500 ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. For more information about Epocrates, please visit www.epocrates.com.