drugstore.com, inc. First Drugstore to Offer Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator for Over-the-Counter Sale

Business Wire, Oct 20, 2004

BELLEVUE, Wash., & ANDOVER, Mass. -- drugstore.com, inc. (Nasdaq:DSCM) and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) today announced that the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator is now available over-the-counter (OTC) to consumers via the drugstore.com(TM) online store. drugstore.com is the first drugstore to offer the HeartStart Home Defibrillator for OTC sale. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cleared the HeartStart Home Defibrillator for sale without a prescription, making it the first and only defibrillator to obtain OTC status. As a leading provider of online health solutions, drugstore.com will play an important role in making the HeartStart Home Defibrillator more easily available to consumers for home use, where the majority of cardiac arrests occur.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming approximately 340,000 lives each year -- more than traffic accidents, house fires, handguns, breast cancer, prostate cancer and AIDS combined. Defibrillators provide treatment for ventricular fibrillation, the most common cause of SCA, by delivering a controlled electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. For each minute that passes before defibrillation therapy is administered to a victim, the chance for survival decreases by about 10 percent. It takes an average of nine minutes for emergency professionals to reach a victim in a typical community.

"With nearly 80 percent of cardiac arrests occurring in the home, it is important to make defibrillation technology easily available to consumers," said Deborah DiSanzo, vice president and general manager, cardiac resuscitation, Philips Medical Systems. "Offering the HeartStart Home Defibrillator at drugstore.com empowers consumers, with only a few clicks of the mouse, to better prepare for such an emergency. Philips is a pioneer in bringing defibrillators to the home and is pleased to join forces with drugstore.com, an innovative and accomplished online retailer."

"drugstore.com is committed to providing its customers with the latest in cutting-edge technology, and we are proud to be the first drugstore to offer the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator," said Jeff Kimmell, licensed pharmacist and vice president, healthcare services and chief pharmacy officer of drugstore.com, inc. "This news comes just in time for the holiday season, when many consumers are looking to purchase a gift that can provide peace of mind for their loved ones."

Patented technologies and an award-winning design make the HeartStart Home Defibrillator fast to learn and easy to use. Designed around the user, it provides clear, calm voice instructions that guide responders through every step of the defibrillation process. It even reminds them to call for emergency help and offers instructions for administering CPR. Patented voice coaching for both adult and infant/child CPR provides audio cues for each breath as well as the appropriate number and rate of chest compressions. Advanced SMART Pad technology senses the responder's actions with the pads and automatically adjusts the pace of the voice instructions to meet the individual responder's needs.

Daily self-tests of multiple system components, including a check for pads readiness, renders the device virtually maintenance free. A loud chirp alerts family members when any part of the system needs attention. The specially designed Infant/Child SMART Pads cartridge, available by prescription, makes the HeartStart Home Defibrillator more appropriate for use on infants and children under the age of 8 or weighing less than 55 lbs.

The HeartStart Home Defibrillator, along with an owner's manual and instructional video, is available to consumers by visiting www.drugstore.com. Consumers can view an online demonstration of the HeartStart Home Defibrillator, as well as read about sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of early defibrillation.

About drugstore.com, inc.

drugstore.com, inc. (Nasdaq:DSCM) is a leading online provider of health, beauty, vision, and pharmacy solutions. The drugstore.com(TM) online store provides a convenient, private, and informative shopping experience that encourages consumers to purchase products essential to healthy, everyday living. The online store offers thousands of brand-name personal health care products at competitive prices; a full-service, licensed retail pharmacy; and a wealth of health-related information, buying guides, and other tools designed to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Consumers can personalize their shopping experiences with shopping lists, e-mail reminders for replenishing regularly used products, and private e-mail access to pharmacists and beauty experts for questions.

drugstore.com, inc. has been awarded the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) as a fully licensed facility exercising competent, safe pharmacy practices in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.