Document:

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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.23

================================================================================

                                     FORM OF

                             BRIDGE CREDIT AGREEMENT

                                   dated as of

                                  July __, 2002

                                      among

                          MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC.,

                            THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO

                                       and

                              JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
                             as Administrative Agent

                           ---------------------------

                          J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.,
                       GOLDMAN SACHS CREDIT PARTNERS L.P.
                          and SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.
                  as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners

                           ---------------------------

                       GOLDMAN SACHS CREDIT PARTNERS L.P.
                               and CITIBANK, N.A.
                            as Co-Syndication Agents

================================================================================

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                       TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                            Page
                                                                            ----

                           ARTICLE I

                          Definitions

SECTION 1.01.   Defined Terms.................................................1
SECTION 1.02.   Classification of Borrowings.................................14
SECTION 1.03.   Terms Generally..............................................14
SECTION 1.04.   Accounting Terms; GAAP.......................................15

                          ARTICLE II

                          The Credits

SECTION 2.01.   Commitments..................................................15
SECTION 2.02.   Loans and Borrowings.........................................15
SECTION 2.03.   Funding of Borrowings........................................15
SECTION 2.04.   Interest Elections...........................................16
SECTION 2.05.   Termination..................................................17
SECTION 2.06.   Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.........................17
SECTION 2.07.   Prepayment of Loans..........................................18
SECTION 2.08.   Fees.........................................................18
SECTION 2.09.   Interest.....................................................18
SECTION 2.10.   Alternate Rate of Interest...................................19
SECTION 2.11.   Increased Costs..............................................19
SECTION 2.12.   Break Funding Payments.......................................20
SECTION 2.13.   Taxes........................................................21
SECTION 2.14.   Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs..22
SECTION 2.15.   Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders...............23

                          ARTICLE III

                  Representations and Warranties

SECTION 3.01.   Organization; Powers.........................................24
SECTION 3.02.   Authorization; Enforceability................................24
SECTION 3.03.   Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts.........................25
SECTION 3.04.   Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change..............25
SECTION 3.05.   Properties; Insurance........................................26
SECTION 3.06.   Litigation and Environmental Matters.........................26
SECTION 3.07.   Compliance with Laws and Agreements..........................27
SECTION 3.08.   Investment and Holding Company Status........................27
SECTION 3.09.   Taxes........................................................27
SECTION 3.10.   ERISA........................................................27
SECTION 3.11.   Employee Matters.............................................27
SECTION 3.12.   IPO and Notes Offering.......................................28

                                -i-

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SECTION 3.13.   Margin Regulations...........................................28
SECTION 3.14.   Certain Fees.................................................28
SECTION 3.15.   Solvency.....................................................28
SECTION 3.16.   No Burdensome Restrictions...................................28
SECTION 3.17.   Ownership by Merck...........................................28
SECTION 3.18.   Disclosure...................................................28

                          ARTICLE IV

                          Conditions

SECTION 4.01.   Initial Funding Date.........................................29

                           ARTICLE V

                     Affirmative Covenants

SECTION 5.01.   Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information...31
SECTION 5.02.   Notices of Material Events...................................32
SECTION 5.03.   Existence; Conduct of Business...............................33
SECTION 5.04.   Payment of Obligations.......................................33
SECTION 5.05.   Maintenance of Properties; Insurance.........................33
SECTION 5.06.   Books and Records; Inspection Rights.........................33
SECTION 5.07.   Compliance with Laws and Agreements..........................34
SECTION 5.08.   Ownership by Merck...........................................34
SECTION 5.09.   Use of Proceeds..............................................34
SECTION 5.10.   Other Agreements.............................................34

                          ARTICLE VI

           Negative Covenants and Financial Covenants

SECTION 6.01.   Indebtedness.................................................34
SECTION 6.02.   Liens........................................................35
SECTION 6.03.   Fundamental Changes..........................................37
SECTION 6.04.   Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions....37
SECTION 6.05.   Swap Agreements..............................................39
SECTION 6.06.   Restricted Payments..........................................39
SECTION 6.07.   Transactions with Affiliates.................................39
SECTION 6.08.   Restrictive Agreements.......................................40
SECTION 6.09.   Amendments to or Prepayments or Redemptions of Indebtedness..40
SECTION 6.10.   Financial Covenants..........................................40

                         ARTICLE VII

                     Events of Default

                                      -ii-

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                        ARTICLE VIII

                  The Administrative Agent

                         ARTICLE IX

                        Miscellaneous

SECTION 9.01.   Notices......................................................47
SECTION 9.02.   Waivers; Amendments..........................................47
SECTION 9.03.   Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver...........................48
SECTION 9.04.   Successors and Assigns.......................................49
SECTION 9.05.   Survival.....................................................52
SECTION 9.06.   Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.....................52
SECTION 9.07.   Severability.................................................53
SECTION 9.08.   Right of Setoff..............................................53
SECTION 9.09.   Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of
                   Process...................................................53
SECTION 9.10.   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.........................................54
SECTION 9.11.   Headings.....................................................54
SECTION 9.12.   Confidentiality..............................................54
SECTION 9.13.   Interest Rate Limitation.....................................55

SCHEDULES:

Schedule 2.01 - Commitments
Schedule 3.01 - Subsidiaries
Schedule 3.12 - Summary of IPO and Notes Offering
Schedule 6.01 - Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 6.02 - Existing Liens
Schedule 6.08 - Existing Restrictions

EXHIBITS:

Exhibit A - Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit B - Form of Certificate of Non-Bank Status
Exhibit C - Form of Interest Election Request
Exhibit D - Form of Promissory Note
Exhibit E - Form of Opinion of Borrower's Counsel
Exhibit F - Form of Accountant's Certificate

                                      -iii-

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                  BRIDGE CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of July __, 2002, among
MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC., as the Borrower, the LENDERS party hereto, and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as Administrative Agent.

                  The parties hereto agree as follows:

                                    ARTICLE I
                                   DEFINITIONS

                  SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the
following terms have the meanings specified below:

                  "ABR", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers
to whether such Loan, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing, are bearing
interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

                  "Accounts Receivable Financing Program" means any program
under which any of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries securitizes accounts
receivables or any accounts receivable financing facility of the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries.

                  "Acquired Business" means (a) any Person substantially all of
the Equity Interests of which are acquired after the date thereof by the
Borrower and/or a Subsidiary or (b) any assets constituting a separately
identifiable business or operating unit or division acquired on or after the
date hereof by the Borrower or a Subsidiary.

                  "Adjusted LIBO Rate" means, with respect to any Eurodollar
Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards,
if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such
Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

                  "Administrative Agent" means JPMorgan Chase Bank, in its
capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

                  "Administrative Questionnaire" means an Administrative
Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

                  "Affected Lender" has the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 2.10.

                  "Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, another
Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls
or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.

                  "Agreement" means this Bridge Credit Agreement, as the same
may at any time be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance
with the terms hereof and in effect.

                  "Alternate Base Rate" means, for any day, a rate per annum
equal to the greater of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day and (b) the
Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1%. Any change in
the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate

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or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the
effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective
Rate, respectively.

                  "Applicable Interest Rate Margin" means, with respect to any
ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan, for any Interest Period, the applicable percentage
per annum equal to the percentage set forth below determined by reference to the
category containing the higher of (a) the rating applicable to the Index Debt
from S&P or (b) the rating applicable to the Index Debt from Moody's, in each
case used for such ABR Loan or the Eurodollar Loan, as in effect on the first
day of such Interest Period:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 ABR Loan -             Eurodollar
           Index Debt Ratings                       ABR                  Borrowing -
            (S&P or Moody's)                       Spread                 Interest
                                                                        Rate Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                <C>                     <C>
Category 1
BBB+ or better, or Baa1 or better                     0                     .75%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category 2
BBB or Baa2                                           0                    1.00%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category 3
BBB- or Baa3                                       .250%                   1.25%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category 4
BB+ or Ba1                                         .500%                   1.50%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category 5
Worse than or equal to BB and Ba2                  1.25%                   2.25%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

provided that if, at any time, no rating is available from S&P or Moody's, the
Applicable Interest Rate Margin for any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan shall be
1.25% and 2.25%, respectively; and provided further that at any time there is a
ratings differential of two or more categories between S&P and Moody's, the
Applicable Interest Rate Margin shall be based upon the category that is one
category above the category applicable to the lower rating. If the rating system
of S&P or Moody's shall change, or if either such rating agency (including any
successor to its rating agency business) shall cease to be in the business of
rating corporate debt obligations, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate
in good faith to amend this definition to reflect such changed rating system or
the unavailability of ratings from such rating agency (including any successor
to its rating agency business) and, pending the effectiveness of any such
amendment, the Applicable Interest Margin Rate shall be determined using the S&P
or Moody's rating, as the case may be, most recently in effect prior to such
change or cessation.

                  "Applicable Percentage" means, with respect to any Loan
Commitment, the percentage of the Lenders' total Loan Commitments, as the case
may be, represented by such Lender's commitment.

                  "Approved Fund" has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 9.04.

                                      -2-

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                  "Assignment and Assumption" means (a) an assignment and
assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any
party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the
Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the
Administrative Agent or (b) any assignment in accordance with Section 2.15.

                  "Asset Sale" means a sale, lease or sub-lease (as lessor or
sublessor), Sale and Leaseback, assignment, conveyance, transfer or other
disposition to, or any exchange of property with, any Person (other than the
Borrower or a Significant Subsidiary), in one transaction or a series of
transactions, of all or any part of the Borrower's or any of its Subsidiaries'
businesses, assets or properties of any kind, whether real, personal, or mixed
and whether tangible or intangible, whether now owned or hereafter acquired,
other than (i) inventory (or other assets) sold, transferred or leased in the
ordinary course of business, (ii) any Accounts Receivable Financing Program in
accordance with Section 6.01 and (iii) sales of other assets for aggregate
consideration of less than $10,000,000 (ten million dollars) with respect to any
transaction or series of related transactions and less than $25,000,000 (twenty
five million dollars) in the aggregate during any fiscal year for the Borrower.
For purposes of this definition, receipt by Borrower of insurance or
condemnation proceeds in excess of $5,000,000 (five million dollars) in respect
of any destroyed or condemned asset shall be deemed to be a sale of such asset
for proceeds.

                  "Board" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System of the United States of America.

                  "Borrower" means Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a Delaware
corporation.

