Merck-Medco Sells $1 Billion in Online Pharmacy

Merck-Medco, the "Merck subsidiary that manages prescriptions," has become the "first" online pharmacy to sell $1 billion worth of drugs, filling 10 million prescriptions over the last three years, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Although the "bulk" of the company's business comes from processing the "paper work for prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies," Merck representatives said its performance is an "indication of [the] potential for selling prescription drugs over the Internet." The Star-Ledger reports that sales figures for its Web-based pharmacy represent a small portion of the company's business: Approximately 2% of Merck-Medco's 452 million prescriptions filled in 2000 came from members using its Web site. The Star-Ledger reports that the company expects to sell $750 million in prescription drugs this year, an increase of nearly $300 million in sales from 2000 (Schwab, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/16).