ATLANTA, GA, June 30, 2005 -- McKesson Provider Technologies President Pamela J. Pure today called on Congress to support widespread adoption of bedside bar-code scanning, electronic prescriptions and secure Web-based access to patient information for authorized clinicians. In testimony before the Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Pure emphasized the value of these high-impact healthcare technologies in saving lives and saving money. "Adoption rates must increase significantly to fully realize the benefits of technology available today," she stated. Pure also stressed the importance of the concurrent public-private partnership to adopt standards and promote system interoperability for sharing medical information among healthcare providers, patients and public health agencies in a safe, secure manner.

"Technology is not the inhibitor of change; it is available and working today," said Pure. "It is intolerable that people die every day from medication errors that could be prevented with bar-code technology, a technology that's used in every major retail outlet in this country. However, less than 20 percent of hospitals use bar codes to verify the administration of patient medications."

Bedside bar-code scanning of medications is one of three "high-impact" technologies advocated by Pure because of their proven benefits in making healthcare safer. Other technologies include e-prescribing and secure Web-based access to patient information. "Most healthcare is delivered in a paper-based world," said Pure. "As a result, it's not uncommon for decisions to be made without the benefit of the patient chart. With information available electronically, the chart is always available, and physicians have all the information they need to make more informed decisions to initiate or adjust treatment."

"Developing standards and promoting interoperability are also critical to electronically linking healthcare systems and information," said Pure. To that end, McKesson has supported Dr. David Brailer's Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in its efforts to create a foundation for healthcare transformation. McKesson is also a member of the Commission for the Certification of Health Information Technology, a collaborative public-private partnership to develop standards and certify health information technology systems.

To narrow the adoption gap and ensure that the benefits of health IT are available to all Americans, capital funding issues must be addressed. Pure recommended several options, including the creation of Government Sponsored Entities, which would provide guaranteed loans for healthcare providers to purchase, adopt, and implement health IT solutions that are focused on error elimination and safety. These could be offered in combination with pay-for-performance initiatives that reward providers for the quality of healthcare delivered rather than for services rendered.

"If we focus on healthcare IT adoption and interoperability simultaneously, McKesson strongly believes that this Congress and this Administration will be able to deliver visible and measurable results with a lasting impact on the quality of healthcare for the American public," said Pure. "As a nation, we have both the will and the means to transform healthcare for the better. This will be a remarkable legacy, and one we should act on today."

For the full text of Pure's testimony, please visit: http://www.commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=1563 or www.mckesson.com.

About McKesson

A 172-year old company, McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) is a Fortune 15 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson provides pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare, and payers; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payers designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, call 800-981-8601 or visit www.mckesson.com.

Paul Adams, 404-338-3414 (Public Relations)
paul.adams@mckesson.com