                  "Borrowing" means the advance of the Loans.

                  "Business Day" means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or
other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required
by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a
Eurodollar Loan, the term "Business Day" shall also exclude any day on which
banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank
market.

                  "Capital Lease Obligations" of any Person means the
obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or
other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a
combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and
accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP,
and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof
determined in accordance with GAAP.

                  "Certificate of Non-Bank Status" means a certificate
substantially in the form of Exhibit B.

                  "Change in Control" means (a) the acquisition of ownership,
directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (each
within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the
SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof) not an Affiliate of the Borrower
or Merck (other than any such acquisitions occurring before the date hereof, of
Equity Interests representing more than 20% (twenty percent) of the

                                      -3-

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aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity
Interests of the Borrower;  or (b) commencing after the date hereof, during any
period of up to twelve (12) consecutive months, the occupation of a majority of
the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower by
Persons who were neither nominated or appointed by a vote of a majority or more
of the members of the Borrower's board of directors who were either in office at
the beginning of this twelve  (12)  month period or were so nominated or
appointed.

                  "Change in Law" means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or
regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or
regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental
Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender (or,
for purposes of Section 2.13(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such
Lender's holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive
(whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or
issued after the date of this Agreement.

                  "CLO" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.

                  "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
from time to time.

                  "Conduit Entity" means any entity treated as a "conduit" under
U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.881-3 or applicable successor provision.

                  "Control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the
power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a
Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or
otherwise. "Controlling" and "Controlled" have meanings correlative thereto.

                  "Default" means any event or condition which constitutes an
Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured
or waived, become an Event of Default.

                  "Disclosed Matters" means, with respect to a specific
representation and warranty contained in Article III, information set forth on
the disclosure schedule, if any, corresponding to the relevant Section of
Article III specified therein and attached hereto by the Borrower.

                  "dollars" or "$" refers to lawful money of the United States
of America.

                  "Environmental Laws" means all laws, rules, regulations,
codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions or binding agreements
issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in
any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources,
the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to
health and safety matters.

                  "Environmental Liability" means any liability, contingent or
otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental
remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary
directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any
Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage,
treatment or

                                      -4-

<PAGE>

disposal of any Hazardous Materials,  (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials,
(d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the
environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement
pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the
foregoing.

                  "Equity Interests" means, with respect to any Person, shares
of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited
liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership
interests issued by such Person, and any warrants, options or other rights
entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.

                  "ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended from time to time.

                  "ERISA Affiliate" means any trade or business (whether or not
incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer
under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302
of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under
Section 414 of the Code.

                  "ERISA Event" means (a) any "reportable event", as defined in
Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a
Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the
existence with respect to any Plan of an "accumulated funding deficiency" (as
defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not
waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d)
of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with
respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA
Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the
termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate
from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to
terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f)
the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability
with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or
Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of
any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any
ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability
or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent
or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.

                  "Eurodollar", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing,
refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing, are
bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.

                  "Event of Default" has the meaning assigned to such term in
Article VII.

                  "Excluded Taxes" means, with respect to the Administrative
Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be
made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) income or
franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income or profits by reason
of any connection between, as applicable, the Administrative Agent or such
Lender or any other party entitled to receive payment hereunder and the relevant
taxing jurisdiction, including, without limitation, a connection arising from
such other Person being or having been a citizen, domiciliary, or resident of
such jurisdiction, being organized in such jurisdiction, or having or having had
a permanent establishment, branch or other fixed place

                                      -5-

<PAGE>

of business therein, but excluding a connection arising solely from such Person
having executed, delivered, performed its obligations or received any payment
under this Agreement,  (b) any Taxes imposed by reason of the Administrative
Agent, the Lender or such other party being a Conduit Entity,  (c) any branch
profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed
by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located and (d) in the case
of a Foreign Lender  (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the
Borrower under Section  2.15(b)), any Tax that is imposed on amounts payable to
such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this
Agreement  (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such
Foreign Lender's failure to comply with Section  2.13(e), except to the extent
that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of
designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional
amounts from the Borrower with respect to such Tax pursuant to Section 2.13(a).

                  "Executive Officer" means the chief executive officer, the
chief financial officer, the general counsel or any other "officer" (as defined
in Rule 16a-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of the
Borrower.

                  "Federal Funds Effective Rate" means, for any day, the
weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the
rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal
Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next
succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such
rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for
such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three
Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.

                  "Financial Officer" means the chief financial officer, the
principal accounting officer, the treasurer, the controller, the general counsel
or any other "officer" (as defined in Rule 16a-1 of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended) of the Borrower.

                  "Foreign Lender" means any Lender that is not a "United States
person" (as such term is defined in Section 7701(a)(3) of the Code.

                  "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States of America.

                  "Governmental Authority" means the government of the United
States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof,
whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory
body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative,
judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of
government.

                  "Guarantee" of or by any Person (the "guarantor") means any
obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing any
Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the "primary obligor") in
any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the
guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply
funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation to
purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for
the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services
primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner

                                      -6-

<PAGE>

of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain
working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or
liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such
Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any
letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or
other obligation;   provided,   that the term Guarantee shall not include
endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

                  "Hazardous Materials" means all explosive or radioactive
substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other
pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos
containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or
medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated
pursuant to any Environmental Law.

                  "Indebtedness" of any Person means, without duplication, (a)
all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or
advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person
upon which interest charges are being paid (but excluding obligations that are
trade payables), (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or
other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person,
(e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of
property or services (excluding current accounts payable and accrued expenses
incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others
secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right,
contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or
acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has
been assumed, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h)
all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i) all obligations, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of the face amount of
letters of credit and letters of guaranty, (j) all obligations, contingent or
otherwise, of such Person in respect of the face amount of bankers' acceptances,
(k) Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities and (l) [net obligations (calculated on a mark
to market basis as of the most recent quarter end) under any Swap Agreement
permitted by Section 6.05]; provided that Indebtedness shall not include
deferred tax liabilities, employee and retiree benefit obligations or
endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity
(including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the
extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person's ownership
interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the
terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

                  "Indemnified Taxes" means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes or
Other Taxes.

                  "Indemnitee" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
9.03(b).
                  "Index Debt" means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness
for borrowed money of the Borrower that is not guaranteed by any other Person or
subject to any other credit enhancement.

                  "Information Memorandum" means the Confidential Information
Memorandum dated May 2002 relating to the Borrower and the Transactions.

                                      -7-

<PAGE>

                  "Initial Funding Date" means the date hereof, provided that
the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance
with Section 9.02).

                  "Interest Payment Date" means (a) with respect to any ABR
Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and December and (b) with
respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable
to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar
Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months' duration, each day
prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three
months' duration after the first day of such Interest Period.

                  "Interest Period" means, with respect to any Eurodollar
Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the
numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two or three
months thereafter as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest
Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall
be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a
Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the
next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next
preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar
Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a
day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar
month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last
calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a
Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made.

                  "Investment" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
6.04.

                  "IPO" means the initial public offering of the common stock of
the Borrower pursuant to the IPO Prospectus.

                  "IPO Prospectus" means the prospectus relating to the IPO,
dated ___, 2002 (registration statement number 333-86392), as amended.

                  "Joint Lead Arrangers" means J.P. Morgan Securities, Goldman
Sachs Credit Partners L.P. and Salomon Smith Barney Inc.

                  "Lenders" means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any
other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and
Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant
to an Assignment and Assumption.

                  "LIBO Rate" means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing
for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Jones Market
Service (or on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any
successor to or substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations
comparable to those currently provided on such page of such Service, as
reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes
of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the
London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business
Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar
deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the event that
such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the "LIBO Rate"
with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the
rate (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) at which dollar
deposits of $5,000,000 (five million dollars)

                                      -8-

<PAGE>

and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the
principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available
funds in the London interbank market at approximately  11:00 a.m., London time,
two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.

                  "Lien" means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage,
deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security
interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under
any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or
any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any
purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such
securities.

                  "Loan" means any loan made by a Lender to the Borrower
pursuant to this Agreement.

                  "Loan Commitment" means, with respect to each Lender, the
commitment of such Lender to make a Loan on the Initial Funding Date in the
amount set forth on Schedule 2.01 opposite such Lender's name under the heading
"Loan Commitment".

                  "Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse effect on
(a) the business, assets, operations, prospects or financial condition of the
Borrower and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the
Borrower to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or any
Transaction Documents subject to applicable cure and grace periods.

                  "Material Indebtedness" means Indebtedness (other than the
Loans), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or
more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount
exceeding $25,000,000 (twenty-five million dollars). For purposes of determining
Material Indebtedness, the "principal amount" of the obligations of the Borrower
or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the
maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the
Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were
terminated at such time.

                  "Maturity Date" means the earlier of (a) six months from the
closing date of the IPO, (b) the optional prepayment in full of the Loan, or (c)
the closing of the Notes Offering.

                  "Merck" means Merck & Co., Inc., a New Jersey corporation.

                  "Merck Dividend" means the $1,500,000,000 (1.5 billion
dollars) dividend from the Borrower to Merck, a portion of which is to be paid
from the proceeds of the Term Loans (as defined in the Five Year Facility) and a
portion of which is to be paid from the proceeds of the Notes Offering or the
Loan.

                  "Moody's" means Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or any
successor to the rating agency business thereof.

                  "Multiemployer Plan" means a multiemployer plan as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

                                      -9-

<PAGE>

                  "Notes Offering" means the public offering by the Borrower of
$1,000,000,000 (one billion dollars) aggregate principal amount of senior notes,
as described in the prospectus relating to such offering, dated ___, 2002
(registration statement number 333-86404), as amended.

                  "Off-Balance Sheet Liability" of a Person shall mean (i) any
liability under any Sale and Leaseback or any lease leaseback transaction which
is not a Capital Lease Obligation and (ii) any liability under any so called
"synthetic lease" transaction entered into by such Person.

                  "Other Taxes" means any and all present or future stamp or
documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar
levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery
or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement.

                  "Participant" has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.

