PDX, NHIN, and their affiliated companies were founded on a strong belief in the importance and value of Pharmacy in the lives and health of patients.

History

The National Health Systems (NHS) commitment to Pharmacy goes back to the introduction of the first pharmacy system on the IBM PC—the pc I Pharmacy System. Founded in 1983 by Ken Hill, R.Ph., pc I professional systems Pharmacy System was created to provide basic prescription filling and clinical tasks while solving chain pharmacies' communication dilemma. Today, pc I continues to serve over 450 independent pharmacies.

Established in 1985, PDX, Inc. has continued to build on this commitment to Pharmacy and patient care. PDX—whose name has become synonymous with excellence in pharmacy software technology—addressed the requirements of high volume prescription filling and the pressing demands of third party processing. Along with its counterpart, the PDX Host System, the PDX Pharmacy System ensured that the third party requirements of chain clients were in place alongside the essential clinical tasks.

Sixty pharmacy chains—including drug stores, supermarkets, and mass merchants—and more than 350 independent pharmacies in the United States, representing over 10,000 stores, use PDX software to fill, bill, and track prescriptions. PDX also serves two major Canadian pharmacy chains who use the PDX Pharmacy System in over 250 stores.

Realizing Pharmacy's need for standardized data, National Health Information Network (NHIN) was started in 1991. NHIN provides its customers with up-to-date and standardized drug file and third party plan information. NHIN has also become an industry leader in submission and reconciliation service, keeping its customers well below the national average in receivable. NHIN is currently working with over 300 processors and processing over 10 million claims a month, with a 99.7% payment rate.

In 1995, NHS began designing and built a standard for e–prescriptions, later releasing it to NCPDP. This standard later became known as Script Version 1. NHS released the product in 1995 and installed it in certain Florida independent and chain pharmacies, but the uptake by physicians was so slow that the product was shelved after 18 months. PDX customers, however, continued to have the ability to accept e–scripts, and the knowledge NHS gained would prove helpful in later system development.

During Chain Link 1995, NHS introduced a prototype of an Internet web–engine. Because customers indicated that NHS was considerably ahead of the curve on that product, development was halted. But eventually, electronic retailers like DrugStore.com, Rx.com, and many others made inroads into the retail pharmacy and healthcare markets. NHS would later resume its development of web-based pharmacy as a key component of its technologies.

Introduced in 1998, NHIN's disease management software Care Rx enabled pharmacies to promote complete healthcare through a collaborative effort between the patient, pharmacist, and physician. Based not only on drug therapy but also total lifestyle choices, Care Rx provides pharmacists with a sophisticated, yet intuitive way to help patients manage their diseases. This holistic approach improves patient care through increased persistency and compliance, as well as total healthcare education.

During one of its busiest years ever—1999—NHS introduced a web engine that pharmacies could use to compete in the online prescription business. The web engine was first installed by an independent pharmacy in West Texas and was later rolled out by other independents and chains such as Wegman's, Winn–Dixie, Froedtert, and Hadfields. Currently, over 800 stores use this e–Pharmacy technology which remains a key component of the NHS strategy.

In 1999, NHS introduced its version of Central Fill, which was installed by Bergen and California–based Longs Drug Stores at a site that soon began filling up to 15,000 prescriptions a day. Subsequently, Giant Eagle installed Central Fill in Pennsylvania and saw tremendous results.

The year 1999 also brought about the initial design for Workflow technology integrated with the PDX Pharmacy System. As PDX customers began to look at and respond to the technology, the evolutionary process of Workflow design escalated.

Also in 1999, NHS began building the framework for its next generation pharmacy system. Over the next two years, development of Workflow technology continued along with the construction of the next generation pharmacy system.

2001 saw the introduction of eRx Network, a new company founded by NHS and the Lyle family. After developing a completely new architecture, eRx was able to perform load-balancing across two geographically separate co-location facility in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. eRx began with a third party switch, and later introduced pre– and post–edits and the physician–pharmacy interface, which allows prescriptions to electronically flow between physicians and pharmacies. This interface was an enhancement of the products NHS had put into place as early as 1995.

In December 2001, NHS acquired the assets of Rx.com, including the URL www.rx.com. This acquisition would lay the groundwork to ultimately allow PDX–NHIN customers to offer store–based mail order service—complete with fulfillment through Rx.com.

In 2002, NHS released its Workflow and Alternate Site technologies to address increasing prescription volumes and limited staff availability. PDX Workflow technology brings efficiency, accuracy, and flexible options to the prescription filling process.

In 2005, NHS released its Electronic Healthcare Record technology and ePharmacy Web Engine enabling chains to offer a true chain–wide prescription profiles and true chain–wide DUR.

In 2007, NHS released its next generation pharmacy system, the Enterprise Pharmacy System. EPS features an advanced, enterprise–wide workflow engine, central patient record technology, and a revenue–based Medication Therapy Management (MTM) module. The culmination of a six–year, evolutionary project and an over $100,000,000 investment in technology, EPS introduces a revolutionary new patient-oriented pharmacy environment. Created by industry leader PDX, EPS has been built from the ground up without incorporating any code from the legacy PDX application. However, the new system includes all of the features that have made PDX an industry leader for the past two decades—and much more.

For over 20 years, NHS has maintained its strong commitment to Pharmacy by offering a completely integrated, single-source strategy that yields optimal efficiency, profitability, and patient care and convenience. As Pharmacy continues to evolve, NHS will continue to enhance its current suite of products and services to ensure that pharmacies are equipped with the innovation, technology, and the means to fulfill their patients' needs.