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Parata Earns Pharmacy Industry's First-Ever GREENGUARD Certification for Indoor Air Quality

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 May 2009, 07:00 CDT

Parata adds "Air of Distinction" to its Dispensing Safety Credentials

ATLANTA, May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute announced today it has granted the first-ever GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification for pharmacy automation equipment to Parata(R) Systems. Parata RDS is the first product in the pharmacy industry to receive this important designation.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090401/DC92292LOGO-b)

"Specifying GREENGUARD products is important in managing the overall indoor air quality of any retail environment. Since most retail pharmacy customers are managing healthcare issues, the quality of air they are breathing is of particular significance. Parata is leading the way toward healthier, safer pharmacy environments as the first industry provider to earn GREENGUARD Children & Schools(SM) Certification for one of its products," said Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.

The GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM) is among the most coveted and credible "green product labels," along with the U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR program. Both programs rely on comprehensive third-party standards. GREENGUARD is further validated by independent testing and verification. Products certified by these programs are recognized for use in today's green, high performance buildings including retail spaces.

In meeting GREENGUARD's stringent indoor air quality standard, Parata joins an elite group of companies, including 3M, BASF, Lenovo, Owens Corning and Herman Miller, among others, that have earned the GREENGUARD Certification for many of their products. Interestingly, of the companies that seek GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification, about 60 percent cannot initially meet the rigorous requirements of the program upon initial testing.

"Our technology helps pharmacies set new benchmarks for the speed, safety and accuracy of prescriptions. With GREENGUARD, we are extending our safety commitment to the indoor air quality impact of Parata's technology to assure a clean, safe pharmacy environment for employees and customers," said Tom Rhoads, executive vice president, customer and market strategies. "It's our hope that other pharmacy providers will follow our lead."

GREENGUARD's product standard and test methodology meet or exceed specifications and chemical guidelines of the State of California, U.S. EPA, ACGIH (American Counsel for Government Industrial Hygienists) and other regulatory agencies. In addition, Air Quality Sciences, an independent indoor air-quality testing and research firm, is ISO 17025 accredited the highest quality standard for laboratories.

Testing was conducted in a dynamic environmental chamber where Parata RDS was operated to simulate maximum use conditions, equating to about a 1,000-prescription day. Fine particle and volatile chemical concentrations were monitored in the chamber and used to predict actual exposure concentrations in the pharmacy environment where the unit is in use. The predicted exposures while using Parata RDS were below GREENGUARD acceptance levels.

The GREENGUARD program is the most stringent and rigorous indoor air quality certification program in the world. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute's indoor air quality standards define products with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors, primarily building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning and maintenance products, commercial and consumer equipment and personal care products. The standards establish certification procedures, including test methods, allowable emissions levels, product sample collection and handling, testing type and frequency and program application processes and acceptance. GREENGUARD Certified products contribute, on average, 80 percent less chemical and particle emissions to indoor spaces than non-certified products.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

Founded in 2001, GEI is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM). The Institute's mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve the indoor air people breathe. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, furnishings, electronic equipment, indoor environments and buildings. The more than 200,000 GREENGUARD Certified products must meet stringent, third-party standards for low chemical emissions based on established health standards and undergo rigorous testing and verification processes on a regular basis. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of 'green' building programs, including the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED(R). An online guide to GREENGUARD Certified products is available with no charge at www.greenguard.org.

About Parata Systems

Durham, N.C.-based Parata Systems, LLC, was founded in 2001 to offer industry-leading technology solutions that improve consumer safety and convenience at key touch points in the circle of pharmacy care:

1. Fill -- Parata(R) Max(TM), Parata(R) Mini(TM) and Parata RDS expand prescription-dispensing capacity, enhance pharmacies' productivity and improve prescription safety.
2. Serve -- Parata(R) APM(TM) expands convenience, safety and privacy with self-service prescription pick up.
3. Adhere -- Parata(R) onePAC(TM) packaging improves patient safety by promoting adherence with easy-to-use, customized, convenience packaging for medications.

To learn more call, click or visit Parata Systems, www.parata.com, info@parata.com, 1.888.PARATA1 (727.2821).

SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute

Source: PR Newswire

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