Buying Prescriptions Online Could Save Your Life; drugstore.com-TM- Announces Launch of the eMedAlert Program to Notify Customers of Drug Recalls.

Business Editors & High-Tech/Medical Writers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2000

Peter Neupert, chief executive officer of drugstore.com(TM), the nation's leading online pharmacy, announced today that drugstore.com will launch a formal program to provide customers with notification "in Internet time" of major prescription drug warnings and recalls. Speaking at the International Conference on Internet and Society at Harvard University, Neupert told a group of Internet and technology executives that the eMedAlert program "is another example of how the Internet enhances the relationship between businesses and their customers and provides unprecedented new benefits for consumers."

According to Neupert, drugstore.com's eMedAlert program will alert customers when a prescription drug previously received from its pharmacy has been withdrawn or recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or a pharmaceutical manufacturer, or when crucial new safety information is available about the product.

"There's no doubt that drugstore.com's eMedAlert program has the potential to save lives," said Carmen A. Catizone, MS, R.Ph, Executive Director/Secretary of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) Program. "This is a great example of how the Internet can rapidly deliver the right information to the right people. We applaud drugstore.com for the company's innovation and its demonstration of concern for the customer."

The first-of-its-kind program combines the expertise of drugstore.com's pharmacists with the personalization technology of the Internet enabling unique, individualized and highly relevant, and targeted electronic information delivery to customers.

This rapid notification capability is especially important in the healthcare industry, since well over 90 percent of patient medical records are available only in paper form, making it virtually impossible for most physicians and pharmacists to identify and quickly communicate important drug recall and warning information to specific patients.

"We've seen great progress in the last 50 years of drug development," said Andy Stergachis, drugstore.com's chief pharmacist. "But despite rigorous clinical trials and testing procedures, no new drug is absolutely safe: there is always some risk of adverse reaction. As a result, there is always a pressing need to notify patients as soon as important new risks become apparent. It was clear to us that the Internet offered an unprecedented opportunity to communicate vital, must-have drug recall and warning information to our patients. The eMedAlert program brings patient care at drugstore.com to a whole new level."

Neupert said that the eMedAlert program was the result of drugstore.com's experience in three recent situations involving drug recalls or warnings from the FDA and the drug manufacturers. Concerned about the threat these drugs posed to their customers, drugstore.com pharmacists used the technology at their fingertips to respond quickly. On an informal basis, they were able to communicate rapidly and directly to specific customers the relevant warnings. The informal efforts proved extremely successful. "It was exciting to realize that we have the opportunity to offer our prescription customers a possibly life-saving benefit," said Neupert. "The eMedAlert program will not only provide this important information in 'Internet time,' but also in a manner that respects and protects the privacy and security of our customers' personal medical information."

The eMedAlert program works as follows: Clinical pharmacists at drugstore.com continuously monitor reports of drug and product recalls and withdrawals, using several sources -- the FDA Web site, as well as the receipt of warnings directly from drug manufacturers and drug wholesalers. Once aware of the problem, drugstore.com pharmacists quickly determine if any customers are affected. Next, they send a targeted e-mail alert urging customers to log on to the drugstore.com Web site for specific information regarding their prescription (note that all detailed information, such as drug name or specific patient information, is not included in the e-mail, in order to protect patient confidentiality). Customers log on to the drugstore.com Web site with password access, in order to learn the details of the recall, including the drug name and patient-specific recall instructions and communications. In addition, drugstore.com pharmacists will also post general information about the recall/warning on the Web site, so that new or potential customers, in searching or browsing the Web site, may also learn the news. drugstore.com expects to launch the eMedAlert program early in the third quarter. Additional details about the eMedAlert program can be found on the drugstore.com Web site, at www.drugstore.com.

About drugstore.com

drugstore.com(TM) (NASDAQ:DSCM) is a leading online drugstore and information site offering A Very Healthy Way to Shop(TM) for health, beauty, wellness, personal care, and pharmacy products. drugstore.com provides a convenient, private, and informative shopping experience that encourages consumers to purchase products essential to healthy, everyday living. drugstore.com offers thousands of brand-name personal health care products at competitive prices; a full-service, licensed mail pharmacy; and a wealth of health-related information, buying guides, and other tools designed to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Consumers can personalize their shopping experiences with shopping lists, e-mail reminders for replenishing regularly used products, and private e-mail access to pharmacists and beauty experts for questions.

drugstore.com has been awarded the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) as a fully licensed facility exercising the best safe pharmacy practices in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. drugstore.com has also been rated the top health category site by Forrester PowerRankings, which provides objective rankings of the leading e-commerce sites.

The company recently acquired Beauty.com, a leading site offering prestige cosmetic products and, in addition to Amazon.com, also has strategic relationships with Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE, PSE: RAD) and General Nutrition Companies.

SOURCE: drugstore.com(TM)