                  "PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred
to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

                  "Permitted Encumbrances" means:

                  (a)  Liens imposed by law for taxes that are not yet
         delinquent or which are being contested in compliance with clauses (a)
         and (b) of Section 5.04;

                  (b) carriers', warehousemen's, mechanics', materialmen's,
         repairmen's and other like Liens arising by operation of law, arising
         in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are
         not overdue by more than 60 days or are being contested in compliance
         with clauses (a) and (b) of Section 5.04;

                  (c) Liens arising, and deposits made in the ordinary course of
         business in compliance with workers' compensation, unemployment
         insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

                  (d) Liens incurred or deposits made to secure the performance
         of bids, tenders, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations,
         surety, indemnity, release and appeal bonds, performance bonds and
         other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course
         of business;

                   (e)  judgment Liens in respect of judgments that do not
         constitute an Event of Default under clause (l) of Article VII;

                  (f) Liens relating to or arising in connection with Plans or
         Multiemployer Plans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $25,000,000
         (twenty-five million dollars) at any time;

                  (g) leases or subleases granted to others of property or
         assets owned or leased by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries; any
         interest or title of a lessor under an operating lease entered into in
         the ordinary course of business, or any statutory and common law
         landlord Liens;

                                      -10-

<PAGE>

                  (h) Liens arising out of consignment or similar arrangements
         for sales of goods entered into in the ordinary course of business;

                  (i) easements, ground leases, zoning restrictions, building
         codes, rights-of-way, minor defects and irregularity in title and
         similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the
         ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations
         and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property
         or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Borrower or
         any Subsidiary;

                  (j) licenses of patents, trademarks or other intellectual
         property rights granted by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in the
         ordinary course of business; and

                  (k) the replacement, extension or renewal of any Lien
         permitted hereunder; provided that such replacement, extension or
         renewal Lien shall not cover any property other than the property
         subject thereto prior to such replacement, extension or renewal;

provided that the term "Permitted Encumbrances" shall not include any Lien
securing Indebtedness for borrowed money.

                  "Permitted Investments" means:

                  (a) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and
         interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States
         of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are
         backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America),
         in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition
         thereof;

                  (b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days
         from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of
         acquisition, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from
         Moody's;

                  (c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker's
         acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of
         acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, money
         market deposit accounts issued or offered by, and demand deposits made
         in the ordinary course of business in any domestic office of any
         commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of
         America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus
         and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000 (five hundred
         million dollars);

                  (d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of
         not more than 60 days for securities described in clause (a) above and
         entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria
         described in clause (c) above;

                  (e) securities issued or fully guaranteed by any State,
         Commonwealth or sovereignty of the United States of America and rated
         at least "A" by S&P or "P" by Moody's;

                  (f) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set
         forth in SEC Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii)
         are rated "AAA" by S&P and

                                      -11-

<PAGE>

         "Aaa" by Moody's and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least
         $5,000,000,000 (five billion dollars); and

                  (g) other investment instruments with the consent of the
         Administrative Agent.

                   "Person" means any natural person, corporation, limited
liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership,
Governmental Authority or other entity.

                  "Plan" means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a
Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section
412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or
any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section
4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an "employer" as defined in Section 3(5) of
ERISA.

                  "Prime Rate" means the rate of interest per annum publicly
announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank as its prime rate in effect
at its principal office in New York City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be
effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being
effective.

                  "Refinancing Indebtedness" has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 6.01(n).

                  "Register" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
9.04.

                  "Related Parties" means, with respect to any specified Person,
such Person's Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees,
agents and advisors of such Person and such Person's Affiliates.

                  "Required Lenders" means, at any time, Lenders having more
than 51% (fifty-one percent) of the Lenders' Total Commitments at such time.

                  "Restricted Payment" means any dividend or other distribution
(whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity
Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash,
securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on
account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or
termination of any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any option, warrant
or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower.

                  "S&P" means Standard & Poor's or any successor rating agency
business thereof.

                  "SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
successor thereto.

                  "Sale and Leaseback" means any lease of any property (whether
real, personal or mixed), whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to which the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, becomes or remains
liable as lessee or as a guarantor or other surety and which the Borrower has
sold or transferred or is to sell or to transfer to any other Person (other than
any of its Subsidiaries).

                                      -12-

<PAGE>

                  "Significant Subsidiary" means a Subsidiary that satisfies the
definition of "Significant Subsidiary", as such term is defined in Regulation
S-X of the SEC, as amended from time to time; provided, however, that for
purposes of the determining whether such Subsidiary is a "Significant
Subsidiary" under Regulation S-X, the relevant threshold percentage to be used
in determining a "Significant Subsidiary" shall be 5% (five percent) (and not as
otherwise specified in Regulation S-X).

                  "Solvent" means, with respect to any Person, that as of the
date of determination (a) the sum of such Person's debt (including contingent
liabilities) does not exceed all of its property, at a present fair valuation on
a going concern basis; (b) the fair saleable value of the property on a going
concern basis of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required
to pay the probable liabilities on such Person's then existing debts as they
become absolute and matured; (c) such Person's capital is not unreasonably small
in relation to its business or any contemplated or undertaken transaction; and
(d) such Person does not intend to incur, or believe (nor should it reasonably
believe) that it will incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they
become due. For purposes of this definition, the amount of any contingent
liability at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all of
the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that
can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability
(irrespective of whether such contingent liabilities meet the criteria for
accrual under Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 5).

                  "Statutory Reserve Rate" means a fraction (expressed as a
decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which
is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages
(including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed
as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is
subject, with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding
(currently referred to as "Eurocurrency Liabilities" in Regulation D of the
Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such
Regulation D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency
funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or
credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to
time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The
Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the
effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

                  "Subordinated Indebtedness" means Indebtedness subordinated on
terms reasonably satisfactory to the Lenders.

                  "subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person (the "parent")
at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with
those of the parent in the parent's consolidated financial statements if such
financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as
well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
association or other entity of which securities or other ownership interests
representing more than 50% (fifty percent) of the ordinary voting power or, in
the case of a partnership, more than 50% (fifty percent) of the general
partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held.

                  "Subsidiary" means any subsidiary of the Borrower.

                                      -13-

<PAGE>

                  "Swap Agreement" means any agreement with respect to any swap,
forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement
involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies,
commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or
pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or
any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that
no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of
services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or
consultants of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

                  "Taxes" means any and all present or future taxes, levies,
imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental
Authority.

                  "Third-Party Claim" has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 9.03(b).

                  "Total Commitment" means, with respect to each Lender, the sum
of such Lender's Loan Commitment.

                  "Transactions" means the execution, delivery and performance
by the Borrower of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans and the use of the
proceeds thereof.

                  "Transaction Documents"  means the commitment letter and the
fee letters and any amendments thereof and hereof among J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., Salomon Smith
Barney Inc., Citibank, N.A. and the Borrower, as the case may be, relating to
the Revolving Loan and Term Loan facilities described hereunder.

                  "Type", when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing,
refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans
constituting such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO
Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.

                  "UCC" means the Uniform Commercial Code (and any similar law)
in effect in any applicable jurisdiction.

                  "Withdrawal Liability" means liability to a Multiemployer Plan
as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as
such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

                  SECTION 1.02. Classification of Borrowings. For purposes of
this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Type  (e.g., a
"Eurodollar Loan"). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Type
(e.g., a "Eurodollar Borrowing").

                  SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein
shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.
Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding
masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words  "include",  "includes"  and
"including"  shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase "without limitation".
The word "will"  shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the
word "shall". Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or
reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be
construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from
time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to

                                      -14-

<PAGE>

any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth
herein),  (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include
such Person's successors and assigns,  (c) the words  "herein",  "hereof" and
"hereunder", and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this
Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof,  (d) all
references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be
construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to,
this Agreement and (e) the words "asset" and  "property"  shall be construed to
have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and
intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and
contract rights.

                  SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms;  GAAP. Except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall
be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time;  provided
that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower
requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any
change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on
the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the
Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof
for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or
after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision
shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately
before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been
withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.

                                   ARTICLE II
                                   THE CREDITS

                  SECTION 2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein, each Lender, severally and not jointly with the other Lenders,
agrees to make a single six month Loan to the Borrower in an aggregate principal
amount not to exceed such Lender's Loan Commitment.

                  SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings.  (a) The Loans shall be
made on the Initial Funding Date as part of a single Borrowing from the Lenders
ratably in accordance with their respective Loan Commitments.

                  (b) Subject to Section 2.10, the Borrowing shall be initially
comprised entirely of ABR Loans, and thereafter the Borrower may elect to
convert such Borrowing to a different Type in accordance with Section 2.04. Each
Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or
foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan in accordance with
the terms hereof; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the
obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement.

                  (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the
Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue,
any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end
after the Maturity Date.

                  SECTION  2.03. Funding of Borrowings.  (a) Each Lender shall
make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire
transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to
the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such
purpose by notice to the Lenders. The Administrative

                                      -15-

<PAGE>

Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the
aggregate amounts so received from the Lenders, in immediately available funds,
to an account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New
York City and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request.

                  (b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice
from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will
not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender's share of such
Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such
share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section
2.03 and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a
corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share
of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative   Agent, the
Administrative Agent shall be entitled to recover such corresponding amount on
demand from such Lender for each day from and including the date such amount is
made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the
Administrative Agent at the greater of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate and
(y) a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking
industry rules on interbank compensation. If such Lender does not pay such
corresponding amount with interest thereon upon Administrative Agent's demand
therefor and Administrative Agent previously made such amount available to
Borrower, Administrative Agent shall promptly notify Borrower and, if so
notified,   Borrower shall immediately pay such   corresponding   amount to
Administrative Agent at the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans for each day
from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but
excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent. If such Lender pays
such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such
Lender's Loan included in such Borrowing.

                  SECTION 2.04. Interest Elections. (a) Each Loan initially
shall be of the Type specified in Section 2.02(b). Thereafter, the Borrower may
elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such
Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods
therefor, all as provided in this Section 2.04. The Borrower may elect different
options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which
case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the
Loans constituting such Borrowing, and the Loans constituting each such portion
shall be considered a separate Borrowing.

                  (b) To make an election pursuant to this Section  2.04, the
Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone (i)
in the case of a Eurodollar Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time,
three Business Days before the effective date of such election or (ii) in the
case of an ABR Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, one Business
Day before the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest
Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand
delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election
Request substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C and signed by the
Borrower.

