Medicine Shoppe(R) Pharmacies Rank Highest for Second Year in a Row in J.D. Power and Associates Study of Retail Chain Pharmacy Customer Satisfaction

    ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29 -- Medicine Shoppe(R) pharmacies have

once again been awarded top honors for customer satisfaction among retail

pharmacy chains by J.D. Power and Associates.

    "Receiving the highest customer satisfaction score from J.D. Power and

Associates for the second year in a row is an honor and a demonstration of

the dedication of our pharmacists and franchisees," said Terry Burnside,

general manager of Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., franchisor for

Medicine Shoppe pharmacies. "Medicine Shoppe pharmacists are committed to

providing the highest level of personalized service and pride themselves on

spending time counseling customers about their medications and overall

health concerns, from immunizations to diabetes."
    The 2008 J.D. Power and Associates study results show Medicine Shoppe

pharmacy's customer satisfaction score as 873 (out of 1000), exceeding the

industry average for chain pharmacies by 68 points. The average score for

chain pharmacies was 805.
    The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 National Pharmacy Study(SM) was

conducted online in June through August 2008 among 15,163 consumers

nationwide who filled a new prescription or refilled a prescription in the

three months prior to the survey. This syndicated study examined the full

experience of typical retail pharmacy customers by exploring a variety of

factors, such as convenience, the pharmacist and non-pharmacist staff,

availability of medication and information, layout and design of the store,

and competitiveness of pricing -- among others.
    According to J.D. Power and Associates, the chain drugstore pharmacy

experience is comprised of seven factors that determine overall

satisfaction. Medicine Shoppe pharmacies scored highest in each of the

seven factors, including satisfaction with the pharmacist, store

convenience, non-pharmacist staff, medication availability and information,

store layout and design, cost competitiveness and remote ordering

convenience.
    About Medicine Shoppe International, Inc.
    Medicine Shoppe International, Inc. http://www.medicineshoppe.com, a

Cardinal Health Company, is the largest franchisor of independent community

pharmacies in the U.S. In 2003, Medicine Shoppe International acquired

Medicap Pharmacies Incorporated http://www.medicap.com, which franchises

independent community pharmacies in the U.S. under the trade name Medicap

Pharmacy(R). Medicine Shoppe(R) and Medicap Pharmacy(R) locations are

distinguished for their commitment to providing expert, personalized health

care. There are more than 800 domestic Medicine Shoppe(R) pharmacies and

Medicap Pharmacy(R) locations and more than 400 pharmacies in five other

countries.
    About J.D. Power and Associates
    Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is

a global marketing information services company operating in key business

sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement,

training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction

measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.

For more information on cell phone ratings, car reviews and ratings, car

insurance, health insurance and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power

and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
SOURCE Medicine Shoppe International, Inc.