Add Your Name To This Petition For ePocrates On iPhone (*note: scroll to the bottom of the page to leave your name!)

BREAKING NEWS!!!  Epocrates officially on the iPhone!!!  Full story HERE.


UPDATE: 10/19/07

We've done it! (At least I hope we had a hand in it...)

I just received an advanced press release from Erica at ePocrates regarding ePocrates on the iPhone.  I think this is one exciting piece of news that many in the medical community have been waiting to hear.  The following is soon to be posted in their FAQ page, but here it is in advance for your reading pleasure (Thanks, Erica & ePocrates!) :

Epocrates message:

Thank you for your interest in using Epocrates mobile products on the
iPhone.  Currently it is not possible to download our PDA applications
onto your iPhone.  However, Apple recently announced that it will make
software available early next year so developers can begin to create
applications that can be downloaded onto to the iPhone and run without a
network connection.  We are excited about the opportunity to offer our
mobile products on the iPhone platform next year and look forward to
receiving the Software Developer's Kit when it is available.

In the meantime, if you are interested in accessing our drug content on
your iPhone, you can access our Online product via the iPhone browser.
Simply go to Online.Epocrates.com to login (current users) or register
(new users).

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UPDATE: 10/18/07

The iPhone SDK news is GREAT!  If you haven't heard - Steve Jobs announced that a software development kit for third party developers will be available in February of 2008.  Let's hope that medical software developers step up and write some great programs for the iPhone!

I've emailed ePocrates to ask them to update us on any developments they may have.  Hopefully we'll hear that "iPocrates" will be in production soon!
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UPDATE: 9/24/07

I spoke to Erica at Epocrates today who confirmed with their product management team that a native version of ePocrates is not yet in the works.  Perhaps by some miracle Apple will open the iPhone to more developers.  In the mean time, I printed out this petition (all 35 pages of it!) and will be dropping it off at Apple, Inc. headquarters tomorrow.

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UPDATE: 9/7/07

I recently heard back from ePocrates.  Here is an email I received from Erica Morgenstern at ePocrates who says "we are very fond of your iPhone petition and check it regularly."  Good job guys!  Let's keep it going!  It's nice to hear that they have taken our comments into consideration.

Hi Steven,
Thanks for your note. I apologize for the delayed response, I have been out of the office. Yes, we are very fond of your iPhone petition and check it regularly. Right now, you can access the web-based drug information through the iPhone browser, but I'm guessing you are holding out for the mobile version to be ported over, correct? Advocates will definitely be the first to know, thanks for your loyalty.

Best
Erica

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UPDATE: 8/13/07

I am now compiling all the comments and highlighting some very good points you all have made.  The comments will be printed out and bound, and will then be sent/dropped off to Apple headquarters.  I will also send a copy to ePocrates.  Keep them coming!

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PETITION UPDATE: Here's an email I recently received from ePocrates:

Hello Steven,
Thank you for sharing your petition with Epocrates. It looks like you've got several passionate postings. I've shared it with our CEO and several key executives within the company. Thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,
Erica

Let's hope that things are starting to happen. Keep up the good work!

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Dear Medical Professionals,

With the recent release of the Apple iPhone there has been few medical programs available specifically for medical professionals.  After trying the web-based ePocrates Online and Unbound Medicine's UCentral, I've found them both to be slow when compared to Palm OS or Windows CE programs that offer instant access to the information you want.  Palm and Windows programs are downloadable to run directly on your PDAs, whereas on the iPhone Apple has forced developers to create web-based programs that are cumbersome to use - even with a WiFi connection.  I've included the links to the above programs below for you to try on your iPhones.

For this reason I am starting this petition which will eventually be sent to ePocrates and Apple Inc. in an attempt to convince Apple to cooperate with more companies to allow for more productivity programs to run directly on the iPhone.  I think we all know that the iPhone has amazing potential in the medical arena, as evidenced by the recent announcement from Heart IT that medical images can now be viewed on the device via their WebPAX system.

If you are in the medical profession and own an iPhone, or are considering purchasing an iPhone, I urge you to leave your name and contact information in the comments section below.  If you know of any medical professionals who would be interested in this endeavor, I urge you to forward this site to them.

Thank you.

LINKS:
www.epocratesonline.com
www.unboundmedicine.com
www.heartit.com

I just received an advanced press release from Erica at ePocrates regarding ePocrates on the iPhone.  I think this is one exciting piece of news that many in the medical community have been waiting to hear.  The following is soon to be posted in their FAQ page, but here it is in advance for your reading pleasure (Thanks, Erica & ePocrates!) :

Epocrates message:

Thank you for your interest in using Epocrates mobile products on the
iPhone.  Currently it is not possible to download our PDA applications
onto your iPhone.  However, Apple recently announced that it will make
software available early next year so developers can begin to create
applications that can be downloaded onto to the iPhone and run without a
network connection.  We are excited about the opportunity to offer our
mobile products on the iPhone platform next year and look forward to
receiving the Software Developer's Kit when it is available.

