Healthwise Adds Drug Interaction Checker to the Healthwise(R) Knowledgebase

BOISE, ID -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 17, 2007 -- One way to improve health care quality and to reduce costs is to avoid drug interactions. Healthwise is making that easier for both patient and for the health organizations that serve them. The new Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker can be added to the Healthwise Knowledgebase and provides information about potential duplications and interactions of multiple prescription and over-the-counter medications with foods, herbal supplements, and vitamins -- all at the same time and in one easy-to-understand report.

People may find the Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker easier to use and understand than many other drug checkers, because this new tool uses plain language. People can quickly and clearly understand how two or more drugs might not work well together. Most drug checkers target clinicians and provide the information in medical terms that are unfamiliar to the average person.

"Avoiding drug interactions can save money, time, and lives," said Donald Kemper, MPH, Healthwise founder and CEO. "The Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker makes it easy for people to work with their doctors to prevent medication errors and avoid dangerous combinations."

Health plans, physicians, hospitals, disease management companies, and other organizations can add the Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker as an option to the Healthwise Knowledgebase. Healthwise hosts, manages, and updates the content of the Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker, making it easy for organizations to provide it to the people they serve.

The Healthwise Drug Interaction Checker is an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand tool that can help people safely use medications, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs. When the Healthwise Knowledgebase includes the Drug Interaction Checker, people have a one-stop resource to help them make better decisions about their health and their medications.

About Healthwise

Healthwise is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Nearly 90 million times a year, people turn to Healthwise information to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say "no" to the care they don't need. Healthwise partners with health plans, hospitals, disease management companies, and health Web sites to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the people they serve. To learn more about the Healthwise Information Therapy (Ix®) Solution, visit www.healthwise.org or call 1.800.706.9646.

Contact Information: Healthwise Contact: Brenda Foster Phone: 208.331.6963 E-mail: Email Contact