                  (c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request
shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

                  (i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request
         applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to
         different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to
         each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be

                                      -16-

<PAGE>

         specified pursuant to clauses  (iii) and (iv)  below of this Section
         2.04(c) shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

                  (ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such
         Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

                  (iii)  whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR
         Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and

                  (iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the
         Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such
         election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the
         term "Interest Period".

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does
not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have
selected an Interest Period of one month's duration.

                  (d)  Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election
Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details
thereof and of such Lender's portion of each resulting Borrowing.

                  (e) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest
Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to the end of the
Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as
provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be
converted to an ABR Borrowing.

                  SECTION 2.05. Termination of Loan Commitment. Unless
previously terminated, the Loan Commitments shall terminate immediately after
payment by the Lenders of the Loans on the Initial Funding Date.

                  SECTION 2.06. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The
Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Administrative Agent for
the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan on the
Maturity Date.

                  (b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual
practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to
such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts
of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time
hereunder.

                  (c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which
it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and
the Interest Period applicable thereto,  (ii) the amount of any principal or
interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each
Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative
Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender's share thereof.

                  (d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to
paragraph  (b) or (c) of this Section 2.06 shall be prima facie evidence of the
existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein;  provided that the
failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain

                                      -17-

<PAGE>

such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation
of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.

                  (e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced
by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and
deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender
(or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and
in the form attached as Exhibit D hereto. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by
such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times  (including after
assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory
notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such
promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).

                  SECTION 2.07. Prepayment of Loans. (a) Optional Prepayment.
The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay
any Borrowing, in each case in an amount equal to  $5,000,000  (five million
dollars) or an integral amount of  $1,000,000  (one million dollars) in excess
thereof, subject to prior notice in accordance with this Section  2.07 and
subject to Section  2.12. Promptly following receipt of any such notice of
prepayment relating to any Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the
Lenders of the contents thereof. Each prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied
against such of the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Amounts prepaid at
under this Section shall be applied to principal outstanding as determined by
the Borrower.

                  (b) Mandatory Prepayments. The Borrower shall prepay Loans,
without premium or penalty, but subject to Section 2.12, with 100% (one hundred
percent) of the after-tax net cash proceeds received from any issuance of Equity
Interests of the Borrower (other than the IPO) or Asset Sales and (ii) 100% (one
hundred percent)  of the net cash proceeds received from issuances of debt
obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. The Borrower shall prepay
Loans in accordance with this paragraph (b) of this Section 2.07 prior to any
mandatory prepayment of loans required under the Five Year Facility or 364 Day
Facility.

                  SECTION  2.08. Fees. (a) The Borrower agrees to pay to the
Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at
the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative
Agent.

                  (b) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due,
in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent for distribution, in
the case of facility fees and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid
shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

                  SECTION 2.09. Interest. (a) The Loans constituting each ABR
Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable
Interest Margin Rate.

                  (b) The Loans constituting each Eurodollar Borrowing shall
bear interest in the case of a Eurodollar Loan, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for
the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Interest
Margin Rate.

                  (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or
interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower
hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or
otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before
judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of
any

                                      -18-

<PAGE>

Loan,  2.0% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the
preceding paragraphs of this Section  2.09 or (ii) in the case of any other
amount,  2.0% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a)
of this Section 2.09.

                  (d) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears
on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan;  provided that (i) interest accrued
pursuant to paragraph  (c) of this Section 2.09 shall be payable on demand and
(ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan, accrued interest
on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such
repayment.

                  (e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a
year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate
Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall
be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and
in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed  (including
the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate,
Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent,
and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

                  SECTION 2.10. Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the
commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:

                  (a) the Administrative Agent determines in good faith (which
         determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate
         and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO
         Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or

                  (b) the Administrative Agent is notified by the Required
         Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable,
         for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the
         cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans
         (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the
Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and,
until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the
circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, any Interest Election
Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any
Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be
ineffective; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice
affect only one Type of Borrowing, then the other Type of Borrowing shall be
permitted. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower as promptly as
practicable of receipt of a notice from a Lender of the Type referred to in
clause (b) above of this Section 2.10 or of the Type referred to in the
definition of Interest Period. Any Lender delivering such notice shall be deemed
to be an "Affected Lender" for purposes hereof until such Lender delivers to the
Administrative Agent and the Borrower a withdrawal of such notice.

                  SECTION 2.11. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:

                  (i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special
         deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for
         the account of, or credit extended by,

                                      -19-

<PAGE>

         any Lender  (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the
         Adjusted LIBO Rate); or

                  (ii) impose on any Lender or the London interbank market any
         other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by
         such Lender;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such
Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its
obligation to make any such Loan) or to reduce the amount of any sum received or
receivable by such Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or
otherwise), then subject to paragraphs (c) and (d) of this Section 2.11, the
Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will
compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

                  (b) If any Lender determines that any Change in Law regarding
capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return
on such Lender's capital or on the capital of such Lender's holding company, if
any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by such Lender to a
level below that which such Lender or such Lender's holding company could have
achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender's
policies and the policies of such Lender's holding company with respect to
capital adequacy), then subject to paragraphs (c) and (d) of this Section 2.11,
the Borrower will pay to such Lender, as the case may be, such additional amount
or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Lender's holding company for
any such reduction suffered.

                  (c) A certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount(s)
necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be,
and the basis for the calculation thereof as specified in paragraph (a) or (b)
of this Section 2.11 shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive
absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender, as the case may be,
the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt
thereof.

                  (d)  Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand
compensation pursuant to this Section 2.11 shall not constitute a waiver of such
Lender's right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not
be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section  2.11 for any
increased costs or reductions incurred more than 180 days prior to the date that
such Lender, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law
giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender's intention
to claim compensation therefor;  provided further that, if the Change in Law
giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the
180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of
retroactive effect thereof.

                  SECTION 2.12. Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the
payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an
Interest Period applicable thereto  (including as a result of an Event of
Default),  (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day
of the Interest Period applicable thereto,  (c) the failure to borrow, convert,
continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice
delivered pursuant hereto  (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked
under Section  2.07(b)  and is revoked in accordance therewith), or (d) the
assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest
Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.15, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender
for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a
Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or

                                      -20-

<PAGE>

expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined in good
faith by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest
which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not
occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such
Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then
current Interest Period therefor  (or, in the case of a failure to borrow,
convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for
such Loan), over  (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such
principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would
bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a
comparable amount and period from other banks in the Eurodollar market. A
certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount(s)  that such Lender is
entitled to receive and the basis for the calculation thereof pursuant to this
Section 2.12 shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent
manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on
any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

                  SECTION 2.13. Taxes. (a) Any and all payments by or on account
of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder shall be made free and clear of and
without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if the
Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from
such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that
after making all required deductions the Administrative Agent, Lender receives
an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been
made,  (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrower shall
pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.

                  (b) In addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the
relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

                  (c) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and
each Lender within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of
any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such
Lender on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of
the Borrower hereunder  (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or
asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section)  and any
penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect
thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or
legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.

                  (d) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified
Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower
shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a
receipt, if any, issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment,
a copy of the return, if any, reporting such payment or other evidence of such
payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

                  (e) Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from
or reduction of withholding tax with respect to any Indemnified Tax or Other Tax
(including by application of any treaty, the benefits of which such Lender is
entitled), with respect to payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the
Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), on or prior to the date such
Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending
office)  and at such other times as may be necessary in the reasonable
determination of the Borrower or Administrative Agent, (i) two original copies
of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI (or any successor forms),
properly completed and duly executed by such

                                      -21-

<PAGE>

Lender, and such other documentation required under the Code to establish that
such Lender is not subject to deduction or withholding of United States federal
income tax with respect to any payments to such Lender of principal, interest,
fees or other amounts payable under this Agreement, or (ii) if such Lender is
not a "bank" or other Person described in Section 881(c)(3) of the Code and
cannot deliver either Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI pursuant to
clause (i) above of this Section 2.13(e), a Certificate of Non-Bank Status
together with two original copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 (or any
successor form), properly completed and duly executed by such Lender, and such
other documentation required under the Code to establish that such Lender is not
subject to deduction or withholding of United States federal income tax with
respect to any payments to such Lender of interest payable under this Agreement.
Each Lender that is not a Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower (with a
copy to the Administrative Agent) two duly completed copies of United States
Internal Revenue Form W-9 (or applicable successor form) unless it establishes
to the satisfaction of the Borrower that the Lender is otherwise eligible for an
exemption from backup withholding tax or other applicable withholding tax. Each
Lender hereby agrees, from time to time after the initial delivery by such
Lender of such forms, certificates or other evidence required to be provided
pursuant to the first two sentences of this Section 2.13(e), whenever a lapse in
time or change in circumstances renders such forms, certificates or other
evidence obsolete or inaccurate in any material respect, that such Lender shall
promptly deliver to Administrative Agent for transmission to the Borrower two
new original copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, W-8ECI or W-9 or a
Certificate of Non-Bank Status and two original copies of Internal Revenue
Service Form W-8, as the case may be, properly completed and duly executed by
such Lender, and such other documentation required under the Code to confirm or
establish that such Lender is not subject to deduction or withholding of United
States federal income tax with respect to payments to such Lender under this
Agreement, or notify Administrative Agent and the Borrower of its inability to
deliver any such forms, certificates or other evidence. Notwithstanding any
other provision of this paragraph (e), a Foreign Lender shall not be required to
deliver any form pursuant to this paragraph (e) that such Foreign Lender is not
legally able to deliver.

                  (f) If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its
sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to
which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.13, it
shall promptly notify the Borrower of such refund and promptly pay over such
refund to the Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or
additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section 2.13 with respect to
the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket
expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other
than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to
such refund); provided, that the Borrower, upon the request of the
Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the
Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant
Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event
the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such
Governmental Authority. This Section shall not be construed to require the
Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any
other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the
Borrower or any other Person.

                  SECTION 2.14. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing
of Set-offs. (a) The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it
hereunder (whether of

                                      -22-

<PAGE>

principal, interest, fees or of amounts payable under Section 2.11, 2.12 or
2.13, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when
due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any
amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the
Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding
Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments
shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 270 Park Avenue, New
York, New York, except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.11, 2.12, 2.13 and
9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative
Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any
other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If
any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date
for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the
case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the
period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.

