| Cardinal Health, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Public (NYSE: CAH) |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ohio, USA |
| Key people | Robert D. Walter, Chairman; R. Kerry Clark, President and CEO |
| Industry | Drug Wholesale |
| Products | hospital / laboratory / physician office products; generic pharmaceuticals; logistics; infusion systems; clinical services |
| Revenue |  $87 billion USD (FY2007) |
| Operating income | $1.4 billion USD (FY2007) |
| Employees | 40,000 (2007) |
| Website | cardinalhealth.com |
Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) is global healthcare company.
Overview
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a global company serving the health-care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients.
With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducing hospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful medication errors, Cardinal Health develops technologies, including Alaris IV pumps, Pyxis automated dispensing systems, MedMined data mining software and the CareFusion patient identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide.
Founded in 1971 as Cardinal Foods by Robert D. Walter, it was initially a food wholesaler. Acquiring the Bailey Drug Company in 1979, it began wholesaling drugs as Cardinal Distribution, Incorporated. Following the introduction of the company on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 1983 it commenced on a long string of acquisitions and mergers. As of 2006, it was ranked 19th on the Fortune 500 list and employs more than 40,000 people on five continents. R. Kerry Clark was appointed as President and CEO on 17 April 2006, with Robert D. Walter retaining the Chairmanship. On 28 June 2007, Cardinal Health announced the completion of the tendor offer for VIASYS. The acquisition of VIASYS expands Cardinal Health’s clinical and medical product offerings for global, acute-care customers and, will establish the company in the respiratory care market. The business will be integrated into Cardinal Health’s Medical Products Manufacturing segment.
Products and services
Cardinal Health is involved in 'supply chain services' and distributes one-third of all pharmaceuticals, medical, lab and surgical products in the U.S. from manufacturers to providers of health care. It provides services to improve pharmacies serving retail and mail-order customers, health systems and long-term care facilities. Each day, Cardinal Health makes more than 50,000 deliveries to 40,000 customer sites, including hospitals, pharmacies and other points of care. Medical products are another important area where Cardinal develops and manufactures surgical instruments, respiratory care products, fluid suction and irrigation products, surgical drapes, masks, gowns and gloves and surgical packs. Manufactures more than four million medical/surgical products every day that are used in 50 percent of all surgeries and by 90 percent of all hospitals in the U.S. Other product ranges include
- Alaris products –develops and manufactures the market-leading line of intravenous infusion systems.
- Pyxis products – develops and manufactures the market-leading line of hospital automation systems for medicine and supplies.
- CareFusion products – develops barcode patient identification systems for bedside verification.
- MedMined Data Mining Surveillance – aims to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections through real-time clinical data mining, which acts as an early warning for infections.
Cardinals pharmacy management service provides expertise in managing and consulting with acute care pharmacies, and is one of the largest employers of hospital pharmacists, with 1,000 pharmacists, including 110 clinical specialists. Cardinal's `Rxe-source` is a nationwide remote medication order entry and review service for acute care pharmacies, processing about 3.3 million order lines remotely each year and identifying about 18,000 potential patient safety events. 'Nuclear Pharmacy Services' operates 170 nuclear pharmacies delivering 14 million radio- pharmaceutical doses to hospitals and outpatient care centers every year. Cardinal also owns Medicine Shoppe International' a franchisor of retail, apothecary-style pharmacies with nearly 1,000 `Medicine Shoppe` and `Medicap Pharmacy` stores, including more than 300 pharmacies outside the United States.