In the meantime, if you are interested in accessing our drug content on
your iPhone, you can access our Online product via the iPhone browser.
Simply go to Online.Epocrates.com to login (current users) or register
(new users).

Comments

[karthik MD]

I would greatly appreciate Epocrates, Uptodate, and Harrisons on my iphone. Thanks for the great product guys in apple. I could not have a day in hospital or clinic without epocrates or any of these great productivity softwares.
Karthik

[Jaime Vasquez]

Ditto to all the comments above.

[naveen kumar]

please make iphone campatiple with 3rd party softwares. As a Er physician, it is something which I need all the time.
Thanks.

[Eric Hockstad]

The only reason I am not getting an iphone is because I can't get epocrates. I hope Apple and Mr Jobs realize that this is the tip of the iceburg; there are hundreds of thousands of doctors and nurses that use palm devices and the most important program is epocrates. I want to get rid of my palm; it doesn't sync so well. I would rather use iphone for my list of contacts, to do's, and epocrates; but I don't want to have 2 devices.

[David G.]

Yes! How about a Palm OS emulator for the iPhone as a first step?

[Bruder O.]

Apple should support medical software development for the iPhone.

Cheers

[Linda H, R.N.]

Sold about 15 Treos in my ICU when they saw how productive it was for me, but dying for the iPhone, which I can't have without ePocrates, Davis' Drug Guide, 5MCC and a cast of other software apps. As a 14 year Apple employee turned RN, I WANT my newest Apple toy, but can NOT justify two devices at work and I NEED my medical s/w. Please....Apple...make them do this for me!

[Doug C, MD]

A great phone needs great software applications. Only thing missing from my iPhone is epocrates. Please consider adding epocrates for the iPhone.

[Abhishek Sawant]

Same here, I would buy Iphone upfront if it was compatible with epocrates!

[Dwight Saulle, MS-IV]

If epocrates hits the iPhone, Apple will have yet another sale. I refuse to carry an iPhone AND a PDA when my current smartphone does both.

[Salvatore Volpe MD]

In addition to the Web 2.0 applications, there should be a way for the great Apple engineers to permit some applications to run on the iPhone without compromising the reliability of the the device.

If you agree with Steve and myself, please consider also signing the petition on my site:

http://iphonemedicine.blogspot.com/2007/07/web-20-vs-onboard-software-survey.html

[Stephen mathew MD]

In both Apple's & epocrates best interests: Physicians are ideal target group for Apple products, epocrates most widely used medical mobile program. The synergy is obvious except to these two companies. See epocrates loosing significance in future if it continues to not support new platforms such as Symbian, Blackberry & now iPhone. What idiots.

[Richard]

iphone needs to run 3rd party apps like epocrates, its the only reason many of us haven't purchased one.

[Eunice]

I use epocrates on my pda everyday. I'd definately get iphone only if I could have epocrates on iphone.

[Mo]

Only communists would not want this wonderful combo to get together. Are Apple/ePocrates run by a bunch of filthy commies? I sincerely hope not. I want my MTV (and ePocrates on the iPhone)!!!!

[Joel]

Do it, it's the only thing holding me back from jumping to iPhone...

[Jeffrey]

yea get medical software on iphone. every student and medical professional will get iphone.

[joshua Cooke]

i am a pharmacy student and an apple user. Many professional students that i know would be willing to purchase an iphone if popular pharmacology programs were available. The iphone could then easily replace a pocket pc/palm device that all medical and pharmacy students use.

[Joe S.]

ePocrates would be an amazing asset on the iPhone. It would finally take us out of the indescribably slow treo age into a time where necessary things are on an efficient and fast device. Please let this happen!

[Ignacio Valdes, MD]

I really need epocrates to work well on the iPhone.

Thanks.

[K Becker, MD]

I bought the iphone and was in disbelief that epocrates and other med software is not compatible with such a sophisticated phone. Until this problem is solve (not web based software - terrible!), I would not recommend this product to any other physician. Please apple do something about this.

[K Becker, MD]

I bought the iphone and was in disbelief that epocrates and other med software is not compatible with such a sophisticated phone. Until this problem is solve (not web based software - terrible!), I would not recommend this product to any other physician. Please apple do something about this.

[David Martorano]

I love the iphone and believe it could be a powerful medical device if we can open up to medical developers. In the mean time, if epocrates would just make a web 2.0 version of their software that would solve alot of the problem.

[Yvette Westlake,MD]

I truly want to buy an iPhone but I don't know if I will because I use Epocrates so often that right now I'd need to carry both the iPhone and my Treo 680. It kind of defeats the purpose (too many gadgets in my purse) so I may as well keep the my old ipod for now.

[Venkata E]

I will buy the I phone, If it works with medical appications like "epocrates"