Microsoft, CVS expand pharmacy partnership

CVS Caremark has broadened its pharmacy partnership with Microsoft to let customers download their prescription histories to their Microsoft HealthVault accounts, reports CNET News.

Available since June 2008, the CVS offering has allowed customers to save and manage their pharmaceutical history online via Microsoft's healthcare Web site. Now people can also add their prescription history by visiting CVS.com and logging into their HealthVault record.

Microsoft HealthVault is a free service that lets consumers store and maintain their health information in one single electronic spot. The site also provides health-related advice on losing weight, staying in shape, and managing health records for an emergency.

Pharmaceuticals firm Johnson & Johnson has bought an 18% stake in the Dutch biotechnology specialist Crucell for $443 million, states TCEToday

Crucell was previously subject to a friendly takeover bid by US-based Wyeth, but the negotiations were called off at the start of the year when Wyeth itself became the subject of an acquisition, this time by Pfizer.

The stake is part of a broader agreement between J&J and Crucell to collaborate in the development of new products to treat influenza, and vaccines to protect people against the disease.

Researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston have created a computer program they say will help doctors more quickly identify victims of domestic abuse, and perhaps help save lives, says Boston Herald.

Ben Reis of the Children's Hospital Informatics Programme says increased reliance on electronic medical records, coupled with the new computer modelling programs, can identify abuse victims sooner than medical professionals have in the past.

The new system works by highlighting medical clues, such as higher than average hospital visits and certain mental health diagnoses, that are more common among battered men and women.