Drugmakers Seek New Routes via Consumer Technology

Nintendo Co. and Apple Inc. are helping drugmakers find new ways to get their products to customers as health-policy changes and new technologies force them to move beyond traditional marketing methods, audit firm Ernst & Young said in a report today.

Bayer AG, Germany’s biggest pharmaceutical company, has hooked its Didget glucometer to Nintendo’s video-gaming devices to encourage children with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar regularly. Johnson & Johnson is working with Apple to create an iPhone application that allows patients to upload and share their glucometer data.

Once again, another great opportunity for informatics pharmacists - and other clinicians - to help meet the needs of industry while making sure these types of projects are beneficial to unmet patient needs.