EANS-News: CompuGROUP Holding AG
A new court ruling regarding the free
provision of prescription drug data bases threatens to be a future financial
burden to physicians.
Koblenz (euro adhoc) -
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Martinsried / München, April 16, 2009 - after an oral hearing, the Landgericht München (Munich District Court) today reported that it views the free provision of prescription drug data bases that were financed by advertising to private practice physicians as posing a risk of improper influence on the medical profession. However, it is unclear if and when this ruling, which to date has not yet been issued in writing, will be legally binding. This unexpected ruling could lead to an increased financial burden on physicians.
The underlying reason for the decision of the Munich District Court was a complaint by the chairman of the ePrax AG, Wolfgang Scholz. In this complaint, Mr. Scholz doubted the legality of the practice of making a prescription drug data base that is financed with advertising by the pharmaceutical industry, available free of charge to private practice physicians. The ruling from Munich was a surprise, since there is no dispute regarding the quality or type of present advertising; the court solely takes issue with the fact that physicians are able to receive the data free of charge.
"Ultimately, this can consequently affect other areas as well, such as currently free continued education", comments Mr. Jochen Brüggemann, ifap's managing director. Therefore, until the ruling is legally or temporarily in effect, ifap will continue their tried and true procedure of free distribution of their prescription drug data base to private practice physicians.
With regard to potential consequences of the ruling, Mr. Brüggemann stated: "At this time, we are unable to assess to what extent this ruling may end up to be a financial burden to our users, but I see a real risk that in the future the use of prescription drug data, which the physicians must utilize every day, will become more expensive. But even in the event of a potential new financing model for services provided by ifap, we will always be a reliable, competent and fair partner for the German Medical Profession with regard to prescription drug data and the safety of prescription drug therapy. "
About ifap Service-Institut für Ärzte und Apotheker GmbH: ifap Service-Institut für Ärzte und Apotheker GmbH is a fully owned subsidiary of CompuGROUP Holding AG. ifap is one of the leading providers of digital drug and therapy databases in Germany. Since foundation in December 1990 ifap has specialized on the development of digital media for prescription management, CPOE (computerized physician order entry system), DSS (decision support system) and the safety of medical therapy. Using its intelligent drug databases, ifap provides complete, comprehensive and reliable up-to-date medical information for every player in the health care system. More than 80,000 office physicians and more than 900 clinics in Germany rely on ifap's drug and therapy databases.
About CompuGROUP Holding AG: CompuGROUP is one of the leading e-health companies in the world. Its software products designed to support medical and organizational activities in physicians' surgeries and hospitals, its information services for all parties involved in the health sector and its Web-based personal medical files contribute to the development of a more reliable and efficient health service system. The basis for the services offered by CompuGROUP is an unparalleled customer base comprising some 326,000 physicians, dentists, hospitals and networks, as well as other service providers. CompuGROUP is the e-health company with the widest global reach among service providers. The firm operates in 14 European countries, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the U.S. and currently employs roughly 2,700 people.
end of announcement euro adhoc
Further inquiry note:
ifap Service-Institut für Ärzte und Apotheker GmbH
Dr. Christian Bruer
Einsteinstraße 39 a
82152 Martinsried/ München
Tel: 089 /89744-420
bruer@ifap.de
Branche: Software
ISIN: DE0005437305
WKN: 543730
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