News Release

BAXTER RECOGNIZED BY INSTITUTE FOR SAFE MEDICATION PRACTICES FOR INFUSION PUMP TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS REDUCE RISK OF MEDICATION ERROR

NEW ORLEANS, December 9, 2003 - In an award ceremony to be held this evening, Baxter Healthcare Corporation will receive the Institute for Safe Medication Practices' annual Cheers Award for its pioneering infusion pump technology which has the potential to reduce the risk of errors associated with the administration of intravenous medications.

The Cheers Awards honor individuals, organizations, and companies that have set a superlative standard of excellence for others to follow in the prevention of medication errors. The Cheers Awards are hosted by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), a nonprofit organization well known around the world as the premier educational resource for the prevention of medication errors. ISMP provides independent, multidisciplinary, expert review of errors reported through the U.S. Pharmacopeia-ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program. Working with practitioners, healthcare organizations, the pharmaceutical industry and many others, ISMP provides timely medication safety information to the healthcare community and encourages the safe use of medications.

"Advanced pump technology, such as Baxter's Colleague infusion pump, represents a significant error reduction strategy for intravenous medications administered via infusion pumps. Healthcare systems see the value that this technology can bring and are beginning to use these systems broadly because they offer an affordable, easy-to-use solution that doesn't require extensive training or process changes in the way intravenous medications are currently infused," said Michael R. Cohen, RPh, MS, ScD, president of ISMP.

With the COLLEAGUE Guardian Feature, available on Baxter's COLLEAGUE CX infusion pump, hospitals can enter their own standard drug infusion protocols into the pump's drug library. This allows hospitals to set customized dose limits for more than 90 different drug protocols. When hospital staff members administer a medication through the infusion pump, the COLLEAGUE Guardian Feature compares each dose entered against the hospital-defined limits. If a dose is programmed outside these limits, the pump provides both a visual and audible alarm, informing the clinician that the dose is outside the recommended range of the hospital's formulary. In addition, the COLLEAGUE CX color screen communicates critical infusion status information at a glance, enhancing readability for the clinician.

Medication errors can occur at any point in the medication management process starting with a physician's prescription, during pharmacy transcription and compounding, and at a patient's bedside, the last chance for errors to be caught prior to dispensing by a nurse.

"Helping to reduce the potential for medication error at a patient's bedside is especially critical for many intravenous medications administered through an infusion pump. We have a longstanding commitment of providing health caregivers with products and services that improve both safety and efficiency, as well as a depth of expertise to address errors where they matter most. We are proud of this recognition, and pleased that ISMP is focusing attention on the positive impact that these technologies are having on patients and clinicians," said David Bonderud, president of Baxter's U.S. medication delivery business.

The COLLEAGUE infusion pump represents just one of the many innovative solutions Baxter has brought to the marketplace to help clinicians reduce medication delivery errors. Baxter has a more than 70-year legacy of developing products that work together to drive efficiency, value and a safer health care environment. The company was the first to introduce flexible, closed-systems for the delivery of intravenous medications and needleless access systems, as well as the first and only infusion pump to offer automatic tube-loading. Baxter has pioneered products that help reduce errors throughout the medication management process by advancing technology and improving the interface between technology and clinicians. Baxter offers a comprehensive and integrated suite of products designed to help reduce medication errors including, the COLLEAGUE Infusion Pump, ENLIGHTENEDHRBC Bar Code Technology, CLEARLINK Needleless Access System, SYNDEO PCA Syringe Pump, and the Patient Care System - a wireless patient information and medication management system. For more information about Baxter's comprehensive patient safety portfolio and related resources, visit www.baxter.com/products/medication_management/patient_safety/index.html.

Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the principal domestic operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX). Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists health-care professionals and their patients with treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

(Baxter, COLLEAGUE, COLLEAGUE CX, GUARDIAN FEATURE, CLEARLINK, ENLIGHTENED HRBC, SYNDEO are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. and its affiliates.)

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