195.252.198.104: Changes to corporate address, key people, history and additions of two solutions

2025-06-17T18:24:33Z

Changes to corporate address, key people, history and additions of two solutions

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{{Infobox company
| name = First Databank
| logo = Logo_of_FDB_(First_Databank).jpg
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = {{ubl|[[Healthcare]]|[[Information technology]]}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|1978}}
| hq_location = 2 Tower Place, 21st Floor<br>South San Francisco, California, U.S.
| key_people = {{ubl|Charles Tuchinda [[executive chairman]])|Cynthia MacAskill (senior vice president, finance)|Virginia Halsey (senior vice president, strategy and product management)}}
| num_employees = 400
| parent = [[Hearst Corporation]]
| website = {{URL|https://fdbhealth.com/}}
}}
'''First Databank''' ('''FDB''') is a major provider of drug and medical device databases that help inform healthcare professionals to make decisions.<ref name=nihgov>{{cite web|url=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/drug-naming-standard-electronic-health-records-enhanced|title=Drug naming standard for electronic health records enhanced|date=August 2015 |publisher=National Institutes of Health}}</ref> FDB partners with information system developers to deliver useful medication- and medical device-related information to clinicians, business associates, and patients. FDB is part of Hearst and the Hearst Health network.

==History==
First Databank was founded in 1977 as a company that published a quarterly magazine of drug prices. They were bought by [[Hearst Corporation]] in 1980. First Databank then evolved to become a provider of clinical and descriptive drug knowledge that is integrated into healthcare information systems globally. FDB has its headquarters in [[San Francisco, California]], and has other offices in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], [[Exeter, England]], [[Dubai, UAE]] and [[Hyderabad, India]].

The firm's drug databases support pharmacy dispensing, formulary management, drug pricing analysis, claims processing, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), electronic health records (EHR), electronic medical records (EMR), electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing), electronic medication administration records (EMAR), population health, data analytics, specialty pharmacy, and telemedicine/telehealth.

Beginning in 2011, First Databank's set of National Drug Codes (NDCs) have been integrated into RxNorm's standard clinical drug vocabulary that includes all medications available on the US market.<ref name=nihgov/> RxNorm is produced and maintained by the [[United States National Library of Medicine]] (NLM).

In 2017, FDB acquired Polygot Systems, which simplifies drug information for patients and translates that information into 21 languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wraltechwire.com/2017/03/17/san-francisco-firm-acquires-morrisville-based-polyglot-systems-video/|title=San Francisco firm acquires Morrisville-based Polygot Systems|date=17 March 2017 |publisher=WRAL Techwire}}</ref>

In 2018, FDB partnered with [https://boisedev.com/news/2024/08/08/petiq-to-fetch-15-billion-in-buyout-going-private/ PetIQ] to release the first veterinary medication database to provide information on pet medications structured for integration into pharmacy systems.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2018-10-03/fdb-and-petiq-announce-upcoming-release-of-industry-s-first-veterinary-medications-database|title=FDB and PetIQ Announce Upcoming Release of Industry's First Veterinary Medications Database|newspaper=Bloomberg|date=3 October 2018 }}</ref>

Beginning in 2020, FDB partnered with [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] and its [[Amazon Alexa|Alexa]] devices to provide drug information and answer medication questions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/amazon-alexa-now-using-first-databank-drug-information-answer-med-questions|title=Amazon Alexa now using First Databank drug information to answer med questions|date=3 March 2020 |publisher=Healthcare IT News}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], FDB posted drug data (regarding [[remdesivir]], [[chloroquine]], and [[hydroxychloroquine]]) and medical device-related coronavirus information to its website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://in.news.yahoo.com/information-power-first-databank-arms-110000094.html|title=Information is Power: First Databank Arms Healthcare Professionals and Consumers with COVID-19 Resources They Can Trust}}</ref>

In March 2022, FDB launched FDB Vela™ (pronounced “Vee-La”), a new, cloud-native electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) network that enables the seamless flow of critical medication prescription information, benefits verification, and clinical decision support between prescribers, payers, pharmacies, and other constituents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fdbhealth.com/about-us/press-releases/2022-03-15-fdb-launches-fdb-vela--a-new-eprescribing-network-to-deliver-greater-choice-and-value|title=FDB Launches FDB Vela™ – A New ePrescribing Network to Deliver Greater Choice and Value}}</ref>

