Bergen Brunswig's Good Neighbor Pharmacy/PlusCare Network and more.com Announce Exclusive Partnership for On-line Prescriptions.ORANGE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 24, 1999-- -- Strategic Alliance Gives Independent Stores Competitive Edge In Significant On-line Presence -- Bergen Brunswig Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. ) today announced a strategic Internet partnership with more.com, the world's largest health, beauty and wellness store, as part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at accelerating the Internet presence of Bergen Brunswig's affiliated network of more than 2,000 Good Neighbor Pharmacy/PlusCare stores. In this alliance, Good Neighbor Pharmacy Good Neighbor Pharmacy is a retailers' cooperative network of over 2,700 independently owned and operated pharmacies. It has a business affiliation with AmerisourceBergen (Bergen Brunswig Drug Company), which sponsors the network and owns the name "Good Neighbor Pharmacy". (GNP GNP See: Gross National Product ), through its website, myGNP.com, will be featured as more.com's exclusive on-line prescription provider, allowing consumers the option of picking up their prescription order at their local Good Neighbor Pharmacy, or receiving it via express delivery. The official launch of on-line prescription ordering capabilities at more.com is expected to occur this fall. "This alliance between the Good Neighbor Pharmacy/PlusCare network and more.com will accelerate the execution of our Internet strategy by immediately giving our independent pharmacy An independent pharmacy is a retail pharmacy that is not directly affiliated with any chain pharmacy, such as CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens or Eckerd. However, owners of independent pharmacies will often form alliances with other independents and use their power in numbers to bargain for customers an expanded on-line presence," stated Brent Martini, president of Bergen Brunswig Drug Company. "As the only pharmaceutical distributor offering this on-line prescription capability to its customers, Bergen Brunswig has taken a leadership role in creating new revenue opportunities that will help independent pharmacy participate in the evolution of the e-commerce on-line drugstore." more.com's robust multi-media advertising efforts will augment Good Neighbor Pharmacy's national advertising program by reaching millions of consumers with its core advertising messages. Breaking this week in several major US publications including People Magazine and USA Today USA Today National U.S. daily general-interest newspaper, the first of its kind. Launched in 1982 by Allen Neuharth, head of the Gannett newspaper chain, it reached a circulation of one million within a year and surpassed two million in the 1990s. , and on network television and radio in seven major markets, more.com's campaign is expected to achieve a significant awareness rate among its target market. The campaign includes a combination of upbeat TV commercials and radio spots, eye-catching print ads, and interactive banners featuring its "Forever More" promotion which offers consumers the ability to lock in today's low Today's Low The intra-day low trading price. Notes: In other words, this is the lowest price that a stock traded at during the course of the day. More often than not this is lower than the closing price. See also: Today's High prices on all their favorite brands - for life. Through more.com, members of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy/PlusCare network will be seen online by millions of potential new consumers. This additional exposure will greatly enhance its national branding efforts while continuing to help consumers differentiate the Good Neighbor Pharmacy healthcare experience. "We are thrilled to present Good Neighbor Pharmacy and PlusCare members with this opportunity to partner with a company having such impressive credentials CREDENTIALS, international law. The instruments which authorize and establish a public minister in his character with the state or prince to whom they are addressed. If the state or prince receive the minister, he can be received only in the quality attributed to him in his credentials. ," said Mr. Martini. "more.com's demonstrated commitment to providing an outstanding online shopping experience, its solid financial backing, and exceptional management team complements Bergen Brunswig's healthcare and logistics expertise." "By partnering with Bergen Brunswig, more.com has the most convenient method of filling a prescription available today - and coverage of more consumer lives than any of our competitors," said Don Kendall, co-founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of more.com. "Our aim is to continually provide our customers with a better way to shop, and partnering with Bergen Brunswig allows us to do just that." This alliance is a natural evolution for Bergen Brunswig's existing fulfillment ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. relationship with Greentree, which is owned by more.com and provides health and wellness products. Both Greentree and Good Neighbor Pharmacy are featured on more.com's on-line offering. David Neu, executive vice president of sales and marketing of Bergen Brunswig Drug Company, said, "The initial success of Greentree has created an ideal platform for expansion into more.com while presenting a tremendous opportunity for the Good Neighbor Pharmacy/PlusCare network to enter e-commerce. We are impressed with more.com's commitment to include the community pharmacist pharmacist /phar·ma·cist/ (fahr´mah-sist) one who is licensed to prepare and sell or dispense drugs and compounds, and to make up prescriptions. phar·ma·cist n. in their online healthcare strategy." Mr. Martini added, "Our partnership with more.com combines the best of community pharmacy with the latest in technology, enabling us to create an unparalleled and valuable experience for the consumer. Consumers will be able to access a pharmacist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and ask any questions they may have. Many Good Neighbor Pharmacies will offer same-day service (humour, operating system) same-day service - An ironic term used to describe long response time, particularly with respect to MS-DOS system calls (which ought to require only a tiny fraction of a second to execute). allowing prescriptions to be picked up the day an on-line order is placed. This way, consumers will have the ability to personally consult with a pharmacist about their healthcare issues." Good Neighbor Pharmacy is the nation's premier network of independently owned and operated community pharmacies served by Bergen Brunswig. More than 2,000 pharmacies nationwide operate under the Good Neighbor Pharmacy name. Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Bergen Brunswig's PlusCare Provider Network together provide access to over 150 million lives - more than any current on-line pharmacy. To locate the Good Neighbor Pharmacy nearest you, call 888-GNP-STOR, or access the Internet website at www.myGNP.com. more.com, founded in November 1997, carries the world's largest selection of health, beauty and wellness products and delivers to customers the convenience and cost advantages of buying online. By delivering in-depth, objective information on health issues and products, more.com assists shoppers in selecting the right products - making it easy for them to care for themselves and their families. For more information, please visit www.more.com. Bergen Brunswig Corporation, a Fortune 200 Company with annualized annualized Of or relating to a variable that has been mathematically converted to a yearly rate. Inflation and interest rates are generally annualized since it is on this basis that these two variables are ordinarily stated and compared. revenues of $18 billion (excludes bulk shipments to customers' warehouses), is one of the nation's leading supply channel management companies, providing pharmaceuticals, medical-surgical and specialty products as well as information management solutions and outsourcing (1) Contracting with outside consultants, software houses or service bureaus to perform systems analysis, programming and datacenter operations. Contrast with insourcing. See netsourcing, ASP, SSP and facilities management. services designed to improve cost-effectiveness and increase value for customers, patients and manufacturers across the entire healthcare spectrum. Additionally, through its subsidiary, PharMerica, Bergen serves approximately 500,000 patients in long term care and alternate site settings. Bergen also develops disease-specific treatment protocols and pharmacoeconomic initiatives to assist in the reduction of overall healthcare costs while improving disease management and outcomes. Certain of the information set forth in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. " within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995 and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied. Such statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" or "continue" or the negatives or other variations thereof or other similar terminology. Such risks and uncertainties include the risks described in exhibit 99 to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. for the quarter ended June 30, 1999 and in other reports and exhibits filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bergen Brunswig press releases are available on the company's website at www.bergenbrunswig.com. |
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