We at Micromedex understand how important your privacy is to you, and want you to know that it is also important to us. We feel that a critical part of demonstrating that importance is providing you with information to give you a full understanding of how we use the data we collect online about you and your use of our web sites. The following privacy policy will provide you with information on the types of data we gather online, the uses we make of it, the third parties to whom we may give access, the opportunities you have to choose how and where the information is used, the security precautions we use to protect the data, and your rights to review and correct the data.

The information we collect about you online:

1) Information from the Micromedex corporate web site: Much of the information that Micromedex collects from customers and visitors who access our corporate web site is general in nature. Through a tracking software package widely used by web site operators, we collect information on traffic patterns, including other web sites which serve as exit/entry points, the identities and locations of organizations through which our users access our web site, navigation routes through the site, and the number of times each page is visited. No cookies are used to gather this information, and no other customer-specific information is obtained automatically.

There are several locations on the Micromedex corporate web site which allow customers and visitors to submit comments or requests online via a form template or e-mail. These submissions are completely voluntary, but most require that the customer or visitor submit some identifying information such as a name and/or e-mail address. Other required and/or optional information may be requested by Micromedex in connection with a customer or visitor submission, although the specific information requested will vary from form to form. Finally, some customers may obtain updates of products to which they subscribe via our corporate web site. These customers must submit user IDs and passwords to access the updates, and Micromedex retains information regarding dates and times of these log-ins in order to monitor compliance with license agreement terms, as well as potential unauthorized access.

2) Information from the Micromedex® Healthcare Series and Corporate Solutions Internet products: Micromedex collects a variety of information from its customers and their end users who have licensed and who use the Micromedex® Healthcare Series and Corporate Solutions Internet products. User IDs and passwords are required for access to these products, and, combined with the use of cookies (which are also required), they enable Micromedex to collect the IP address of the computer being used, the length of the particular session, the terms that are searched, the pages that are viewed, and other similar information about an end user session. However, Micromedex does not automatically collect information online regarding other sites that an end user visits (other than the page from which an end user enters the products and the page to which an end user exits from the products), other programs which an end user may have on its computer, or any content on an end user's hard drive.

Certain end users of Micromedex products may be required to register in order to access the products on the Internet. In order to access the products, an end user must submit to Micromedex their first and last names, street address, and email address as well as other appropriate information.

End users of the Corporate Solutions Internet product may agree to register for Micromedex' Corporate Solutions User Community. Registration for this service is voluntary, unless the customer through whom the end user is accessing the products has previously agreed that all its end users will register. In order to gain the benefits of User Community membership, an end user must submit to Micromedex their first and last names and e-mail address and must acknowledge several statements, including the existence of a cookie on their computer, acceptance of the terms of this privacy policy, and acceptance of the terms of the Micromedex disclaimer statement. Submission of other information, such as company name and address, job function, browser/operating system/ISP information, and user preferences for such features as start pages, is completely optional.

What we do with your information:

1) Information from the Micromedex corporate web site: The tracking information Micromedex collects regarding traffic to its corporate web site is generally viewed in the aggregate (with the exception of entry/exit sites and identities/geographic locations of organizations used for access to the site), and gives us an idea of what areas of interest our customers and visitors are pursuing when they come to our site. This knowledge is used to assist us in designing and enhancing the content and layout of the site and in making adjustments to navigation paths, all of which can help us to provide our customers and visitors with a more user-friendly, positive experience. Passwords and user IDs which are entered by customers to receive online updates are used to ensure that only customers with valid subscriptions are accessing the products, and to track dates and times of access to those updates for license compliance purposes. Finally, information which customers and visitors submit via e-mail or form template to one of the Micromedex mailboxes is primarily used to accomplish the customer's or visitor's purpose in making the particular submission, whether it is a technical support question, a request for a free trial or promotional materials, pursuit of employment opportunities, product enhancement suggestions, contest participation, etc. Secondarily, this information may be added to a database of leads for follow-up by our sales force or product managers via sales calls or marketing campaigns in order to provide information on other Micromedex products and programs which might serve those customers' or visitors' needs.

2) Information from the Micromedex® Healthcare Series and Corporate Solutions Internet products: Of course, the user IDs and passwords that customers submit at the beginning of a session are used by Micromedex to verify that a valid subscription exists for the product and which databases are a part of that subscription, but the other information that Micromedex gathers serves important purposes as well. In its aggregate form, information concerning traffic patterns and usage plays a vital role in Micromedex' ability to refine and add content and presentation features and to prioritize development and update activities so that the Micromedex products better fit the needs of its customers. It also helps us to know what parts of the products are most valuable to our customers, and what parts are under-utilized, enabling us to develop more effective marketing materials to inform our customers. When viewed on an individual customer basis, the information allows us to determine whether the parameters of a customer's sublicense to the products are being violated. In addition, the individual information may permit us to tailor the look and feel of the content to a specific customer, to more accurately determine per-user pricing where appropriate, and to analyze and address customer needs which may not be met by their current subscription mix.

For those customers who register online for access to Micromedex products, the information they submit serves several important purposes. Micromedex may use this information to notify those users of content corrections, new information or other information relevant to their use of that product. In addition, Micromedex may use the information in its marketing activities.

