US Oncology Pharmaceutical Distribution Service Wins National Safety Cou...( HOUSTON Sept. 3 /- US Oncology Sp...)

HOUSTON, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- US Oncology Specialty, LP, the state-of-the-art pharmaceutical distribution center of US Oncology, has received the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award from the National Safety Council for its outstanding safety achievements.

The award is presented to companies who produce the "best of the best" in safety and safety performance. To be eligible, organizations must report days away from work resulting from workplace injuries or illness at a rate equal to or less than 50 percent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) rate for their classification code. The BLS rate for US Oncology Specialty's classification code is 0.9 percent; in order to qualify the organization had to report an incident rate of .45 percent or lower. In 2007, US Oncology Specialty, employing 32 employees, achieved a lost workday incidence rate of zero percent.

US Oncology Specialty was launched in 2005 to manage the ordering and delivery of approximately $1.8 billion of pharmaceuticals each year for its affiliated network of community-based oncologists. The organization has focused on ensuring the protection of employees and patients by investing in systems and security measures that produce results. The industry-leading distribution service was the first oncology distributor to achieve the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's (NABP) Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors (VAWD) accreditation to implement electronic pedigree technology, ensuring that pharmaceuticals are securely tracked, from the manufacturer to the patient, for optimum security and safety.

Additionally, the organization has twice received the Occupational Excellence Award from the Texas chapter of the National Safety Council.

About US Oncology, Inc.

US Oncology, headquartered in Houston, works closely with physicians, manufacturers and payers to identify and deliver innovative services that enhance patient access to advanced cancer care. US
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