Redwood Unit Dose, Inc. Offers Contract Repackaging for Inpatient Pharmacies that Require Unit Dose Packaging with Bar Codes

Redwood Unit Dose, Inc., offers a contract repackaging service for creating a bar coded, unit dose drug products for facilitate patient safety

Novato, CA -- September 18, 2002 -- Patient safety is becoming a key issue to hospitals and with automation, hospital pharmacies are demanding better accountability through bar coding for drugs given to their patients. Redwood Unit Dose, Inc., is pleased to announce its contract repackaging services for hospital or other long-term care pharmacies.

Redwood Unit Dose, Inc. is a FDA registered drug manufacturer/repackager offering a custom service that will blister pack and bar code customers pharmaceuticals. Each dose is blister packed and printed with all drug information such as drug name, strength, dosage form, lot number
and expiration date with the National Drug Code (NDC) printed in a bar code format.

Recently, the FDA held public meetings to discuss the lack of bar codes on solid, oral doses with the possibility of requiring a bar code on each dose to assist the hospital pharmacy in making sure of the 5 Rs in patient safety: right patient, right drug, right dosage, right time and right route of administration. The current state of bar coded" and unit dosed products from the original manufacturers is slim and industry pundits think that the FDAs mandating of bar codes will drive those manufacturers to stop producing a unit dose, bar coded product.

For further information and to receive a price quote for this special repackaging service, please contact Redwood Unit Dose, Inc. at 415-883-4900 or email kfischer@redwoodunitdose.com.