                  (b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and
available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal,
interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first,
towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the
parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees
then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal then due
hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the
amounts of principal then due to such parties.

                  (c) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice
from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the
Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower
will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the
Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in
reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders, as the case may be,
the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such
payment, then each of the Lenders, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay
to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to
such Lender with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such
amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the
Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a
rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry
rules on interbank compensation.

                  (d) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to
be made by it pursuant to Section 2.03(b) or 2.14(d), then the Administrative
Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof),
apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the
account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender's obligations under such Sections
until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.

                  SECTION 2.15. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.11, or if the Borrower
is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental
Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.13 or as a result
of any Lender's assignment to an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund
pursuant to Section 9.04(b), or if any Lender is an Affected Lender, then such
Lender shall, upon the request of the Borrower, use reasonable efforts to
designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder
or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices,
branches or Affiliates, if such designation or

                                      -23-

<PAGE>

assignment (i) would be reasonably expected to eliminate or reduce amounts
payable pursuant to Sections 2.11 or 2.13 in the future or result in such Lender
or its assignee, as applicable, not being an Affected Lender; and (ii) would not
subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise
be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all
reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such
designation or assignment.

                  (b) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.11, or
if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any
Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.13 or
as a result of any Lender's assignment to an Affiliate of such Lender or an
Approved Fund pursuant to Section 9.04(b), or if any Lender is an Affected
Lender or defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, then the Borrower
may, at its sole expense and effort (other than in the case of a default by a
Lender, in which case such Lender shall be responsible for all reasonable
out-of-pocket costs of the Borrower), upon notice to such Lender and the
Administrative Agent, (x) prepay such Lender in full or (y) require such Lender
to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the
restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and
obligations under this Agreement to an assignee selected by the Borrower,
subject to the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not be
unreasonably withheld or delayed), that shall assume such obligations (which
assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided
that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii)
such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding
principal amount of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all
other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such
outstanding principal amount and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in
the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment
resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.11 or payments required
to be made pursuant to Section 2.13, such assignment would be reasonably
expected to result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender
shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior
thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances
entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

                                  ARTICLE III
                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

                  Except for Disclosed Matters, the Borrower represents and
warrants to the Lenders that:

                  SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrower and
its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and
authority to carry on its business as now conducted and is qualified to do
business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such
qualification is required except, in each case, where the failure to do so,
individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in
a Material Adverse Effect. As of the date hereof, the Borrower has no
Subsidiaries other than those Persons listed on Schedule 3.01.

                  SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions
are within the Borrower's corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all
necessary corporate and, if

                                      -24-

<PAGE>

required, stockholder action on the part of the Borrower. Each of this Agreement
and the Transaction Documents has been duly executed and delivered by the
Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower,
enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
affecting creditors' rights generally and subject to general principles of
equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

                  SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts.

                  (a) The Transactions, the IPO and the Notes Offering:

                  (i) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or
                  filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental
                  Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are
                  in full force and effect and except as would not reasonably be
                  expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

                  (ii) do not violate any applicable law (including ERISA and
                  Environmental Laws) or regulation or any order of any
                  Governmental Authority except as would not reasonably be
                  expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

                  (iii) do not violate the charter, by-laws or other
                  organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its
                  Subsidiaries;

                  (iv) will not violate any indenture, agreement or other
                  instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its
                  Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder
                  to require any payment to be made by the Borrower or any of
                  its Subsidiaries except as would not reasonably be expected to
                  have a Material Adverse Effect; and

                  (v) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien
                  (except any Lien permitted by Section 6.02 that has been
                  disclosed as a Disclosed Matter or after the date hereof with
                  respect to this Section 3.03) on any asset of the Borrower or
                  any of its Subsidiaries.

                  (b) Each Loan ranks pari passu with each other Loan (except as
provided herein) and, for bankruptcy purposes, with all other senior unsecured
unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Borrower.

                  SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.
(a) The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated
balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows (i)
for the fiscal years ending, and at, December 25, 1999, December 30, 2000 and
December 29, 2001, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of
the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002. The financial statements described in
clause (i) of this Section 3.04(a) were reported on by Arthur Anderson for such
fiscal years ending, and at, December 25, 1999 and December 30, 2000 and by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for such fiscal year ending, and at December 29,
2001, and in clause (ii) of this Section 3.04(a) were certified by the
Borrower's chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash
flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for
such periods in conformity with GAAP, subject

                                      -25-

<PAGE>

to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the
statements referred to in clause (ii) above of this Section 3.04(a). The
Borrower has heretofore also furnished to the Lenders its unaudited pro forma
condensed consolidated statement of income, for its fiscal year ended December
29, 2001, and for its fiscal quarter ended March 30, 2002 and its unaudited pro
forma condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 30, 2002. Such pro forma
financial statements comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of
Article XI of Regulation S-X of the SEC.

                  (b) The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders
projections as of and for the period between fiscal year beginning 2002 and
fiscal year ended 2007. Such projections were prepared by management of the
Borrower in good faith based on assumptions that the Executive Officers believe
are reasonable as of the date hereof.

                  (c) Since December 29, 2001, there has been no material
adverse change in the business, assets, operations, prospects or financial
condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                  SECTION 3.05. Properties; Insurance. (a) Each of the Borrower
and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its
real and personal property material to their business, taken as a whole, except
for defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its
business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended
purposes.

                  (b) Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, is validly
licensed or otherwise has the right to use, all trademarks, trade names,
copyrights, patents and other intellectual property and property rights which
are material to its business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries does not and will not violate the rights of any other Person,
except for any such violations that, individually or in the aggregate, would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No claim is
pending and, to the knowledge of the Executive Officers, no claim has been
asserted by any person challenging or questioning the use of any such trademark,
trade name, copyright, patent or other intellectual property or proprietary
rights except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.

                  (c) The Borrower maintains, with financially sound and
reputable insurance companies, directly or through Merck, on its own behalf and
on behalf of its Subsidiaries, insurance in such amounts and against such risks
as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar
businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

                  SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters. (a) There
are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental
Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Executive Officers,
threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) that
would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a
Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions
or the transactions contemplated by the IPO or the Notes Offering.

                  (b) Except with respect to matters that, individually or in
the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to
comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any
permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii)

                                      -26-

<PAGE>

has become subject to any Environmental Liability or (iii) has received written
notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability, and, to the
knowledge of the Executive Officers, there is no reasonable basis for any
Environmental Liability.

                  (c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change
in the status of any Disclosed Matter with respect to this Section 3.06 that,
individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or substantially increased
the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and
orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all
indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property,
except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has
occurred and is continuing.

                  SECTION 3.08. Investment and Holding Company Status. Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is (a) an "investment company" as
defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940
or (b) a "holding company" as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

                  SECTION 3.09. Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
(i) has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required
to have been filed and (ii) has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to
have been paid by it, except in the case of each of clause (i) and (ii) of this
Section 3.09, (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has
set aside on its books reserves to the extent required under GAAP or (b) to the
extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 3.10. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is
reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA
Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The present value of all
accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used
for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as
of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts,
exceed the greater of (a) 130% (one hundred thirty percent) of the fair market
value of the assets of such Plan and (b) $25,000,000 (twenty-five million
dollars), and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all
underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most
recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the greater of (a)
130% (one hundred thirty percent) of the fair market value of the assets of all
such underfunded Plans and (b) $25,000,000 (twenty-five million dollars).

                  SECTION 3.11. Employee Matters. Neither the Borrower nor its
Subsidiaries is engaged in any unfair labor practice that would reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is (a) no unfair labor
practice complaint pending against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or
to the best knowledge of the Executive Officers, threatened against any of them
before the National Labor Relations Board and no grievance or arbitration
proceeding arising out of or under any collective bargaining agreement that is
so pending against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or to the best
knowledge of the Executive Officers, threatened

                                      -27-

<PAGE>

against any of them, (b) no strike or work stoppage is in existence involving
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) to the best knowledge of the Executive
Officers, no union representation question is existing with respect to the
employees of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge
of the Executive Officers, no union organization activity that is taking place,
except (with respect to any matters specified in clauses (a), (b) or (c) of this
Section 3.11, either individually or in the aggregate) such matter as would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 3.12. IPO and Notes Offering. The terms and conditions
of the IPO and the Notes Offering are or will be consistent with Schedule 3.12.
The underwriting and exchange agreements that will give effect to the IPO are
substantially in the form reviewed prior to the date hereof by the Joint Lead
Arrangers, and none of the terms or conditions of such agreements shall be
amended, waived or otherwise modified in a manner that would, in the reasonable
judgment of the Joint Lead Arrangers, be materially adverse to the Lenders
without the consent of the Joint Lead Arrangers.

                  SECTION 3.13. Margin Regulations. Neither the Borrower nor any
of its Subsidiaries is engaged principally, as one of its important activities,
in the business of extending credit for the purpose of carrying any margin stock
(as such term is defined in Regulation U of the Board as in effect from time to
time). No part of the proceeds of the Loans issued to the Borrower will be used
to purchase or carry any such margin stock or to extend credit to others for the
purpose of purchasing or carrying any such margin stock or for any purposes that
violates, or is inconsistent with, the provisions of Regulations T , U or X (or
any successor regulations) of the Board.

                  SECTION 3.14. Certain Fees. No broker's or finder's fee or
commission will be payable with respect hereto or any of the transactions
contemplated hereby.

                  SECTION 3.15. Solvency. The Borrower and each Significant
Subsidiary is Solvent.

                  SECTION 3.16. No Burdensome Restrictions. No laws, regulations
and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Borrower or any
Subsidiary or any of their property and all indentures, agreements and other
instruments binding upon any of them have had, individually or in the aggregate,
a Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 3.17. Ownership by Merck. Merck owns at least 80.1% of
the Borrower's common stock.

                  SECTION 3.18. Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the
Lenders (including in the IPO Prospectus and related registration statement of
which it is a part) all agreements (including those related to Medicare,
Medicaid or any other managed care recoupment or recoupments of any third-party
payor being sought, threatened, requested or claimed), instruments and corporate
or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject as of
the date of this Agreement, and all other matters known to the Executive
Officers as of the date of this Agreement, that, as of the date of this
Agreement, they are aware, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the
Executive Officers, as of the date of this Agreement, neither the Information

                                      -28-

<PAGE>

Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, projections,
certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to
the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of
this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other
information so furnished), when taken as a whole, contains any material
misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial
information or any forecast or opinion, the Borrower represents only that such
information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be
reasonable at the time.

