Athenahealth buys Epocrates for $293m

US cloud-based patient record specialist athenahealth has purchased Eprocrates, a provider of mobile drug reference apps, for $293m (£185m).

Eprocrates is a long-established mobile health firm with its mobile drug and clinical reference guides used by more than 1m doctors, primarily in the US.

Athenahealth has a customer base of 38,000 US health professionals using its range of cloud- based revenue management, practice management, care management and electronic health record software.

The acquisition of Epocrates will allow the firm to reach a much greater base of clinical users and additional experience in delivering mobile native applications.

Athenahealth said in a statement that it will expand its mobile apps beyond drug reference to include resources on diagnostic lab imaging, procedures and physician consultation.

Chief executive Jonathan Bush said: “No other company has been able to replicate the brand awareness, familiarity, and trust that ePocrates has across the clinical mobile user base.

“We are confident that we can provide ePocrates with the stewardship and resources it needs to grow and develop within health care, and that ePocrates’ capabilities are going to mesh exceptionally well with Athena Health’s cloud-based physician and patient services.”

Epocrates’ tools will also become available in athenahealth’s cloud EHR platform, called athenaClinicals.