In August 2022, FDB launched FDB Navigo™, a cloud-based solution that introduces a holistic approach to clinical guidance for medication safety risks. FDB Navigo provides retail pharmacists with targeted, consolidated and actionable clinical guidance at the most optimal time in their workflow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fdbhealth.com/about-us/press-releases/2022-08-25-fdb-launches-fdb-navigo|title=FDB Launches FDB Navigo™ — a Smarter, Holistic Approach to Optimize Clinical Guidance for Retail Pharmacy}}</ref>

In May 2025, FDB was recognized by [https://www.indystar.com The Indianapolis Star] as one of the top small workplaces among companies and organizations across a 23-county region in central Indiana. In the San Francisco Bay Area, where FDB’s headquarters are located, the company was recognized by [https://www.sfchronicle.com The San Francisco Chronicle] as a top workplace among employers across an 11-county region. This marked the ninth consecutive year that FDB has received this recognition for employee satisfaction and human resource excellence in Central Indiana, and the second consecutive year that FDB has been recognized in the San Francisco Bay Area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://topworkplaces.com/company/first-databank-inc/indystar/|title=Top Workplaces Central Indiana - FDB (First Databank, Inc.)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://topworkplaces.com/company/first-databank-inc/bayarea/|title=Top Workplaces San Francisco Bay Area - FDB (First Databank, Inc.)}}</ref>

==Operations==
===FDB MedKnowledge (formerly National Drug Data File Plus)===

First Databank's MedKnowledge provides prices, descriptions, and collateral clinical information on drugs approved by the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA), plus unapproved drugs, commonly used [[over-the-counter drug]]s, [[herbalism|herbal remedies]], medical foods and nutritional supplements.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/88252330|title=FDB MEDKNOWLEDGE)}}</ref>

===FDB OrderKnowledge (formerly OrderView Med Knowledge Base)===

First Databank has developed a drug ordering knowledge base that enables physicians to look up and order drugs. Drug orders are generated based on patient parameters such as age, weight, renal and hepatic impairment, thereby reducing lists of candidate drugs to a minimum. The database is expected to affect the number of [[adverse drug reaction]]s and side effects at facilities that have adopted the electronic order entry systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/85542445|title=FDB ORDERKNOWLEDGE)}}</ref>

===FDB AlertSpace===

A web-based software tool that enables institution-specific modification of medication alerts using FDB MedKnowledge clinical modules based on clinician input, localized clinical experience, and other available evidence. The tool allows users to edit or turn off individual alerts, track all alert customizations and create an audit record, and view FDB updates in comparison with the user's own modifications. Users can load the results of their modifications directly into their medication [[decision support system]] for immediate use in the workflow. The approach follows the normal update process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/85320326|title=ALERTSPACE)}}</ref>

===FDB Prizm===

The FDB Prizm medical device database provides structured, categorized, and normalized information about medical device products that are implanted into patients; hospital and durable medical equipment; and medical supplies. The medical device content comes from a variety of sources such as the FDA, medical device manufacturers, and industry data pools. Also, it encompasses additional information from clinical, operational, and financial attributes and codes. Use of this database within supply chain and other information systems is designed to help decision makers to build and maintain device libraries, identify and document medical devices in case of recalls and adverse events, and group and analyze medical device utilization.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/86889837|title=FDB PRIZM}}</ref>

===Meducation===
Meducation comprises simplified medication instructions and medication regimen calendars using patient-specific information from the electronic health record (EHR). All material is written at a 5th to 8th grade reading level with supporting pictograms in more than 20 languages and is designed to help reduce medication errors and improve medication adherence for all patients.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrmronline.com/news/health-first-integrates-first-databank-software-to-simplify-ehr-1572|title=Health First integrates First Databank software to simplify EHR|date=30 March 2017}}</ref>