                                   ARTICLE IV
                                   CONDITIONS

                  SECTION 4.01. Initial Funding Date. The obligations of the
Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall be subject to the satisfaction (or waiver
in accordance with Section 9.02) of each of the following conditions:

                  (a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have
          received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this
          Agreement and of each Transaction Document signed on behalf of the
          party thereto or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the
          Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy transmission of a
          signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a
          counterpart of this Agreement and of each Transaction Document.

                  (b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable
          written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
          and dated the Initial Funding Date) of Fried Frank Harris Shriver &
          Jacobson, counsel for the Borrower, substantially in the form of
          Exhibit E. The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such
          opinion.

                  (c) The Administrative Agent shall have received such
          documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel
          may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and
          good standing of the Borrower, the authorization of the Transactions
          and any other legal matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement
          or the Transactions that the Administrative Agent shall reasonably
          request, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
          Administrative Agent and its counsel.

                  (d) The Administrative Agent shall have received a
          certificate, dated the Initial Funding Date and signed by the
          President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower
          that:

                  (i) The Borrower is in compliance with the conditions set
                  forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02;

                  (ii) Each Person that has executed this Agreement or any
                  Transaction Document is an elected or appointed officer of the
                  Borrower and is authorized to executed this Agreement and each
                  of the Transaction Documents, as the case may be; and

                  (iii) The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders
                  that:

                                      -29-

<PAGE>

                       (A) the underwriting and exchange agreements giving
                       effect to the IPO and the separation and transition
                       agreements with Merck (described in the IPO Prospectus)
                       have been executed and delivered substantially as
                       described in Schedule 3.12 and are in the form reviewed
                       prior to the Initial Funding Date by the Joint Lead
                       Arrangers and are in full force and effect without any
                       defaults or breaches thereunder that would cause any of
                       the conditions to closing of the IPO not to be satisfied,
                       and none of the terms or conditions of such documentation
                       have been amended, waived or otherwise modified in a
                       manner that would, in the reasonable judgment of the
                       Joint Lead Arrangers, be materially adverse to the
                       Lenders without the Joint Lead Arrangers' consent;

                       (B) the IPO has been completed on terms and conditions
                       substantially as described in Schedule 3.12; and

                       (C) the IPO and the separation and transition agreements
                       with Merck (described in the IPO Prospectus) are within
                       the Borrower's corporate powers and have been duly
                       authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required,
                       stockholder action on the part of the Borrower, and each
                       such agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
                       the Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding
                       obligation of the Borrower, enforceable in accordance
                       with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
                       insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
                       affecting creditors' rights generally and subject to
                       general principles of equity, regardless of whether
                       considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

                  (e) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate
          from the chief financial officer of the Borrower to the effect that,
          as of the Initial Funding Date, after giving effect to the Loans and
          to the payment of all estimated legal, investment banking, accounting
          and other fees related thereto, the Borrower and each Significant
          Subsidiary is Solvent.

                  (f) The Administrative Agent or the Joint Lead Arrangers, as
          the case may be, shall have received all costs, fees, expenses
          (including reasonable out-of-pocket legal fees and expenses and the
          reasonable out-of-pocket fees and expenses of appraisers, consultants
          and other advisors) and other compensation then payable to the
          Administrative Agent or the Joint Lead Arrangers, including any
          arrangement fees, or any fees payable to the Lenders with respect to
          their respective Total Commitments.

                  (g) The Administrative Agent shall have received satisfactory
          confirmation of the applicable public long-term ratings assigned to
          the Borrower from S&P and Moody's for the Loans, which shall be no
          less than "BBB+" and "Ba1", respectively, and with a stable or
          positive outlook.

                  (h) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set
          forth in Article III of this Agreement shall be true and correct in
          all material respects (except that, to the extent any such
          representation or warranty is qualified by materiality or Material
          Adverse Effect, such representation or warranty shall be true and
          correct in all respects) on and as

                                      -30-

<PAGE>

          of the Initial Funding Date, except to the extent expressly referring
          only to an earlier date.

                  (i) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to the
          Borrowing on the Initial Funding Date, no Default shall have occurred
          and be continuing.

                                   ARTICLE V
                              AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

                  Until the Lender's Total Commitments have expired or been
terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable
hereunder shall have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with
the Lenders that:

                  SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other
Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each
Lender:

                  (a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the
          Borrower, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related
          statements of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows as of
          the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in
          comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all
          reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or other independent public
          accountants of recognized national standing (without a "going concern"
          or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or
          exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such
          consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material
          respects the financial condition and results of operations of the
          Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as
          of such dates and for such periods, in conformity with GAAP; provided
          that delivery within the time frame specified above of copies of
          Borrower's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC shall satisfy
          the requirements of this paragraph (a) of this Section 5.01;

                  (b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three
          fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated
          balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders'
          equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and
          the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each
          case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or
          periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of)
          the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial
          Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial
          condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its
          consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as of such dates
          and for such periods, in conformity with GAAP, subject to normal
          year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes; provided that
          delivery within the time frame specified above of copies of Borrower's
          Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC shall satisfy the
          requirements of this paragraph (b) of this Section 5.01;

                  (c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements
          under clauses (a) or (b) above of this Section 5.01, a certificate of
          a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying as to whether the
          Financial Officer is aware of a Default that has occurred and is
          continuing and, if a Default has occurred and is continuing,
          specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be
          taken with respect thereto,

                                      -31-

<PAGE>

          (ii) demonstrating, in reasonable detail, compliance with the
          financial ratios or requirements set forth in Sections 6.01(j),
          6.02(i), 6.03(c), 6.04(l), 6.10(a), 6.10(b) and, if applicable,
          Section 6.06(e) and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the
          application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited
          financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such
          change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the
          financial statements accompanying such certificate;

                  (d) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements
          under clause (a) of this Section 5.01, a certificate substantially in
          the form attached as Exhibit F of the accounting firm that reported on
          such financial statements (provided that such certificate may be
          limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines);

                  (e) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies
          of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other
          materials filed by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC, or any
          Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of
          said Commission, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders
          generally provided that such financial statements and reports to
          shareholders shall be deemed delivered on the second business day
          following the day on which they are filed with the SEC unless actually
          delivered on an earlier date, as the case may be;

                  (f) as soon as practicable and in any event no later than 30
          days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year for the Borrower, a
          consolidated financial forecast for such fiscal year and the next
          three succeeding fiscal years, including (i) a forecasted consolidated
          balance sheet and forecasted consolidated statements of income and
          cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for each such fiscal
          year, together with an explanation of the principal assumptions on
          which such forecasts are based;

                  (g) promptly after Moody's or S&P shall have announced a
          change in the rating established or deemed to have been established
          for the Index Debt, written notice of such rating change;

                  (h) promptly after any material amendment of, material waiver
          to or material withdrawal from the managed care agreement described in
          clause (n) of Article VII, written notice of such amendment, waiver or
          withdrawal; and

                  (i) promptly following any request therefor, such other
          information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial
          condition of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the
          terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may
          reasonably request.

                  SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will
furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the
following:

                  (a) any Financial Officer's becoming aware of any Default that
          has occurred, unless the Borrower has previously provided such
          notification;

                  (b) any Financial Officer's becoming aware of the filing or
          commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any
          arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower
          or any Affiliate thereof and that such action, suit or

                                      -32-

<PAGE>

          proceeding, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to
          result in a Material Adverse Effect;

                  (c) any Financial Officer's becoming aware of the occurrence
          of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events
          that have occurred and are then outstanding, would reasonably be
          expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
          in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000,000 (five million dollars);
          and

                  (d) any Financial Officer's becoming aware of any other
          development that the Financial Officer is aware results in, or would
          reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

Each notice delivered under this Section 5.02 shall be accompanied by a
statement of a Financial Officer or other Executive Officer setting forth a
description of the event or development requiring such notice and any action
taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

                  SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower
will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal
existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material
to the conduct of its business (including agreements with Merck, including those
to be entered into in connection with the IPO described in the IPO Prospectus)
except for failures to do so which would, individually or collectively, not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; provided that the
foregoing shall not prohibit any transaction permitted under Section 6.03.

                  SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will, and
will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax
liabilities, before the same shall become delinquent or in default, that, if not
paid, would, individually or collectively, reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and (b) the Borrower or
such Subsidiary has set aside on its books reserves with respect thereto to the
extent required under GAAP.

                  SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep and maintain all
property material to the conduct of their businesses in good working order and
condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, except for failures that would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower will
maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, directly, or
through Merck, on the Borrower's own behalf and on behalf of its Subsidiaries,
insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained
by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or
similar locations.

                  SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to (a) keep proper books
of record and account in conformity with GAAP; and (b) permit any
representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon
reasonable prior notice and without causing material disruption, and at the
expense of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as applicable, to visit and
inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records,
and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and
independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often

                                      -33-

<PAGE>

as reasonably requested (subject to confidentiality obligations of the Borrower
or its Subsidiaries).

                  SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws
(including ERISA and Environmental Law), rules, regulations and orders of any
Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property (including agreements to
be entered into in connection with the IPO as described in the IPO Prospectus),
except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

                  SECTION 5.08. Ownership by Merck. Merck will continue to own
at least 80.1% of the Borrower's common stock.

                  SECTION 5.09. Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loan shall
only be used, together with proceeds from the Five Year Facility, to pay for the
Merck Dividend. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether
directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the
Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

                  SECTION 5.10. Other Agreements. So long as any of the Loans
are outstanding, the Borrower shall not amend or terminate the Assignment and
Assumption, dated as of June __, 2002, between the Borrower and PAID
Prescriptions, L.L.C.

