Hospira Inc. and HealthTrust Purchasing Group, LP have signed a new national agreement through which the HealthTrust member organizations will gain access to Hospira’s general-purpose medication infusion devices, related sets and disposables, along with intravenous (IV) solutions, nutritionals and drug-delivery products. Hospira has already been providing pain-management infusion pumps to HealthTrust members under existing agreements.

OMRIX Biopharmaceuticals has received FDA approval to start the Phase II clinical trial for its Fibrin Patch product candidate in the U.S. The patch is used for patients suffering from mild to moderate bleeding. According to the company, the trial is likely to start in the second quarter of 2008.

Patient Care Technology Systems has announced that emergency departments have used its Amelior ED™ patient care system to electronically record more than one million patient visits. This modular system integrates tracking of patients, staff members and assets, clinical charting of nurses and physicians, computerized provider order entry (CPOE), patient disposition management and department reporting. The Amelior ED system enables medical staff to deliver more efficient and safe patient care.

Australia’s Safety Medical Products Ltd. is to supply syringes to the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The Federal Department of Health has granted approval to the supply of these Australian-made retractable syringes. The company’s SecureTouch Retractable Syringe is the first safety device to be listed on the scheme. Safety Medical’s Managing Director, John Riemelmoser, said that people with diabetes will now be able to dispose needles more safely.

The FDA has issued a warning letter to E Med Future, which manufactures NeedleZap, a needle disintegration device. The FDA stated that the company has failed to set up and maintain a quality system. Over the past two years, the company has not implemented any quality procedures, including complaint procedures, quality audits and corrective and preventive action procedures, the letter said.