The IDS promises to provide a safer, more effective and economical drug treatment by individualizing medications prescribed for diabetic patients, according to the system’s manufacturer, The RxFiles Corporation of Nokomis, Florida.

The system is based on the Palm platform but can also be accessed using Windows or Windows CE platforms.

The IDS is comprised of three applications designed for handheld computers.

• DoseRx is a next dose calculator, which is used to determine the patient’s last dose, current dose, and the desired concentration of medication.
• InterchangeRx is a calculator that safely switches patients between drugs from brands to generics, or between drug classes while maintaining the original agent’s established therapeutic effect.
• Practice PrescribeRx is a graded prescriber training simulator to introduce new drugs, refresh experience with seldom-used drugs, and document proficiency among medical professionals.

In conjunction with a comprehensive database, the IDS enables the health care professional to determine any necessary changes in the patient’s medication. According to Dr. Curtiss Cook, one of the first physicians to use the system, "The technology should help take much of the guesswork out of how to adjust diabetes medications, thus allowing us to treat patients more effectively."