HDMA APPLAUDS NCPA, FBI LEEDA AND PURDUE PHARMA FOR LAUNCHING NEW SECURITY INITIATIVE

Cooperative Industry and Law Enforcement Efforts Key to Further Protecting Patient Safety

Arlington, VA – April 1, 2008 – The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) applauds the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association and Purdue Pharma L.P. for launching “Protect Your Pharmacy Week.” This critical initiative, coordinated with RxPATROL® (Pattern Analysis Tracking Robberies and Other Losses), is an important way to highlight the need for continued vigilance against the threat of potential pharmacy robberies.

“This initiative is a critically important element in an overall strategy to help further protect against increasingly sophisticated criminals who attempt to steal, divert and counterfeit medicines,” said HDMA President and CEO John M. Gray. “As a partner in the RxPATROL initiative, HDMA strongly supports these and other efforts to enhance the safety and security of the prescription medicine supply.

“HDMA believes that ongoing education and the use of innovative new technologies is part of a multi-layered battle plan to combat criminal activity and further ensure patient safety,” continued Gray. “HDMA’s primary distributor members have and will continue to work across the supply chain and with law enforcement to advance anti-crime solutions and technologies.”

RxPATROL® is a growing partnership of Purdue Pharma L.P., pharmacies, healthcare distributors and law enforcement to collect, collate, analyze and disseminate pharmacy theft information to pharmacists, loss prevention professionals and law enforcement agencies. Additional information about RxPATROL is available at www.rxpatrol.org.

About HDMA
The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) is the national association representing primary, full-service healthcare distributors. Each business day, the member companies of HDMA are responsible for ensuring that more than eight million prescription medicines and healthcare products are safely delivered to 145,000 pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, physician offices, clinics, government and other providers in all 50 states. This essential public health function is provided with tremendous efficiency, saving the nation’s healthcare system nearly $32 billion each year. HDMA and its members are the vital link in the healthcare system, working daily to provide value, remove costs and develop innovative solutions to deliver care safely and effectively.