Pharmacy Kiosks on the Way

A licensing agreement with DuaneReade Inc will allow DrugMax Inc toopen electronic pharmacy kiosks.DrugMax will operate the kiosks underits Familymeds and Arrow Pharmacybrands. It plans to open 5 locations inConnecticut by the end of this year,with additional locations in variousmarkets scheduled for 2006.

The kiosks will allow patients to scantheir prescriptions and consult with thecompany's pharmacist or technicianthrough a live interactive video conference.After this consultation, patientswill have the option of scheduling apickup of their medications at any ofDrugMax's 77 Familymeds and ArrowPharmacy locations or of having theirpharmaceuticals delivered to theirhome. The kiosks will be installed onmedical campuses that DrugMax doesnot currently serve, as well as in locationswhere DrugMax has a pharmacyhoused in a separate building.

"Pharmacy kiosk technology iswhere ATMs were 20 years ago," saidDavid Siegel, general manager of DuaneReade's kiosk business. "You used toneed someone to help you use an ATM,and there are now over one millionATMs in operation. Based on our initial,real results, we believe the pharmacykiosk will have a similar adoption rate."