Visual verification of prescription and over-the-counter medications and products is a powerful tool for pharmacists who want to protect their patients from the medication errors that harm more than 1.5 million Americans each year. That is especially true for the 33 percent of errors blamed by the Medication Error Reporting Program on labeling and packaging issues and the 25 percent caused by confusion over similar drug names.

The solution is Gold Standard’s Alchemy Drug Image File, an extensive collection of high resolution, full color digital images for prescription and OTC products.

The Alchemy Drug Image File includes photographs of oral, solid dosage drug forms such as tablets and capsules, non-drug items such as syringes and drug packaging as it appears on the pharmacy shelf. Images can be displayed on computer monitors, or printed in color or black and white to enable pharmacists to make visual drug confirmations before dispensing.

In addition to reducing dangerous medication errors during dispensing and administration, the Alchemy Drug Image File helps pharmacists meet patient education requirements and promotes provider-patient counseling. Further, by providing access to drug images on their consumer websites or via printed handouts, pharmacies can reinforce compliance and safety by giving patients easy, convenient access to tools for identifying their medications.

A key advantage of the Alchemy Drug Image File is that changes in a drug’s appearance, which can occur with or without an NDC change, are tracked from version to version to ensure pharmacists can always identify the product being dispensed – regardless of the number of active version they may have in stock.

Drug images are presented in high resolution JPEG format and each is categorized as a drug item, a non-drug item or a package. Pharmacists can search by image ID or type, formatted NDC, or product name for quick and precise drug identification. An incremental log file also tracks added and deleted images with each update, eliminating the need for manual tracking.

The Alchemy Drug Image File is also simple to install, easy to use and exportable for integration into applications and systems.  The file updates automatically via a web service that requires no end user programming; updates can be scheduled as often as desired to fit the user’s unique needs. 

For more information on the Alchemy Drug Image File, please call (800) 375-0943 or visit www.alchemyrx.com/DrugImageFile.htm.

About Gold Standard

Based in Tampa, Fla., Gold Standard is a leading developer of drug information databases, software and clinical information solutions. The Company’s products are developed by a staff of highly trained professionals with extensive experience in pharmacy practice, electronic publishing and software development. Customers include more than 1,000 hospitals, the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chains and consultant pharmacy organizations, state and federal agencies, the country’s top pharmacy and medical schools, leading health information websites, and hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals and consumers worldwide. Gold Standard’s parent company, Elsevier (www.elsevier.com), is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services with more than 7,000 employees in over 70 offices across 24 countries. To learn more about Gold Standard, visit www.goldstandard.com or call (800) 375-0943.