Information submitted by end users that register for the Corporate Solutions User Community likewise allows Micromedex to tailor its customer service, but allows it to do so at the individual end user level. The information an end user provides in his or her User Community profile, together with a cookie that identifies the IP address from which an end user is accessing the products, is used by Micromedex to accommodate individual preferences such as end user-specific default start pages and preferred languages, to store frequently used queries, and to provide daily e-mail updates for end user-designated Federal Register topics. It also assists Micromedex in keeping track of usage by a particular group of end users in order to maximize the value of the products to a specific customer. This is accomplished by enhancing the customer knowledge of the support team members who assist end users with technical questions, by providing customers with suggestions for their database mixes and sublicensing terms such as seat numbers and pricing, and by ensuring that customers are in compliance with those terms.

Third party access to your information:

We are not in the business of selling information about our customers and visitors to others, and generally we will not do so without your express permission. However, there will be some instances where Micromedex finds it necessary to share such information with third parties. Some of these exceptions include:

1) Affiliated companies of Micromedex - Micromedex is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Thomson Corporation, and has a number of "sister" companies with whom it works closely in providing tools to assist professionals in the healthcare, toxicology and environmental health fields. In order to meet the joint objectives of this family of corporations, Micromedex may share information it has collected about you online with those affiliated entities whose privacy policies are similar to Micromedex' policy.

2) Agents and Business Partners - From time to time, Micromedex may employ other companies to assist it with various functions, such as fulfillment activities, data analysis, marketing initiatives and customer services, to name a few. These agents may have access to information about you in order to perform these functions on Micromedex' behalf, but are prohibited from using it for any other purpose. Additionally, Micromedex may be involved with strategic business partners who need to know customer information for such purposes as joint marketing initiatives and royalty accounting. Again, these entities are prohibited from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was provided.

3) Business Transfers - As Micromedex' business grows and changes, we may buy or sell other companies or assets. In many of these transactions, customer and visitor information is one of the business assets that is transferred. Additionally, in the unlikely event Micromedex is acquired by another corporation or enters bankruptcy proceedings, customer and visitor information will of course be transferred to a third party purchaser.

4) Judicial and Law Enforcement Agencies - We may occasionally be obligated by law to provide information concerning our customers and other visitors to law enforcement officials or to judicial agencies.

Of course, Micromedex may request its customers and visitors to submit information with the specific intent that such information will be disclosed to the public, as with contest entries and testimonials. In these cases, Micromedex will inform you prior to submission that the information may be disclosed to the public, and your submission of the information will be considered consent for such disclosure.

Your opportunity to choose:

Customers and visitors to the Micromedex corporate web site may have the opportunity to opt out of some uses of the information Micromedex obtains about them via the site. Generally, if you are submitting data online to Micromedex as part of your request for information on a specific non-marketing related question, you may opt out of this information's use for any other purpose. For information on specific non-marketing related questions, or as part of the registration process for access to a Micromedex product, you may opt out of this information's use for any other purpose. Information you provide online in connection with a marketing related submission (such as a request for a free trial or product literature, a contest entry or testimonial submission, for example) is subject to an opt-out procedure for data sharing between Micromedex and third parties (except as may be required by law or in order to fulfill the specific purpose for which you submitted the information), as well as separate opt-out procedure for additional marketing initiatives by Micromedex.

Due to the important role that information gathered from customers via the Micromedex® Healthcare Series and Corporate Solutions Internet products plays in Micromedex' ability to serve its customers, Micromedex is unable to offer users of these web sites the opportunity to opt out of the collection and limited use of such information.

How we protect your information:

At this time, Micromedex does not collect credit card numbers or other financial information online. As for the information we do collect, Micromedex protects it from unauthorized disclosure, alteration or use through our internal management policies and procedures, including educating our employees on the importance of keeping customer information confidential and accurate and requiring employees and agents to sign agreements prohibiting disclosure of confidential information.

Our Micromedex® Healthcare Series and Corporate Solutions Internet products require input of a valid user ID and password issued by Micromedex before access is granted. As with your user IDs and passwords for all software programs, you should keep these identifiers in a secure location and only disclose them to others with a need to know. You should also make sure to sign off when you are finished using the site to prevent unauthorized access.

Your rights to review and correct your information:

One of the most important aspects of privacy is a person's ability to know what information about them is being maintained by a company and to request and obtain correction of erroneous information. In furtherance of this ideal, Micromedex allows you to request a copy of the personally identifiable information we have collected about you. If you review the information and feel that it is inaccurate, you may request that Micromedex correct the errors. You can contact us with these requests by:

1) Email at mdx.info@thomson.com,
2) Telephone in the USA and Canada at (800) 525-9083;
3) Telephone outside the USA or Canada at 1-(303)-486-6444;
4) Facsimile at (303) 486-6464, Attention: Internet Coordinator;
5) Mail to MICROMEDEX, Inc., 6200 South Syracuse Way, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-4740, Attention: Internet Coordinator.

Please include your name and address, your particular concern, and why the information we have is incorrect. You will receive a response within five working days verifying that we have received your message and explaining how we are addressing your concern.

A final word:

In the event Micromedex makes any changes to its privacy policy, as described above, we will post those changes on our corporate web site for you to review. Please feel free to visit often. Our business is providing information solutions to our customers, and we believe that we should endeavor to keep information flowing smoothly to our customers in all aspects of their relationship with us.