                                   ARTICLE VI
                   NEGATIVE COVENANTS AND FINANCIAL COVENANTS

                  Until the Lender's Total Commitments have expired or
terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable
hereunder have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the
Lenders that:

                  SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, and will
not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any
Indebtedness, except:

                  (a) Indebtedness created hereunder and under the Five Year
          Facility and the 364 Day Facility;

                  (b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in
          Schedule 6.01, together with any existing Guarantees of any such
          Indebtedness;

                  (c) Indebtedness of the Borrower to any Subsidiary and of any
          Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;

                  (d) Guarantees by the Borrower of Indebtedness of any
          Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Borrower or
          any other Subsidiary;

                  (e) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary as an
          account party in respect of trade letters of credit;

                  (f) Indebtedness to the extent the net cash proceeds of which
          are utilized to permanently prepay loans outstanding under the Five
          Year Facility or the 364 Day Facility;

                                      -34-

<PAGE>

                  (g) Indebtedness which may be deemed to exist pursuant to any
          surety, indemnity, appeal, performance and other obligations of like
          nature and guarantees thereof, in each case securing obligations not
          constituting Indebtedness for borrowed money;

                  (h) Indebtedness that may exist in respect of deposits or
          payments made by customers or clients;

                  (i) subject to Section 2.08(c) of the Five Year Facility, one
          or more Accounts Receivable Financing Programs, provided that (i) the
          size of such Accounts Receivable Financing Programs shall not, in the
          aggregate, exceed $500,000,000 (five hundred million dollars)
          (regardless of the amount of accounts receivable securitized or
          collateralized thereunder) [and (ii)(A) the aggregate face amount of
          accounts receivable of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries held at any
          time by a trust, partnership, corporation or other entity to which
          such accounts receivable have been transferred pursuant to Accounts
          Receivable Financing Programs, plus (without duplication) (B) the
          amount of Indebtedness outstanding at such time pursuant to Accounts
          Receivable Financing Programs under which the Borrower or any of its
          Subsidiaries incurs Indebtedness secured by their accounts receivable
          does not exceed [50% (fifty percent)] of the aggregate face amount of
          all accounts receivable of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such
          time];

                  (j) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary not
          otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a) through (i) of this Section 6.01
          in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding 10% (ten percent) of
          Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, as defined in Section 6.10;

                  (k) extensions, renewals or refinancings of Indebtedness under
paragraphs (a) through (h) of this Section 6.01 so long as (1) such Indebtedness
("Refinancing Indebtedness") is in an aggregate principal amount not greater
than the aggregate principal amount of, and unpaid interest on, the Indebtedness
being extended, renewed or refinanced plus the amount of any premiums required
to be paid thereon and fees and expenses associated therewith, (2) such
Refinancing Indebtedness has a later or equal final maturity and a longer or
equal weighted average life than the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or
refinanced, and (3) the interest rate applicable to such Refinancing
Indebtedness shall be at a rate no higher than the rate applicable to the
Indebtedness that is the subject of the extension, renewal or refinancing; and

                  (l) all premiums (if any), interest (including post-petition
interest), fee, expenses, indemnities, charges and additional or contingent
interest on obligations described in paragraphs (a) through (k) of this Section
6.01.

                  SECTION 6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, and will not
permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on
any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell
any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of
any thereof, except:

                  (a) Permitted Encumbrances;

                                      -35-

<PAGE>

                  (b) Liens in favor of the Borrower with respect to any of its
          Subsidiaries and Liens that may be deemed to exist under this
          Agreement, the Five Year Facility or the 364 Day Facility;

                  (c) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any
          Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02
          and additions thereto (but not beyond the scope of the original Lien)
          and proceeds and replacements thereof; provided that such Liens shall
          secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and
          extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the
          outstanding principal amount thereof;

                  (d) any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the
          acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on
          any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after
          the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and
          additions thereto (but not beyond the scope of the original Lien) and
          proceeds and replacements thereof; provided that (i) such Lien is not
          created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or
          such Person becoming a Subsidiary , as the case may be and (ii) such
          Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date
          of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as
          the case may be and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that
          do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

                  (e) Liens on fixed or capital assets or assets of a Subsidiary
          acquired, constructed, refurbished or improved by the Borrower or any
          Subsidiary; provided that (i) such security interests secure
          Indebtedness not prohibited by Section 6.01, (ii) such security
          interests and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to
          or within 120 days after such acquisition or the completion of such
          construction, refurbishment or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness
          secured thereby does not exceed 100% (one hundred percent) of the cost
          of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets
          and (iv) such security interests shall not apply to any other property
          or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than proceeds and
          replacements thereof and additions thereto (but not beyond the scope
          of the original Lien));

                  (f) Liens solely on any deposits, advances, contractual
          payments, including implementation allowances, or escrows made or paid
          by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to or with customers or
          clients in the ordinary course of business;

                  (g) Liens arising from sales or securitizations of accounts
          receivables;

                  (h) deposits securing liabilities to insurance carriers under
          insurance or self-insurance arrangements and regulatory restrictions
          imposed on insurance Subsidiaries; and

                  (i) Liens of the Borrower or any Subsidiary not otherwise
          permitted by paragraphs (a) through (h) of this Section 6.02 in an
          aggregate amount not exceeding 10% (ten percent) of Consolidated Net
          Tangible Assets (including assets held "off-balance sheet" that are
          subject to Liens restricted under this Section), as defined in Section
          6.10.

                                      -36-

<PAGE>

                  SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes. The Borrower will not, nor
will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, consummate any transaction of merger
or consolidation, or liquidate, wind-up or dissolve itself (or suffer any
liquidation or dissolution), or convey, sell, lease or sub-lease (as lessor or
sublessor), transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one transaction or a series of
transactions, all or any part of its business, assets or property of any kind
whatsoever, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible,
whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or acquire by purchase or otherwise
(other than purchases or other acquisitions of inventory, materials and
equipment in the ordinary course of business) the business, property or fixed
assets of, or stock or other evidence of beneficial ownership of, any Person or
any division or line of business or other business unit of any Person, except:

                  (a) any Subsidiary may be merged with or into the Borrower or
another wholly-owned Subsidiary, or be liquidated, wound up or dissolved, or all
or any part of its business, property or assets may be conveyed, sold, leased,
transferred or otherwise disposed of, in one transaction or a series of
transactions, to the Borrower or another wholly-owned Subsidiary; provided, in
the case of any merger with the Borrower, the Borrower will be the continuing or
surviving Person;

                  (b) sales, leases, subleases or securitizations of accounts
receivables or other dispositions of assets that do not constitute Asset Sales;

                  (c) (x) Asset Sales required by any Governmental Authority,
(y) Asset Sales (excluding any sale of accounts receivable), the net-after-tax
proceeds of which, together, (valued at the principal amount thereof in the case
of non-cash proceeds consisting of notes or other debt securities and valued at
fair market value in the case of other non-cash proceeds), when aggregated with
the proceeds of all other Asset Sales made within the same fiscal year, are less
than $100,000,000 (one hundred million dollars) or (z) sales of accounts
receivable that constitute an Asset Sale which, when aggregated with all other
sales of accounts receivables that constitute Asset Sales made during the term
of this Agreement, are less than $400,000,000 (four hundred million dollars);
provided (1) in the case of an Asset Sale not required by any Governmental
Authority, the consideration received for such assets shall be in an amount at
least equal to the fair market value thereof (determined in good faith by the
board of directors of the Borrower (or similar governing body)), (2) in the case
of an Asset Sale not required by any Governmental Authority, no less than 80%
(eighty percent) thereof shall be paid in cash, and (3) the after-tax net cash
proceeds received from Asset Sales (including sales of accounts receivables)
shall be applied as, and, if and to the extent, required by Section 2.07(b);

                  (d) disposals of obsolete, worn out or surplus property,
payments under Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01 and any Restricted Payment
permitted by Section 6.06; and

                  (e) any Investment or acquisition permitted by Section 6.04
and any Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01.

                  SECTION 6.04. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and
Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person
that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any capital stock,
evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or
other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any

                                      -37-

<PAGE>

loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist
any investment or any other similar interest in, any other Person, or purchase
or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets
of any other Person constituting a business unit (each an "Investment"), except:

                  (a) Permitted Investments;

                  (b) Investments by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
          that exist on the date hereof;

                  (c) Investments by the Borrower to or in any Subsidiary and by
          any Subsidiary to or in the Borrower or any other wholly-owned
          Subsidiary;

                  (d) Guarantees constituting Indebtedness permitted by Section
          6.01;

                  (e) Investments in the capital stock or other ownership
          interests of any wholly-owned Subsidiary newly organized after the
          date hereof;

                  (f) any Investment acquired by any of Borrower or any of its
          Subsidiaries (A) in exchange for any other Investment permitted under
          this Section 6.04 or accounts receivable held by Borrower or any of
          its Subsidiaries in connection with or as a result of a bankruptcy,
          workout, reorganization or recapitalization of the issuer of such
          other Investment permitted under this Section 6.04 or accounts
          receivable, (B) as a result of a foreclosure by Borrower or any of its
          Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer
          of title with respect to any secured Investment in default or (C) in
          connection with the acquisition of an Acquired Business of an
          Investment of such Acquired Business which existed prior to the date
          of such acquisition;

                  (g) any Investment that may be deemed to exist with respect to
          any Swap Agreement permitted by Section 6.05;

                  (h) any acquisition, construction or lease of fixed or capital
          assets, plants, facilities or equipment (including renewals,
          substitutions, additions, refurbishments, replacements, capitalized
          repairs and improvements during such period) that should be
          capitalized under GAAP, and included in property, plant or equipment
          reflected on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its
          Subsidiaries;

                  (i) acquisitions or Investments in exchange for Equity
          Interests of the Borrower;

                  (j) loans, deposits or advances to or with customers and
          clients, including extensions of trade credit by, receivables payable
          to, and pre-payments of, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in
          the ordinary course of business;

                  (k) Investments to fund deferred compensation plans and other
          post-employment benefit plans in the ordinary course of business; and

                  (l) Investments and other acquisitions for cash not otherwise
          permitted under paragraphs (a) through (k) of this Section 6.04 or
          under Section 6.03: (1) in an aggregate amount not exceeding
          $250,000,000 (two hundred fifty million dollars) in any fiscal year

                                      -38-

<PAGE>

          and (2) to the extent such Investments or acquisitions made pursuant
          to clause (1) would exceed $100,000,000 (one hundred million) in any
          fiscal year, the Borrower's ratio of Consolidated Total Debt to
          Consolidated EBITDA would be at or less than 2.25 immediately after
          giving effect to such Investments or acquisitions on a pro forma
          basis. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained in this paragraph
          (l) of this Section 6.04 shall be interpreted as modifying or
          superceding any financial requirement otherwise specified in Section
          6.10.

