Becton, Dickinson and Company’s (BDX) BD Intelliport Medication Management System has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device is the first-of-its-kind medication management solution for manual IV bolus injections.
Following an approval from the federal agency, Becton, Dickinson aims to make the system commercially available starting spring 2015.
The Intelliport System provides real-time drug identification, dose measurement and allergy detection at the point of injection. The system also has an automatic documentation feature which allows wireless transfer of medication administration information on drug, dose and time directly into a patient's Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
With the receipt of the FDA clearance, the company intends to offer healthcare workers advanced, smart-injection-site functionality and access to medication administration information at the point-of-care. The system’s automated feature may also help reduce manual documentation efforts and errors thereby improving accuracy.
We believe that the Intelliport System has the potential to both improve patient care by ensuring medication safety and also smoothing the documentation workflow. With an FDA clearance of the same, Becton, Dickinson has taken a significant step toward enhancing patient safety.
Apart from the Intelliport System, Becton, Dickinson’s BD Cato IV Workflow Solution is also an integrated software system that streamlines hospital pharmacy medication preparation by minimizing the probability of dose and drug errors in real time. It streamlines the pharmacy workflow through standardization of processes and also provides automated documentation.
Notably, Becton, Dickinson announced a collaboration with Atheon Inc. last month to combine its BD Cato IV Workflow product with the latter’s MedEx medication delivery tracking system. By integrating their solutions, the companies seek to provide hospital pharmacies with a comprehensive intravenous medication preparation and delivery tracking solution.
Currently, Becton, Dickinson is in the process of acquiring San Diego-based CareFusion Corporation (CFN) for roughly $12.2 billion in a stock and cash transaction. A successful integration of the companies’ complementary product portfolios and technologies will enable them to offer a full range of medical products and more cost-effective care.
The deal, which is expected to close in the first half of 2015, represents yet another advance made by Becton, Dickinson to deliver end-to-end solutions that increase efficiencies, reduce medication errors and improve patient safety in both hospitals and pharmacies.
However, Becton, Dickinson continues to be challenged by the downside in demand for health care products. The company also faces a wide range of competitors in each of its three business segments. In addition, the entry of manufacturers located in China and other low-cost manufacturing locations are creating increased pricing pressure, particularly in developing markets.
Currently, Becton, Dickinson carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Bio-Reference laboratories (BRLI) and Halyard Health (HYH) are two better-ranked stocks in the medical/dental supply industry, both of which sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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