Technology Innovator Awards 2017

66 Corporate Vision / Technology Innovator Awards 2017 , alerts, vital drug summaries, and a suite of off-label prescribing tools for healthcare providers, and we will continue to innovate and adapt as we look forward to a bright and exciting future.” Contact: Tamera Venzke Contact Email: [email protected] Web Address: gotopills.com GoToPills is an innovative service that helps patients and healthcare providers reduce the health and liability risks associated with off-label medications. We caught up with Co- Founder and CEO Tamera Venzke to find out more about this vital solution and the secrets behind its success. Best Off-Label Medication Information Resource 2017 GoToPills is ground breaking healthcare technology that increases patient safety and decreases liability risks for healthcare providers by delivering off-label alerts when a medication is “off- label” (meaning not approved by the FDA for the prescribed reason, age, gender, or duration). Tamera outlines how she came to create this unique service thanks to her own personal experience. “I was inspired to create GoToPills after a client came to my office suffering from kidney damage after taking a prescription drug for migraines. However, the medication was only government-approved for seizures. “My research revealed that that once a prescription medication receives governmental approval for a particular reason, age, duration, and gender it can be legally prescribed by a doctor for a completely different application or patient population that has not been tested for safety or efficacy. These drugs are called off-label and they comprise almost 80% of prescribed medications and there is no requirement that you be informed that the medication you or a family member is taking is off-label. “The health and liability risks associated with off-label drugs are substantial. Since 2009 over 14 billion dollars have been paid in off-label drug settlements and that number is growing. By prescribing and dispensing off-label drugs physicians and pharmacists open themselves to liability and patients taking these drugs become test subjects without their knowledge or consent. In many cases off-label medications can be beneficial however it is the lack of information that is the problem. “Our solution revolves around the fact that since off-label drugs are not government-approved, drug companies are not required to disclose off-label information in their prescribing materials. With GoToPills this vital information is instantly provided to end users eliminating countless hours of research. Knowing whether or not a drug is off-label and whether or not there are emerging injuries, complaints, or litigation are crucial pieces of information for patients and healthcare providers. GoToPills delivers this crucial information in a concise, easy-to-read format. Armed with this knowledge, patients can truly make informed choices about their medication options. GoToPills’ instant off-label alerts, vital drug summaries, and prescribing tools for physicians are designed to reduce the risk of the growing number of injuries and lawsuits associated with off-label drugs. Consumers can use GoToPills on the web or use the free apps for iPhone and Android. Using the off-label checker you will know within seconds if the medication you or family member is taking is off-label that is powerful information to have at your fingertips.” Currently the off-label information market is in its infancy and only GoToPills provides off-label alerts, vital drug summaries, and a suite of off-label prescribing tools for healthcare providers. In her concluding comments Tamera discusses the developments she believes will help make this fledgling market an even greater success going forward. “Looking ahead, physicians and pharmacists must be knowledgeable about the medication they prescribe and dispense. Sounds simplistic but with off-label drugs physicians and pharmacists lack the critical information that is provided for drugs with government- approved uses. Since warnings are not required with off-label use, patients are often unaware of the off-label status of their medication. Despite the fact off-label prescribing is increasing there is a surprising lack of off-label information easily available to healthcare providers and patients and GoToPills was created to fill this information gap. “Overall, the off-label information market is in its infancy and only GoToPills provides off-label