Abaton.com Forms Partnership for Web-Based Clinical Connectivity Designed to Improve Prescribing Process for Consumers, Physicians and Pharmacists.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2000

New Online Prescribing Initiative Helps Reduce Potential Drug

Interactions and Expedite the Processing of Prescription Requests

for Consumers

Abaton.com, a business unit of McKesson HBOC, Inc., (NYSE:MCK) announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with Advance Paradigm, Inc.

The two organizations will launch a pilot program of Abaton's ClinRx.com Web-based prescribing system with a California-based health plan whose drug benefit plan is managed by Advance Paradigm, Inc. Advance Paradigm is a leading health improvement company serving health benefit plan sponsors representing 27 million American lives.

Under the agreement, physicians will be able to access Advance Paradigm's formulary guidelines and review a patient's profile for potentially harmful drug interactions and allergies when prescribing drugs. By integrating the physician's drug therapy selection process with Advance Paradigm's comprehensive pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services, consumers will be assured of more appropriate prescribing, while the confidentiality of their health information is protected.

&uot;Our partnership with Advance Paradigm will benefit the entire prescribing process affecting physicians, payors, pharmacists and consumers,&uot; said Nancy Brown, senior vice president of Abaton. &uot;By using our ClinRx web-based prescribing system, physicians will be able to access the list of drugs preferred by each health plan before writing a prescription. This will help improve physician compliance with clinical guidelines, reducing health benefit payor costs and lowering the risk of potentially adverse drug reactions.

&uot;This real-time approach to prescribing will also give consumers enhanced quality, safety, and convenience,&uot; she said. &uot;For instance, consumers will no longer have to worry about arriving at their drug store with a prescription and learning that their medication is not covered by their insurance plan.&uot;

About Abaton.com

Abaton.com, headquartered in Minneapolis and recently acquired by McKesson HBOC, Inc., develops web-based healthcare solutions that help clinicians provide better care through improved information flow. The only clinical web vendor with a full suite of easy-to-use, web-based tools, Abaton dramatically streamlines clinical workflow, saving providers time and money. Abaton's clinical suite supports all the clinical processes of ambulatory clinics: lab order entry and results reporting, electronic prescribing within formulary guidelines, task management and medical record documentation. Led by a team of leading healthcare technologists and clinicians, Abaton has a deep understanding of the clinician's perspective and is committed to providing flexible, secure solutions.

McKesson HBOC, Inc., a Fortune 60 Corporation, is the world's largest supply management and healthcare information technology company. McKessonHBOC provides supply management and information technologies across the entire continuum of healthcare, including market-leading businesses in pharmaceutical and medical-surgical distribution, automation, information technology and outsourcing services for healthcare providers and payers.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These statements may be identified by their use of forward-looking terminology such as &uot;believes,&uot; &uot;expects,&uot; &uot;&uot;may,&uot; &uot;should,&uot; &uot;intends,&uot; &uot;plans,&uot; &uot;estimates,&uot; &uot;anticipates&uot; and similar words. Risks and uncertainties include: the resolution or outcome of pending litigation and government investigations relating to the Company's previously announced financial restatement; the Company's ability to recognize revenues in subsequent periods that had initially been improperly recorded in prior periods; the Company's ability to successfully integrate and operate acquired businesses and the risks associated with such businesses, including the merger that created McKessonHBOC; the changing U.S. healthcare environment, including potential changes in private and governmental reimbursement for healthcare services, the method by which such services are delivered, legislation or regulations governing such services or mandated benefits, or changes in manufacturers' pricing or distribution policies; substantial defaults in payment or a material reduction in purchases of our products by large customers; the ability of the Company's Healthcare Information Technology business to retain existing customers and to attract new customers in light of rapid technological advances, slowing of demand for software products because of Year 2000 concerns and challenges in integrating the Company's software products; the effect of the events relating to, or arising out of, the Company's restatement of financial results on the Company's ability to manage its businesses and to attract and retain employees and management; the Company's ability and the ability of the Company's vendors and customers to complete the necessary actions to achieve a Year 2000 conversion for computer systems and applications; and other factors discussed from time to time in reports filed by McKesson HBOC, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligation to update information contained in this release.

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