LONDON, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Building its presence in the global
pharmaceutical marketplace, IMS HEALTH (NYSE: RX) will soon begin offering
new, strategic market research services in a number of countries in the Sub-
Saharan region of Africa, the company announced today. Multi-national and
local pharmaceutical manufacturers in the region will benefit from IMS
HEALTH's Pharmaceutical Sales Audits, which estimate country sales of all
pharmaceutical products sold through outlets in the private market. IMS HEALTH
is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical
and healthcare industries.
"Fast, accurate market intelligence is the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical
industry, and we are committed to keeping pace with the needs of our clients
around the world," remarked Lionel Gibbons, general manager, Marketing, IMS
HEALTH in South Africa. "Delivering additional market research services to
companies doing business in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa is another
indication of our truly global outlook."
IMS HEALTH, which has been offering Pharmaceutical Sales Audits in South
Africa since 1973, launched the service in Namibia in October 1997. The
company already has secured agreements with a number of major pharmaceutical
distributors and wholesalers in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe to collect
country sales data on a monthly basis, and expects to introduce the service in
Botswana and Zimbabwe later this year and in Kenya during the second quarter
of 1999. In addition, plans are under way to deploy the market audits in
Swaziland in the fourth quarter of this year, and in Ethiopia, Ghana,
Mauritius and Uganda in 1999.
Once deployed, pharmaceutical manufacturers throughout the region can tap
IMS HEALTH's sales audits to analyze long-term trends, track market growth by
sales channel, assess the impact of new product introductions and measure
promotional program effectiveness. Also under development: a special "summary"
audit that would feature sales data on countries that border South Africa,
market intelligence that could benefit South African companies that export
pharmaceuticals across those borders.
"Delighting our pharmaceutical clients with world-class market insight is
one of the hallmarks of IMS HEALTH," said Hans Biedermann, President, Emerging
Markets, IMS HEALTH. "By delivering the right mix of information, global
intelligence and knowledge-based solutions, we play a central role in helping
the healthcare industry understand, shape and advance global health. The
launch of our Pharmaceutical Audits in these countries -- located in one of
the world's fastest growing market regions -- is a key step in IMS HEALTH
delivering a range of state-of-the-art information solutions for companies
operating in this part of the world."
IMS HEALTH
IMS HEALTH is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the
pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. With more than $1 billion in 1997
revenue, IMS HEALTH operates in over 90 countries. IMS HEALTH is the largest
pharmaceutical manufacturer information partner, with over 40 years'
experience in the industry. Key products and services integral to customer
day-to-day operations include: market research for prescription and over-the-
counter pharmaceutical products; sales management information to optimize
sales force productivity; technology enabled selling solutions for sales and
marketing decision-making; and technology systems and information services
that support managed care organizations. Additional information is available
at http://www.imshealth.com.
This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-
looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although IMS HEALTH believes the
expectations contained in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it
can give no assurance that such expectations will prove correct. This
information may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results of IMS HEALTH to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements. Factors which could cause or contribute to such differences
include, but are not limited to (i) the risks associated with operating on a
global basis, including fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies
relative to the U.S. dollar, and the ability to successfully hedge such risks,
(ii) the extent in which IMS HEALTH seeks growth through acquisitions, and the
ability to identify and consummate acquisitions on satisfactory terms, (iii)
the ability to develop new or advanced technologies and systems for its
businesses on a cost-effective basis, (iv) regulatory and legislative
initiatives, particularly in the area of medical privacy, and (v)
deterioration in economic conditions, particularly in the pharmaceutical,
healthcare, information technology or other industries in which IMS HEALTH's
customers operate.
SOURCE IMS HEALTH
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http://www.imshealth.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/115785.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 115785
CONTACT:
Michael Gury of IMS HEALTH, 44-171-393-5864
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