New Location to Focus on Specialty Pharmaceuticals

    FARMINGTON, Conn., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Familymeds, Inc. today
 announced the opening of a new clinical pharmacy in Middletown, Connecticut.
 The pharmacy is located in a new medical office building operated by ProHealth
 Physicians, the largest group of primary care physicians in Connecticut.
     The Arrow Pharmacy and Nutrition Center will sell prescription
 medications, including hard-to-find and specialty drugs. The store will also
 sell an extensive selection of vitamins, diet and nutritional products, and
 home medical equipment.  Home delivery is also available from this location.
     The pharmaceutical product selection has been specially designed to meet
 the prescribing needs of the physicians and the disease states of the patients
 they serve.  The building is the new home for two ProHealth practices,
 Middlesex Family Practice and Middlesex Pediatrics, as well as physical
 therapy and imaging services. It is also the home of the new Connecticut
 Center for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
     It is anticipated that each physician will be directly connected to the
 pharmacy via e-prescribing technology. This will allow patients to have their
 prescriptions filled without waiting, as well as provide reduced
 administrative responsibilities for the doctors.
     "The new Arrow Pharmacy in Middletown represents the next generation of
 our clinical and specialty pharmacies," said Ed Mercadante, R. Ph., president
 and CEO of Familymeds. "The collaboration between the two organizations during
 the planning process will ensure that patients experience state-of-the-art
 specialty pharmacy services in the most convenient location possible."
     Arrow and Familymeds have been serving our patients for many years through
 their community-based pharmacies," said Jack Reed, president of ProHealth. "We
 knew they were the country's leading operator of clinical and specialty
 pharmacies in medical office buildings, so the partnership made sense on many
 levels."
 
     About Familymeds, Inc.
     Familymeds, Inc. is a privately held, private-equity funded corporation
 based in Farmington, CT. The company focus is on providing specialty pharmacy
 products to various customer groups; including consumers, physicians,
 employers and institutions. The company also provides a wide variety of other
 healthcare-related, diagnostic products used for the treatment of chronic
 diseases.
     The company owns and operates more than 80 professional pharmacies in
 14 states. The majority of these pharmacies are located at or near the point
 of care between physicians and patients, many times inside or near medical
 office buildings.  The collaboration between physician and professional
 pharmacy creates a different pharmacy experience. Familymeds hires and trains
 professional staff, and tailors the product selection, to be consistent with
 the specialties of the physicians we service on a location-by-location basis.
 The Company has developed core competencies in the following areas:
     * Diabetes
     * Oncology
     * Pain Management
     * Respiratory
     * Transplant
     * And others
 
     The company provides specialty medications, including compounded remedies
 and IV solutions, directly to the patient or to the physician for
 administration at the point of care. Familymeds also offers traditional
 medications for both acute and chronic conditions. These products are
 augmented by a specialized, focused selection of vitamins, nutritional
 supplements and home medical supplies.
     The Company has built a specialty distribution platform to allow customers
 to access products and services through a variety of channels. Familymeds
 offers mail order, Internet and catalog opportunities to its various
 customers. This platform provides healthcare solutions for insurers (including
 United Healthcare) and pharmacy benefits managers (including Medco Health).
 Familymeds also translates the experience working with physicians and
 employers into robust, sophisticated solutions through the alternate sales
 channels.
 
     About ProHealth Physicians
     ProHealth Physicians, the largest group practice of primary care
 practitioners in Connecticut, operates over 70 practice sites located in
 Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties. The group includes
 nearly 200 providers specializing in internal medicine, pediatrics and family
 practice. ProHealth Physicians treat over 320,000 patients in Connecticut
 through its 70 practice locations.
 
     The statements contained in this press release that are not purely
 historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of
 the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements
 regarding Familymeds' expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies
 regarding the future. All forward-looking statements included in this document
 are based upon information available to Familymeds as of the date hereof, and
 Familymeds assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking
 statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which
 could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Nothing
 can or should be inferred about Familymeds' future revenues or financial
 results from the information contained in this press release.
 
 

SOURCE  Familymeds, Inc.