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California’s biomedical industry has grown significantly in recent years and is one of the biggest employers in the state and the second-largest contributor to its high-technology economy, according to new research. The research was performed by the California Healthcare Institute and…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance has announced that 12 software vendors are seeking certification for its Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) program. HEDIS uses automated testing to validate software designed to sift through health plan databases, collect…
AssurX Inc. recently released CATSWeb Complaints Management & Regulatory Reporting System, its next-generation suite for the medical device manufacturing industry. A comprehensive solution, CATSWeb Complaints Management & Regulatory Reporting features solutions for business-…
LaBarge Inc., an electronics manufacturer for regulated technology organizations, recently achieved registration to ISO 13485. The certification was issued to the company’s Pittsburgh manufacturing facility, which is also registered to ISO 9001. The new registration to ISO 13485 will…
An upcoming regulatory affairs conference will be held in Paris with focus on current registration procedures in the European pharmaceutical market. Key topics to be discussed at the event include centralized and decentralized procedures, mutual-recognition procedures, business-opportunity…
An upcoming seminar will introduce basic statistical concepts fundamental to clinical research for professionals who don’t have a lot of statistical experience. “Clinical Statistics for Nonstatisticians” will be held Oct. 16–17 at the Renaissance Prague Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic;…
Kevin Sharer recently became the chairman of the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Sharer is chairman and CEO of Amgen Inc. He replaces Peter R. Dolan as PhRMA chairman, who recently resigned from the position. Sharer will be responsible for leading and…
National Quality Assurance USA Inc. recently received accreditation to ISO 13485 from ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). ISO 13485 relates to requirements for the production of medical devices and related services. It’s based on the more generalized quality management…
Lower premiums, lower out-of-pocket costs and a wider selection of prescription drugs were key features of plans chosen by most Medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in Medicare’s new prescription drug plan in 2006, according to a study released by the Pharmaceutical Research and…
Kloehn Co. recently selected Infor’s Enterprise Reporting Program (ERP) Visual Enterprise and Visual Quality to help improve the efficiency of its manufacturing processes. Kloehn, a custom designer of fluidic components and assemblies for biomedical manufacturers, reports that its rapid…
Dennis Goldberg was recently appointed CEO of Transport Pharmaceuticals Inc., a provider of drugs and medical devices for the topical treatment of dermatological conditions. Goldberg has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and he was most recently…
Nonin Medical Inc. recently acquired MedAir AB, a Swedish medical-technology company. MedAir specializes in developing and manufacturing optical equipment for medical-gas analysis, and the purchase will enable Nonin to broaden its products and services to include carbon dioxide monitoring.…
CVS/pharmacy recently donated $2.1 million to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Therapy Alliance in support of new research initiatives into the disease. CVS—the largest retail pharmacy chain in the U.S.—raised the money through a customer-donation campaign held in stores during June. Since the…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently added new requirements for health plans seeking accreditation to its Quality Plus program. The change becomes effective in 2007.Candidate health plans will have to demonstrate that they provide their members with information to help…
Leading quality professionals can learn how to achieve management buy-in, bring about organizational harmony, identify best strategies for implementation while maintaining compliance, and integrate benchmarking and metrics into lean Six Sigma initiatives at the International Quality and…
The increasing use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in clinical processes such as admissions and discharge, drug administration, surgical procedure control, and patient monitoring is the focus of a new ChainLink Research study. Clinical settings are a high-payback opportunity for…
WellPoint Inc., one of the nation’s largest health benefits provider, recently launched "360 Health," a public outreach program that addresses preventive care, health improvement and care coordination. "360 Health" is the industry’s first program to integrate all care-management…
In an effort to help Americans in the fight against heart disease, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America recently launched a multimedia national health education campaign. The effort stresses the importance of Americans consulting with their health care providers, as…
Authorized generic drugs can lead to lower medicine prices and overall savings to the health care system, according to a new study commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and prepared by IMS Consulting. An authorized generic is a drug that is distributed by…
CIGNA HealthCare Corp. recently launched a lab that will develop integrated Six Sigma-level end-to-end service for its medical, dental, pharmaceutical and behavioral health plan participants. The "Innovation Lab" will be staffed with 100 specially trained consumer advisers representing…
Parsec Automation Corp. has enhanced the 4.04 version of its TrackSYS software to better serve pharmaceutical and medical device–industry users. The company reports that many pharmaceutical and medical-device makers believe that their plants have an operating efficiency in the 60-70 percent range,…
Veriteq Instruments Inc. recently released the enterprise version it its viewLinc monitoring and alarming software. viewLinc Enterprise is designed for applications demanding immediate notice of out-of-compliance environmental conditions. It is a quick method of arranging complete…
Kaiser Permanente recently received the Innovations in Healthcare Award from the Adapted Business Leaders (ABL) organization. The award was given in recognition of Kaiser’s successful use of five health-improvement programs developed by HealthMedia Inc.: HealthMedia Succeed, which…
Stelex University recently provided a training session for the Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicology Research (NCTR) that focused on computer systems validation. Stelex University is Stelex’s professional education and technical training department. Its training…
Microsoft Corp. recently announced the winners of its Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards 2006 competition. The awards were presented at the annual meeting of the Drug Information Association in Philadelphia, and were given to companies that have demonstrated the best use of…
