BD, Helmer Scientific Collaborate to Introduce First Fully Integrated Refrigerated Automated Dispensing Solution

DENVER, June 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, and Helmer Scientific, a leading provider of integrated solutions to safeguard temperature-sensitive medications, today announced a collaboration to introduce an industry-first, medical-grade refrigerated solution integrated with an automated dispensing system to provide clinicians secure, single line-item access to high-risk and high-value refrigerated medications.

While automated medication dispensing has been an industry norm for decades, there has been a technology gap for the secure, automated dispensing of medications that require refrigeration. Through this exclusive collaboration, BD and Helmer have co-developed a refrigeration and temperature monitoring solution with secure, single line-item access that integrates directly with the BD Pyxis™ MedStation™ ES system, expanding BD's enterprise-wide medication management solutions to include temperature-controlled medications.

The new BD Pyxis™ ES refrigerator with Helmer Access Technology features locked bins for secure individual storage of refrigerated medications with temperature monitoring capabilities. Notifications from the BD Pyxis ES refrigerator will be visible through BD HealthSight™ viewer, the near-real time pharmacy operations dashboard that summarizes and prioritizes key notifications from BD medication management technologies. The new medical-grade refrigerator provides clinicians with secured access to refrigerated medications using the same patient-centered workflow currently available for medications stored at ambient temperatures through the BD Pyxis MedStation ES system, helping to improve medication safety. BD will begin taking orders for the new BD Pyxis ES refrigerator later this year with general availability and implementations expected in early 2019.

"With the expanded ability to securely store some of the most clinically necessary medications, BD can now provide a more comprehensive automated dispensing solution for all medications," said Jason Strohm, worldwide vice president and general manager of Dispensing and Preparation Technologies for BD. "As part of our purpose of advancing the world of health, we strive to provide health care workers with the solutions required to provide timely and safe care to their patients. Through this partnership, we are delivering a solution that will help our customers increase availability of refrigerated medications at the point-of-care with the goal of also helping to reduce waste and mitigate the risk of drug diversion."

The BD Pyxis ES refrigerator with Helmer Access Technology features precise temperature management and secure locking bins that unlock when accessed via the BD Pyxis MedStation ES system. This system innovates delivery of care by improving clinical workflow efficiency and standardization around removal of refrigerated medications at the point of use:

• Supports medication safety by properly securing and storing refrigerated medications and improving medication availability
• Helps prevent diversion and its associated risk to medication safety and patient care
• Ensures sensitive and expensive medications and vaccines are stored at appropriate temperature conditions to help improve safety and address regulatory risks

Bruce King, CEO of Helmer Scientific said, "Helmer Access Technology pairs our expertise in medical-grade refrigeration with our capabilities in software and device integration. We are proud to partner with BD to combine this technology with their leading BD Pyxis dispensing solutions to solve an unmet and important need in health care. Together, we can help health systems more effectively manage refrigerated medications and ultimately improve safety, quality and cost."

The new BD Pyxis ES refrigerator will be showcased for the first time during the 2018 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Summer Meeting, taking place June 2-6 in Denver. To experience BD's enterprise-wide medication management solutions including the new BD Pyxis ES refrigerator, visit BD booth #505 throughout the ASHP Summer Meeting. For more information, please visit www.bd.com or follow the BD Twitter handle @BDandCo for news alerts and company updates.

About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help improve patient outcomes, improve the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to better diagnose disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. In 2017, BD welcomed C. R. Bard and its products into the BD family. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.

About Helmer Scientific
Helmer Scientific provides integrated solutions for safeguarding temperature-sensitive medications, blood therapies, and biologics. Helmer serves healthcare customers in more than 130 countries from its US headquarters, which also houses its R&D center and advanced FDA GMP manufacturing operations. Helmer Access Technology integrates temperature-controlled devices and secure-access bin technology, enabling interoperability with partner workflows.

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)