For Immediate Release

STUDY SHOWS PHYSICIANS WHO USE EPOCRATES HANDHELD CLINICAL DRUG REFERENCE GUIDE ANNUALLY AVOID TWO MILLION MEDICATION ERRORS

November 6, 2000

SAN CARLOS, CA -- Physicians who use ePocrates qRx(TM) handheld clinical drug reference guide may be avoiding more than 2 million adverse drug events each year, according to data extrapolated from a study to be presented today at the American Medical Informatics Association's annual meeting in Los Angeles.

Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, conducted a seven-day, online survey of ePocrates users during March 2000. Physicians were solicited to participate via email and approximately 870 physicians enrolled. Of these, 50 percent indicated that the ePocrates qRx handheld clinical drug reference guide helped them avoid one or more adverse drug events per week.

"One of the most common causes of serious medication errors is a failure to access basic clinical drug knowledge prior to prescribing," said one of the authors of the study, Jeffrey M. Rothschild, M.D., division of general medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "While the information is available somewhere, it's difficult to quickly access, and, at the same time, clinicians are faced with an ever-expanding pharmacology knowledge base, including new medications, dosages, adverse reactions and other prescribing data. Our study demonstrates the value of having a convenient, easy to use system, that helps users avoid medication errors, but also saves time and improves their knowledge," said Dr. Rothschild.

Some of the survey's other significant findings include:

• Over 90% of clinicians surveyed reported that it took them 20 seconds or less to find information using ePocrates qRx
• 80% said that ePocrates qRx improved their drug knowledge
• 83% said that their patients were better informed as a result 54% of patients reported higher levels of satisfaction with their medical care

"What appeals to me most about ePocrates qRx, aside from its usefulness in reducing medication errors, is the system's ease of use and the credibility of the content," said Anne Cummings, M.D., assistant clinical professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine. Dr. Cummings has been using ePocrates qRx for over a year and was one of its original beta testers.

ePocrates qRx, initially launched in November of 1999, is currently being used by over 80,000 physicians and 40,000 other healthcare professionals. ePocrates qRx was initially developed by a distinguished team of more than 35 physicians and pharmacists with a team of over 50 physicians providing ongoing support of the product.

"Our physician users have provided us with a great deal of feedback over the last year, but none is more gratifying than the results of this survey, which demonstrates the value of ePocrates qRx in avoiding medication errors, and the tool's powerful role in potentially saving lives," said John Voris, CEO of ePocrates. "The usefulness of this tool will only increase as more Americans, especially seniors, are receiving a greater number of prescription drugs."

In addition to the qRx clinical drug database, ePocrates will soon offer an antimicrobial treatment guide, formulary decision support tools, and additional transaction-based services, including electronic prescribing. Headquartered in San Carlos, Calif., ePocrates is a privately held company led by President and CEO John Voris, former PCS COO and Eli Lilly veteran. The company was founded in 1998 by Richard Fiedotin, MD and Jeff Tangney and is funded by Sprout Group, Bay City Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, InterWest and Three Arch Partners. For more information, please visit http://www.epocrates.com.

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