VALLEY FORGE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2000--AmeriSource Health Corporation (NYSE:AAS), one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical distributors, today announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with healthAtoZ.com, the premier healthcare Internet portal for personalized, accurate and original health and medical information.
Under the alliance, healthAtoZ.com will provide its extensive site content to each of AmeriSource's Virtual Internet Pharmacy (VIP) customer websites. The content will appear as part of each VIP site with the logo "Powered by healthAtoZ.com" on the page.
VIP allows independent and small chain pharmacies to create their own websites, where customers can browse AmeriSource's catalog of over 15,000 non-pharmaceutical products and then electronically select the items they wish to buy.
AmeriSource fills the order and delivers it to the retailer the next day, then the pharmacy retailer either delivers the products to the consumer or the consumer can pick up the order in person.
AmeriSource will launch the new addition to VIP at its annual trade show July 16 to 20, 2000 in Orlando, Florida.
"Our alliance with healthAtoZ.com significantly enhances our 'click and brick' strategy--which combines consumer confidence in the traditional retail pharmacy with the convenience of Internet shopping," said R. David Yost, AmeriSource President and Chief Executive Officer. "It's the next logical step. Now consumers can not only come to their local pharmacy over the Internet for great product values, but they can also find trusted, accurate information for maintaining wellness and managing disease."
"Joining with AmeriSource allows us to greatly expand our service to healthcare consumers, under the trusted banner of the local pharmacy," said Raj Lakhanpal, MD, FRCS, FACEP, President and Chief Executive Officer of healthAtoZ.com. "Our mission is to provide people with quality information and Internet tools that enable them to take an active role in pursuing optimum health, and this alliance significantly broadens our reach."
A leader in healthcare information, healthAtoZ.com has 95 percent original content, reviewed by a 40-person Medical Advisory Board that ensures accuracy of information. The portal is consistently rated among the top 10 health sites by Gomez Advisors, recently ranking No. 2 for Relationship Services and No. 3 for both ease of use and consumer confidence.
And in a recent rating by www.deja.com, the site received high scores (overall 4.4 out of 5), most notably for credibility and comprehensiveness.
About healthAtoZ.com
HealthAtoZ.com, "Your Family Health Site," was founded in 1995 by a team of physicians, nurses and pharmacists. Today it serves consumers and healthcare professionals as the premiere Internet resource for accurate and original health and medical information.
A leader in personalizing health information on the Internet, the site allows users to tailor the healthAtoZ.com home page with health news, journal articles and Web tools to suit their individual interests. In addition, healthAtoZ.com provides eMate, a health-focused interactive family calendar and reminder service, as well as the Internet's most comprehensive medical search engine.
Based in Cranbury, NJ, HealthAtoZ is dedicated to promoting disease management and wellness programs. The company provides Internet services to managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, employers, and e-pharmacy sites. For additional information, visit www.healthatoz.com.
About AmeriSource
AmeriSource Health Corporation, with more than $10 billion in operating revenue, is a leading distributor of pharmaceutical and related healthcare services and the industry's largest provider of pharmaceuticals to the acute care/health systems market.
Headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, the company serves its base of 21,000 customer accounts through a national network of 24 strategically located distribution facilities. For news and additional information about the company, visit its web site at www.amerisource.com.
Certain information contained in this press release includes forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) that reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance.
Certain factors such as competitive pressures, success of restructuring initiatives, continued industry consolidation, changes in customer mix, changes in pharmaceutical manufacturers' pricing and distribution policy, the loss of one or more key customer or supplier relationships and other matters contained in the Company's Form 10-K for fiscal year 1999 and other public documents could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
The Company assumes no obligation to update the matters discussed in this press release.
CONTACT: AmeriSource Health Corp.
Michael N. Kilpatric, 610/727-7118
mkilpatric@amerisource.com
or
healthAtoZ.com
Vivian Sudhalter, 609/409-8200
vivians@healthatoz.com