CVS.com Earns VIPPS Seal of Approval; e-Pharmacy forCVS/pharmacy Offers Safe, Secure Consumer...

SEATTLE--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 16, 1999--

CVS.com (www.CVS.com), the online subsidiary of America's No. 1 drugstore chain, CVS/pharmacy (NYSE:CVS) today announced that its has received the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) certification from the National Association of

Out of the over 400 Internet pharmacies currently selling prescription drugs, only four, including CVS.com, have received the seal of approval.

"The VIPPS certification is the gold standard for e-pharmacies, representing trust, reliability and quality," said Tom Pigott, president and CEO of CVS.com. "This certification ensures America that CVS.com offers the same level of quality as bricks-and-mortar CVS/pharmacy stores."

The voluntary VIPPS program was instituted earlier this year to provide U.S. consumers with vital information regarding certified online pharmacy licensure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to purchase prescription drugs on the Internet only from those sites carrying the VIPPS seal of approval. Before receiving the VIPPS seal of approval, e-Pharmacies must participate in a strict review process and meet 17 separate pharmacy practice criteria. These areas include:

-- Verification of prescriber and patient/caregiver identity -- Confidentiality of patient information -- Compliance with the most stringent of pharmacy practice laws and

regulations -- Patient education/consultation about medication use and drug

reaction reporting to prevent medication errors -- Quality assurance and quality improvement efforts to ensure safe

dispensing of medications

"Earlier this year, CVS.com was the first e-pharmacy to work with the NABP to develop the criteria for the program," Pigott continued. "We fully agree with the NABP's goal of promoting legitimate and safe e-pharmacies and support any organization that offers similar programs."

In addition to working with the NABP, CVS.com has also received the Trust-e "trustmark" seal of approval. CVS.com continues to maintain a leading role in developing the online pharmacy market. The company's views on the Internet Pharmacy space are described in great detail in their recently released white paper, "An Approach to Identifying and Regulating the Internet Pharmacy" (August 23, 1999), available online at http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/cvs/shtml.

About CVS.com

CVS.com is the nation's first complete Internet pharmacy. Launched in January 1999 as soma.com, CVS.com provides 24-hour-a-day access to registered pharmacists via the Internet or toll-free telephone number. CVS.com also offers standard or next-day delivery of quality prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and health and beauty products. CVS.com is an online destination for health-related purchases and information on health conditions and issues authored by leading medical authorities.

CVS.com provides customers the best-of-both-worlds convenience of online and offline pharmacy shopping. CVS.com accepts thousands of third-party plans and offers thousands of over-the-counter items at highly competitive prices, online or telephone ordering, in-store pick-up or home delivery of prescriptions, and direct toll-free access to CVS.com pharmacists at 888/607-4CVS. A CVS.com online media kit is available at http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/cvs.shtml

About CVS

CVS is the nation's largest retail provider of prescriptions. The company is the No. 1 drugstore chain in the U.S. with approximately 4,200 stores in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the country. CVS completed the acquisition of soma.com in June 1999. General information about CVS, including corporate background and press releases, is available through CVS' web site at http://www.CVS.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Visit the complete CVS.com media kit online at http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/cvs.shtml.