HDMA INNOVATION FOR SUCCESS AWARDS PRESENTED AT THE 2007 BUSINESS PARTNERS EXCHANGE

Prestigious Industry Awards Honor Healthcare Distribution Leaders

ARLINGTON, VA – Mar. 13, 2007 –The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) today presented its 2007 Innovation for Success (IFS) Awards to distribution company leaders at the Business Partners Exchange, currently being held in Kissimmee, Fla. Winners of the prestigious HDMA IFS Awards demonstrate the value of distribution by developing creative and results-oriented programs and processes that benefit the healthcare supply chain, customers and consumers. The 2007 IFS Award winners are:

• Pharmaceutical Category—Sales of More Than $8 Billion: Matthew Pike, Director, Vendor Solutions, Cardinal Health, Inc.
• Pharmaceutical Category—Sales of Less Than $8 Billion: Marc Falkin, Senior Director, Sales and Marketing; Albert Paonessa, III, Executive Vice President and COO; and Bill Versosky, Senior Director, Purchasing and Trade Relations, all of Anda, Inc.
• Health and Beauty Care Products Category: Rick Burton, Category Manager, OTC/HBC, Smith Drug Company

“IFS Award winners serve as a model for leadership and innovation, demonstrating the power of successful trading partner relationships,” said HDMA President and CEO John M. Gray. “These honorees set in motion creative campaigns using innovative technologies, such as electronic ordering, bar coding and stocking systems. These programs increased supply chain efficiencies and improved the timeliness of product deliveries to pharmacy settings and the patients they serve. By offering results-oriented and customized support, the 2007 IFS Award winners underscore the remarkable breadth of services offered by distributors to their valued supply chain partners.”

The HDMA Innovation for Success Awards program consists of two major product categories: 1) Pharmaceutical category and 2) the Health and Beauty Care Products category. Two Awards are presented in the Pharmaceutical category; one to distributors with sales of more than $8 billion a year and one to distributors with sales of less than $8 billion. A single IFS Award is presented in the Health and Beauty Care Products category. HDMA Associate manufacturer members nominate distinguished healthcare distributors for the IFS Award.

About HDMA
The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) and its members are committed to patient safety by delivering life-saving health products and services through a secure and efficient healthcare distribution system.  These primary, full-service healthcare distributors are responsible for ensuring that billions of units of medication are safely delivered -- to tens of thousands of retail pharmacies, nursing homes, clinics and providers -- in all 50 states. HDMA and its members are the vital link in the healthcare system that is responsible for medicine safety, quality, integrity and availability in the marketplace.  Through leadership on public policy and industry best practices, HDMA and its members focus on providing value, removing costs and developing innovative solutions to deliver care safely and effectively.  For more information, please visit www.HealthcareDistribution.org.