Medical Economics Company Launches memag.com -- Medical Economics Magazine Added to the PDR.net Healthcare Supersite.

MONTVALE, N.J.--(BW HealthWire)--April 15, 1999--

The Medical Economics Company today announced that it has launched memag.com, a Web site featuring articles from its award-winning, flagship magazine, Medical Economics(R), as well as additional resources for physicians who want breaking news and expert advice on medical practice and personal finance.

Memag.com is part of the PDR.net(SM) supersite (www.pdr.net), which offers practicing physicians a rich library of relevant healthcare and medical information, including online access to the Physicians' Desk Reference(R) and other key resources and databases at no cost.

"Memag.com offers the same comprehensive coverage of practice management, personal finance, doctor-patient relations, and doctors' family lives that have been the hallmarks of Medical Economics(R) magazine for the past 75 years," says editor Jeff Forster. "But memag.com goes one step further by providing fast access to expert advice on everything from malpractice insurance to tax and investment planning in a dynamic, interactive format."

"Memag.com's interactive features also provide physicians with a new way to make their views on important issues known to the magazine's editors and to their colleagues around the country," adds Forster.

For example, in mid-April, the site is featuring an interactive survey that invites physicians to express their opinions on the federal government's attempt to recruit Medicare patients to report instances of suspected fraud involving their doctors.

Other features debuting in April will include:

-- The annual Medical Economics(R) special report on managed care,

which will examine physician report cards, rising drug costs and

their impact on doctors' prescribing habits, the effect of

capitation on practice overhead, the effect of practice

guidelines on malpractice cases, and financial woes for

Independent Practice Associations (IPAs).

-- A special report on sexual harassment that discusses how doctors

can develop sensible office policies to prevent the behavior that

leads to sexual harassment complaints.

-- A look back at the very first issue of Medical Economics(R)

Magazine, published in 1923.

-- "What's Going On" - a new weekly report from Medical Economics(R)

editor Jeff Forster that examines major current issues in

healthcare and provides a sneak preview of future topics to be

covered in the magazine and on the Web site.

Memag.com's regular features also include:

- A selection of full-text feature articles from current and recent

issues of Medical Economics(R) magazine.

- A searchable archive where readers can access additional

full-text articles from back issues of Medical Economics(R).

- Daily medical news for doctors and consumers, stock indexes and

continually-updated individual stock quotes.

- Free access to the PDR.net supersite.

In addition to offering practicing U.S.-based physicians online access to the PDR library of reference works at no cost, the PDR.net supersite provides access to more than 9,000 full-text articles from Medical Economics Company publications, including Patient Care(R), Contemporary OB/GYN(R), Contemporary Pediatrics(R), Contemporary Urology(R), and IM Internal MedicineTM. The site also offers free searching of the 11+ million abstracts from the MEDLINE, AIDSLINE and CANCERLIT databases, daily medical news from Reuters, and CareerPulse healthcare career opportunities.

PDR.net is sponsored, in part, by Forest Laboratories (AMEX: FRX), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), QDOnline, Roche Laboratories (ADR: ROHHY), Unilever, Inc. (NYSE: UL), the United States Air Force, and Wyeth-Ayerst (NYSE: AHP).

Medical Economics Company (http://www.medec.com) is a leader in healthcare information publishing and communications, providing magazines, directories, newsletters, databases, and new media products and services to healthcare professionals, institutions, and consumers. Medical Economics Company (Montvale, NJ) is part of the Thomson Healthcare Information Group, a division of The Thomson Corporation (Toronto, TOC).