PRISYM ID and Codonics Inc. Announce Initiative to Increase Patient Safety in UK Operating Theatres with Safe Labelling System

WOKINGHAM, England, October 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Safer, Faster and Smarter Medication Labelling Anywhere Syringes Are Prepared

PRISYM ID Limited, a leading provider of labelling and identification solutions, announced today a sole distribution agreement for England, Wales and Scotland with Codonics to supply a safe labelling system - the Codonics Safe Label System SLS 500i - to healthcare organizations. An innovative syringe labelling system designed for the perioperative environment, the Safe Label System automates the workflow so that compliant labels are printed while the syringe is being prepared.

The preparation of IV medications is a highly complex process, involving many steps where errors may occur. Problems in preparing and administering injectable medicines account for 62 percent of all medication safety incidents reported to the UK's National Reporting and Learning Service (NRLS) as leading to death or severe harm*.

The SLS 500i (designed and manufactured in the USA) was developed by Massachusetts General Hospital anaesthesiologists to prevent intravenous medication errors via barcode assisted medication labelling. The barcode assisted syringe labelling technology scans drug vial barcodes, and prints a full-colour label containing labelling data elements recommended by a joint initiative by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, the Intercollegiate Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine and the Intensive Care Society.

The SLS 500i provides critical safety features including audio and visual feedback for a closed-loop process. Additional safety features include site configurable formulary database of drugs, and rules-based calculation of expiration and other labelling information. The system also features a built-in computer with a user-friendly touch screen interface, barcode reader and label printer.

Stephen Larder, General Manager, UK Division, PRISYM ID commented, "We are thrilled about the distribution agreement with Codonics. As experts within the life sciences and healthcare labelling market, we see this as a natural step to making drug delivery in hospitals safer and more cost efficient. The estimated rate of drug errors is reported to be around one error in every 133 anaesthetics**, a figure that must be changed. With the SLS 500i, patients will be treated with the right drug, the right dose and with the assurance that the product has not been incorrectly labelled or recalled."

* NRLS, Safety in Doses, 2009

** From Medication errors: can we prevent them? Br. J. Anaesth. 2011

About Codonics

Codonics Inc., headquartered in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, designs, manufactures, sells and supports medical imaging and information management devices. A global leader in image documentation solutions, Codonics products are widely used in hospitals, imaging centers, mobile applications, and government facilities with tens of thousands of installations worldwide. http://www.codonics.com

About PRISYM ID

PRISYM ID design labeling software for organizations that need complete product auto-identification & lifecycle traceability. PRISYM supply labelling software, hardware and consumables for markets including life sciences, healthcare, chemical, automotive & industrial manufacturing. http://www.prisymid.com

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