Automed to Acquire Part of Baxter Productivity Systems
Automed Technologies Inc., Buffalo Grove, IL, a manufacturer of automated medication delivery systems, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of Baxter Healthcare Corp.'s Productivity Systems business located in Round Lake, IL. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Products acquired include Baxter's ATC 212 and ATC Profile, Optifill I, II and QuickScript systems. The ATC systems offer dispensing, packaging and labeling of unit-dose and multi-dose oral solid medications for hospital and long-term care institutional pharmacies. The Optifill systems, designed for outpatient facilities or mail-order pharmacies, fully automate the processing of high-volume, patient-specific prescriptions for oral solid medications. The QuickScript system, which features new dispensing technology, automates the fulfillment of oral solid medications as well as patient unit-of-use products such as inhalers, ointments, etc.
"This acquisition represents another step in the fulfillment of our commitment to provide the broadest offering of pharmacy automation products," says Duane Chudy, president of Automed Technologies. "Baxter's Productivity Systems products allow us to expand our product line and provide an even greater range of powerful tools that deliver improved pharmacy performance with greater efficiencies to every type and size of pharmacy operation."
Automed Technologies' products include the AutoMed FDS System, a high-speed, high-capacity oral solid medication packaging system for pharmacies servicing long-term care facilities as well as retail, mail order and hospitals. The company recently introduced the VersaFill system, a custom-configured system for high-volume institutional pharmacies that enables automatic processing and fulfillment for every kind of prescription, including oral solid and liquid medications, topical prescriptions and various medical supplies. Another new product, the AutoFill system, provides a new approach to integrated prescription fulfillment for hospital pharmacies, utilizing bulk medications and injectables. It eliminates the need to prepackage medications, delivering significant savings on medication purchasing, packaging and labor costs.
For the near future, the acquired portion of Baxter's Productivity Systems operations will continue to be housed within Baxter's facilities in Round Lake, IL, until a new facility can be identified, says Chudy. Chudy also expects little change in employee status at either that facility or at Automed's headquarters in Buffalo Grove, IL.