Varian oncology software scores high in U.K. benchmarking exercise

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, July 5 - Varian Medical Systems' medical oncology software for integrated chemotherapy e-prescribing and pharmacy dispensing has performed strongly against rival systems after being benchmarked against a national specification by the U.K.'s National Health Service.

The benchmarking exercise was carried out by the e-prescribing team from the National Health Service in conjunction with the National Cancer Action Team with a close look taken at the medical oncology software systems of several suppliers.

"The Varian MedOncology system demonstrated the second highest level of functionality during the exercise but has now developed even further," Steve Laws, Varian's medical oncology sales manager, said in the release.

Due to the potential benefits of electronic chemotherapy prescribing, a capital sum has been made available for United Kingdom health trusts to bid against. Trusts can now put together business cases for software-based electronic chemotherapy prescribing solutions at their oncology departments, officials said.

The business case must be submitted by September and capital funding will be released in early October.

Installations need to be underway by March 2007, officials said.

Varian's VARiS MedOncology system is designed to improve patient care and departmental efficiency by fully integrating the prescribing, preparation, dispensing and administration of drugs. It significantly reduces the risk of human error, officials said.

Varian's medical oncology solution is already in place in a number of U.K. hospitals including London, Norwich, Stoke, Carlisle, Redhill, Truro and Romford.

Since the benchmarking exercise was undertaken, Varian said it has announced a more advanced oncology information system called ARIA, which contains many new features including a number specifically targeted at the U.K. market.

Varian is a Palo Alto, Calif., manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer and neurological conditions.

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