Ateb’s Interactive Voice Response Solution Manages Workflow for Thrifty-White Drug Pharmacies

Thrifty-White Drug Chooses Ateb’s Pharmacy Line™ for its 56 Pharmacy Locations

Raleigh, NC, June 2, 2003 – Ateb, Inc., a market leader in pharmacy solutions, announced today that Thrifty-White Drug Stores have implemented its Pharmacy Line solution in over 56 pharmacy locations. By loading prescriptions into a queue, Pharmacy Line allows the pharmacy staff to prioritize filling a prescription based on pick-up time that is set by the customer, a key function in managing workflow in a pharmacy.

“Ateb’s IVR system has been an integral part of our pharmacies for over four years,” says Gary Boehler, Executive Vice President of Pharmacy and Health Care Services at Thrifty-White. “In our busiest stores the IVR saves up to 1,000 phone calls per week into the pharmacy and makes requesting refills easier for our customers.”

“Patients come to a pharmacy for advice and counsel,” says Dennis DiVenuta, President and CEO at Ateb. “Ateb’s goal is to streamline pharmacy processes so that the staff can dedicate that valuable time to the customer. We are constantly working with pharmacies to ensure that our solutions are meeting that goal.”

About Pharmacy Line™

Pharmacy Line is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solution that automates telephone call handling into the pharmacy, providing customers and doctors with 24-hour access to pharmacy services. The Pharmacy Line system handles the most common calls into the pharmacy, which frees the pharmacist and associates to spend more time with their customers. Pharmacy Line enables the pharmacy staff to be more efficient and productive while greatly reducing interruptions in the pharmacy.

Benefits of Pharmacy Line:

• Allows customers to refill a prescription over the telephone, get basic pharmacy information such as pharmacy hours, or to speak to the pharmacy staff for personal assistance.
• Allows physicians to order new prescriptions for patients, authorize additional refill requests on existing prescriptions, or to speak directly to the pharmacist.
• Provides access to your pharmacy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Reduces the amount of time that the pharmacist and pharmacy staff spend on the telephone.
• Provides fewer interruptions and an improved pharmacy environment.
• Provides consistent, polite answering of all telephone calls.

Other Ateb Solutions

In-Store Fax Server

In-store Fax Server using specialized adapter cards electronically generates and accepts faxes, eliminating the need for fax machines and patient privacy concerns associated with patient information left on fax machines. Another feature includes automated outbound faxing which automatically faxes doctors’ offices to request prescription refill authorizations.

Benefits of Fax Server:

Eliminates the need for paper faxes that detail private patient information which could result in a violation of the HIPAA privacy policy that became effective on April 14, 2003.

SignatureLine™

SignatureLine is Ateb’s electronic signature capture solution that collects and stores patient signatures for consent for service, prescription pick up, and privacy policy acknowledgement for HIPAA and third party audit requirements. SignatureLine eliminates paper storage and makes information readily available at the store level or centrally for future audits.

Benefits of SignatureLine:

• Replace paper forms.
• Ensure compliance with patient counseling regulations.
• Promote patient privacy at prescription pick up.
• Eliminate need for filing space of archived paper forms.
• Easily access stored signatures.
• Simplify HIPAA and third party audits.
• Provide a consistent and easy-to-understand process for the pharmacy staff.

Other Ateb solutions that eliminate manual tasks in the pharmacy

• Call Center Solutions for Central Processing and Central Fill Sites
• Bin Management
• Internet Prescription Refill
• Central IVR Solution for chains
• Automated Pre-Fill Compliance
• Prescription Validation

About Ateb, Inc.

Founded in 1992, Ateb, Inc. offers a comprehensive suite of workflow improvement technologies, customer relationship management and point-of-sale applications for chain pharmacies, hospitals and pharmaceutical marketers. With more than 14,000 installations, Ateb's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications streamline pharmacy operations, facilitate healthcare transactions and connect patients and providers with information they need to make sound healthcare decisions. For more information, visit www.ateb.com or call 877-776-ATEB (2832).

For media inquiries, e-mail pr@ateb.com.