===FDB Targeted Medication Warnings===
FDB Targeted Medication Warnings provides patient-specific clinical decision support (CDS) for medications and is integrated directly into the EHR workflow. This content uses lab results, risk scores, and other patient data to suggest clinical guidance that is most relevant to the patient context. The CDS derived from this solution provides specificity for clinical decisions and is linked to the related generic medication alerts which can be filtered out/customized using FDB AlertSpace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.drugtopics.com/view/stay-in-sync-with-innovations-in-medication-decision-support|title=Stay in Sync with Innovations in Medication Decision Support|date=6 August 2020}}</ref>

===FDB Pet MedKnowledge===
FDB Pet MedKnowledge is a comprehensive drug database with veterinary FDA approved medications, allowing veterinarians to access pet medication information whenever and wherever is needed. The service is modeled on the FDB MedKnowledge human medication database.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/88247331|title=FDB PET MEDKNOWLEDGE}}</ref>

===FDB Navigo===
FDB Navigo is a cloud-based solution that streamlines the retail pharmacist’s workflow by changing the focus of medication safety alerts and the way these alerts are presented and processed. Actionable guidance to the pharmacist – to determine the “next best step” for each patient, whether that is to fill the prescription, provide additional guidance to the patient, or follow up with the patient’s physician – is based on the most important risks to the patient as reflected in the patient’s clinical record in the pharmacy’s system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/97534779|title=FDB NAVIGO}}</ref>

===FDB Vela===
FDB Vela cloud-native electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) network that enables the seamless flow of critical medication prescription information, benefits verification, and clinical decision support between prescribers, payers, pharmacies, and other constituents. FDB Vela provides medication eligibility and benefits information for millions of U.S. consumers and supports the current set of ePrescribing transactions required by the [https://www.ncpdp.org National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP)].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uspto.report/TM/90639863|title=FDB VELA}}</ref>

==Litigation==

A consumer coalition filed separate suits in a [[United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts|Boston, Massachusetts federal court]] against drug wholesaler [[McKesson Corporation]] and First Databank, accusing the companies of artificially inflating drug prices. The lawsuits say that McKesson and FDB conspired from 2002 through 2005 to set the list prices artificially high. The suit against First DataBank accused it of limiting its survey of wholesalers to a single company, McKesson.<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/12/BUGG5MTOO21.DTL SFGate.com - 'Unhealthy practices? Lawsuits say companies artificially boosted drug prices'], Victoria Colliver, ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' (December 12, 2006)</ref>

First Databank agreed to a settlement, tentatively approved by the federal court, in which it would not pay damages to the plaintiffs, but agreed to reduce [[average wholesale price]]s (AWPs) listed in its databases by five percent for about 2,033 drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/10/06/drugs-wholesale-retail-markets-equity-cx_sr_1006drugs.html#7e370dfa407d|title=Easy Pill To Swallow|work=Forbes}}</ref> McKesson chose to fight the suits.

The settlement required First DataBank (FDB) to reduce the AWP mark-up from 1.25 to 1.20 times the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) for 1,442 NDCs identified in the litigation. FDB set the mark-up at 1.20 for all drugs independent of the litigation on September 26, 2009. The roll back of the WAC-to-AWP spread led to a 4% reduction in their AWP. FDB also stopped publishing AWP data on September 26, 2011, two years after the rollback adjustments were implemented. First DataBank continues to publish non-AWP drug pricing information, including WAC, Direct Price, and suggested wholesale price.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20726678/|title=What is the price benchmark to replace average wholesale price (AWP)?|year=2010|publisher=National Institutes of Health|pmid=20726678|last1=Curtiss|first1=F. R.|last2=Lettrich|first2=P.|last3=Fairman|first3=K. A.|journal=Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy |volume=16|issue=7|pages=492–501|doi=10.18553/jmcp.2010.16.7.492|pmc=10437683}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.fdbhealth.com/ Official website]

{{Hearst}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:First Databank}}
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1982]]
[[Category:Hearst Communications publications]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical industry]]
[[Category:Pharmaceuticals policy]]
[[Category:Publishing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in San Francisco]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in the United States]]

First Databank - Revision history

195.252.198.104: Changes to corporate address, key people, history and additions of two solutions