| Bill Adams wins 2008 Manning Innovation Award |
| Posted at : 19 Sep 2008 |
Smart Sampling Closes Loophole in "Seamless" Healthcare
Nova Scotian Wins Manning Innovation Award for New Drug Sampling Method
Calgary, AB (September 19, 2008) Nova Scotian entrepreneur William Adams has won a $10,000 Manning Innovation Award, sponsored by the A. J. Child Foundation, for developing a safer, more efficient way to distribute drug samples. SmartSample® (US and Canadian patents pending) replaces traditional pharmaceutical samples with a specialized prescription that physicians can endorse and give to patients. Patients can use the prescription to receive free samples from any pharmacy in Canada from its regular supply of medications.
A practice dating back to the 1920s, sampling is the pharmaceutical industry''s primary marketing tool. Sampling has an important role in the healthcare system because it allows physicians and patients to evaluate drug therapies at no cost. But as traditionally practised, says Adams, sampling is wasteful, incompatible with electronic health records, and has the potential to compromise patient safety.
Bringing the pharmacist into the loop to check for drug-drug interactions and talk with the patient bridges the gap in continuity of care, Adams adds.
Adams developed his idea for a branded SmartSample® with business partners Paul Tobin and Greg Patey. Slightly larger than a credit card, SmartSample® has the sampled product information clearly displayed on one side and a section for physician authorization on the other. Once it is signed, the SmartSample® becomes a valid prescription that the patient can bring to the pharmacy of their choice for a free sample of the medication. An electronic reporting system keeps track of the distributed samples.
SmartSample® and the other SmartTechnology™ products are produced by Sampling Technologies Incorporated (STI), of which Adams, Tobin, and Patey are managing partners. Eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in Canada now use STI SmartTechnology™ for various products. |
|
