Pfizer and Epocrates Partner to Give Healthcare Providers Access to Medical Information Specialists for Medication Questions
New feature provides two-way communication at point of care.
New York, June 2, 2010 — Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Epocrates, Inc., announced a collaboration to give healthcare providers (HCPs) mobile access to the Pfizer Medical Information Group to obtain scientific answers to their product questions or to report an adverse event. For the first time, clinicians can make direct contact through the Epocrates drug reference app on their iPhone® device to pharmaceutical manufacturers and immediately apply findings to patient care. Pfizer is enabling easy, direct access to its Medical Information services, via the Epocrates channel, in an effort to enhance the safe and effective use of its medicines, and help improve the quality of patient care.
“Contact Pfizer” is now a feature available in the Epocrates drug profiles of approximately 40 Pfizer products. By providing easy access directly to the manufacturer, this feature provides Epocrates’ users the option for immediate phone access to Pfizer Medical Information specialists to obtain scientific information about the company’s medications and report adverse reactions. Additionally, healthcare providers will soon have the option to email Pfizer Medical Information for select Pfizer products.
“Healthcare providers have told us they would like direct access to our medical specialists so they can communicate with us in an open, unbiased manner,” said Freda C. Lewis-Hall, M.D., FAPA, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Pfizer. “They expect rapid and tailored scientific responses to their medical questions about our drugs. Our hope is that the introduction of this new and innovative feature on Epocrates enables doctors and other providers to enhance the care they can provide to their patients using Pfizer medicines.”
According to Manhattan Research, 72 percent of doctors currently own smartphones; a number that is expected to increase to four out of five doctors by 2012. One of their primary uses is to look up prescription drug information at the point of patient care. Epocrates is the leader in the mobile drug reference and decision support space. More than 950,000 healthcare professionals, including more than 40 percent of U.S. physicians, actively use Epocrates products, commonly on mobile devices such as iPhone, BlackBerry®, Android™ and Palm®.
“Epocrates is committed to providing healthcare providers with the resources they need to make the best clinical decisions for their patients at the point of care,” said Rose Crane, chief executive officer at Epocrates. “It is at this ‘moment of truth’ physicians may have a question only the manufacturer can answer. We are the only company in a position to facilitate that direct link, and significantly advance communication between a manufacturer such as Pfizer and our strong network of HCPs.”
The “Contact Manufacturer” feature is initially available to iPhone and iPod touch® device users of the Epocrates application, which includes more than 150,000, or nearly 25 percent, of U.S. doctors. Epocrates will work to expand the feature to other mobile platforms as its impact on patient care is demonstrated.
As the first company to utilize “Contact Manufacturer,” Pfizer helped support the concept and design to ensure the tool was developed to optimally manage physician queries.
About Epocrates, Inc.
Epocrates is a leading provider of clinical information and decision support tools to healthcare professionals. Epocrates currently has more than 950,000 healthcare professionals, including 40 percent of U.S. physicians and medical students, in its active network. The company’s clinical products and services enable healthcare professionals to make more informed medical decisions, reduce medical errors and practice more efficiently. For more information about Epocrates, visit www.epocrates.com/company.
Pfizer Inc: Working together for a healthier world™
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world’s leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more about our commitments, visit www.pfizer.com.