                  SECTION 6.05. Swap Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will
not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a)
Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or
any Subsidiary has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity
Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries), and (b) Swap Agreements
entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates
(from fixed to floating rates, from floating to fixed rates, from one floating
rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing
liability or investment of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

                  SECTION 6.06. Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not, and
will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or
make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) the Borrower
may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable
solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Subsidiaries may declare
and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, (c) the
Borrower may declare and pay the Merck Dividend , (d) the Borrower may make
Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or
other benefit plans for management or employees of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, and (e) the Borrower may declare and pay cash dividends with
respect to its Equity Interest if, at the time such dividend is declared, the
aggregate principal amount of the cash dividends does not exceed more than 25%
(twenty-five percent) of Consolidated Net Income (as defined in Section 6.10)
after June 30, 2005 (or earlier if the Borrower has a rating of at least "BBB-"
and "Baa3" from S&P and Moody's, respectively).

                  SECTION 6.07. Transactions with Affiliates. (a) The Borrower
will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or
otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise
acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other
transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (i) on terms and conditions not
in the aggregate less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be
obtained on an arm's-length basis if the Affiliate were an unrelated third party
(ii) pursuant to agreements with Merck and its Subsidiaries entered into in
connection with or prior to the IPO (as described in the IPO Prospectus unless
such agreement would not be material to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole, as of the date of the IPO Prospectus), (iii) transactions between or
among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and among Subsidiaries of the Borrower
and (iv) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.06.

                  (b) The foregoing paragraph (a) of this Section 6.07 shall not
prohibit, to the extent otherwise permitted under this Agreement, (i) any
issuance of securities, or other payments, awards or grants in cash, securities
or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment arrangements, stock
options and other benefit plans, (ii) loans or advances to employees of the
Borrower or any Subsidiary permitted by Section 6.04, (iii) the payment of fees
and indemnities to directors, officers and employees of the Borrower and the
Subsidiaries in the

                                      -39-

<PAGE>

ordinary course of business, and (iv) any agreements with employees and
directors entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the
ordinary course of business.

                  SECTION 6.08. Restrictive Agreements. The Borrower will not,
and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter
into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that
prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of the
Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any
of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends
or other distributions with respect to any shares of its capital stock or to
make or repay loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to
Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that
(i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law,
by this Agreement, the Five Year Facility, the 364 Day Facility or any
Refinancing Indebtedness with respect thereto, (ii) the foregoing shall not
apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on
Schedule 6.08 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment
or modification materially expanding the scope of, any such restriction or
condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and
conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale or disposition of any
assets or Subsidiary provided such sale or disposition is permitted hereunder,
(iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions
imposed by any agreement relating to any Lien permitted by this Agreement if the
restrictions or conditions do not apply to any property or assets other than the
property or asset subject to such Lien, (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall
not apply to customary provisions in leases (including prohibitions contained
therein on a Lien on the lease or the property subject to the lease) and other
contracts (including restrictions on assignment) and (vi) the foregoing shall
not apply to regulatory restrictions and conditions imposed on insurance
Subsidiaries of the Borrower.

                  SECTION 6.09. Amendments to or Prepayments or Redemptions of
Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries
to, amend or otherwise change the terms of the Subordinated Indebtedness, if
any, or make any payment consistent with an amendment thereof or change thereto,
if the effect of such amendment or change is to increase the interest rate on
such Subordinated Indebtedness, change (to earlier dates) any dates upon which
payments of principal or interest are due thereon, change any event of default
or condition to an event of default with respect thereto (other than to
eliminate any such event of default or increase any grace period related
thereto), change the redemption, prepayment or defeasance provisions thereof,
change the subordination provisions of such Subordinated Indebtedness (or of any
guaranty thereof), or if the effect of such amendment or change, together with
all other amendments or changes made, is to increase materially the obligations
of the obligor thereunder or to confer any additional rights on the holders of
such Subordinated Indebtedness (or a trustee or other representative on their
behalf) which would be adverse to any Lender.

                  SECTION 6.10. Financial Covenants. (a) Leverage Covenant. The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, permit the
ratio of Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA at any time to be
greater than 2.5.

                  (b) Fixed Charge Coverage Covenant. The Borrower will not
permit the ratio of (1) Consolidated EBITDA minus Consolidated Capital
Expenditures to (2) Consolidated Fixed Charges at any time during any test
period set forth below to be less than the ratio set forth opposite such test
period below:

                                      -40-

<PAGE>

=============================================================
        Test Period              Interest Coverage Ratio
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2002                           1.50
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2003                           1.50
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2004                           1.50
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2005                           1.75
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2006                           1.75
-------------------------------------------------------------
            2007                           1.75
=============================================================

                  (c) Definitions. For purposes of this Section 6.10, the
following definitions shall apply:

                  (i) "Consolidated Capital Expenditures" means, for any period,
                  the aggregate of all expenditures by the Borrower and its
                  Subsidiaries for the acquisition or leasing (pursuant to a
                  capital lease) of fixed or capital assets or additions to
                  equipment (including replacements, capitalized repairs and
                  improvements during such period) capitalized in conformity
                  with GAAP on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower
                  and its Subsidiaries.

                  (ii) "Consolidated Current Liabilities" means, at the date of
                  determination, the aggregate amount of the liabilities
                  classified as current liabilities in conformity with GAAP as
                  reflected on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower
                  and its Subsidiaries as of such date, excluding the current
                  portion of long-term indebtedness and notes payable reflected
                  on such balance sheet.

                  (iii) "Consolidated EBITDA" means, for any period,
                  Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (A) without
                  duplication and to the extent deducted in determining such
                  Consolidated Net Income, the sum of (1) the aggregate amount
                  of Consolidated Interest Expense for such period, (2) the
                  aggregate amount of consolidated income tax expense for such
                  period, (3) all amounts attributable to depreciation and
                  amortization for such period and (4) any extraordinary or
                  non-recurring non-cash charges for such period (provided,
                  however, that cash expenditures in respect of charges added
                  back pursuant to this clause (4) shall be deducted in
                  determining Consolidated EBITDA for the period during which
                  such expenditures are made) and minus (B) any extraordinary or
                  non-recurring non-cash gains for such period.

                  (iv) "Consolidated Fixed Charges" means, for any period, the
                  sum of, without duplication, (A) Consolidated Interest Expense
                  for such period and (B) the scheduled principal amortization
                  payments made on all Indebtedness (excluding payments pursuant
                  to a revolving credit facility or of the occurrence of the
                  scheduled termination date thereunder) by the Borrower and its
                  Subsidiaries during such period.

                  (v) "Consolidated Interest Expense" means, for any period, the
                  interest expense (including imputed interest expense in
                  respect of capital lease obligations, but excluding premiums,
                  transaction expenses, discounts and other amortized amounts),
                  without deduction of interest income, reflected on the
                  consolidated statement of income of the Borrower and its
                  Subsidiaries for such period in conformity with GAAP.

                                      -41-

<PAGE>

                  (vi) "Consolidated Net Income" means, for any period, the
                  amount of net income reflected on the consolidated statement
                  of income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period
                  in conformity with GAAP.

                  (vii) "Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means, as of the date
                  of determination, the aggregate amount of all assets reflected
                  on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its
                  Subsidiaries as of such date in conformity with GAAP. less, to
                  the extent reflected on such balance sheet: (A) Consolidated
                  Current Liabilities; (B) intangibles; and (C) goodwill,
                  including any amounts (however designated on the balance
                  sheet) representing the cost of acquisitions of Subsidiaries
                  in excess of underlying tangible assets.

                  (viii) "Consolidated Total Debt" means, as of the date of
                  determination, the aggregate amount of indebtedness reflected
                  on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its
                  Subsidiaries as of such date in conformity with GAAP, plus,
                  without duplication, "synthetic leases", letters of credit (to
                  the extent drawn and not reimbursed) and the face amount of
                  the accounts receivable outstanding under any Accounts
                  Receivable Financing Programs unless amounts outstanding
                  thereunder are reflected as indebtedness on the consolidated
                  balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

                  (d) In calculating the ratios set forth in Section 6.10(a) and
(b), pro forma effect shall be given to any acquisitions or dispositions that
occur during the applicable reference period, or thereafter and on or prior to
the reporting date with respect thereto, as if they had occurred on the first
day of the applicable reference period or as of the last day of the applicable
quarter, as the case may be.

                                  ARTICLE VII
                                EVENTS OF DEFAULT

                  If any of the following events ("Events of Default") shall
occur:

                  (a) the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan
          when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due
          date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;

                  (b) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or
          any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in
          clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement or any
          Transaction Documents, when and as the same shall become due and
          payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of
          five days;

                  (c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or
          on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with
          this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver
          hereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other
          document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or
          any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder, shall prove
          to have been incorrect in any material respect (except that, to the
          extent any such representation or warranty is qualified by materiality
          or Material Adverse Effect, such representation or warranty shall
          prove to have been incorrect in any respect) when made or deemed made;

                                      -42-

<PAGE>

                  (d) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any
          covenant, condition or agreement contained in Sections 5.03 (with
          respect to the Borrower's existence) or 5.06(b), 5.08 or in Article
          VI;

                  (e) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any
          covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02, and such
          failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 10 days after the
          Borrower becomes aware of such failure;

                  (f) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any
          covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other
          than those specified in clause (a), (b), (d) or (e) of this Article),
          and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days
          after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower
          (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);

                  (g) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any
          payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in
          respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall
          become due and payable;

                  (h) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material
          Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity, other than
          at the election of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or that, subject to
          any applicable grace period, enables or permits (with or without the
          giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of
          any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their
          behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require
          the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to
          its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply
          to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary
          sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness;

                  (i) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an
          involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation,
          reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any
          Significant Subsidiary or the debts thereof, or a substantial part of
          the assets thereof, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy,
          insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or
          (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator,
          conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Significant
          Subsidiary or for a substantial part of the assets thereof, and, in
          any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed
          for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the
          foregoing shall be entered;

                  (j) the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall (i)
          voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking
          liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state
          or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or
          hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to
          contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition
          described in clause (h) of this Article VII, (iii) apply for or
          consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian,
          sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any
          Significant Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv)
          file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed
          against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for
          the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of
          effecting any of the foregoing;

                                      -43-

<PAGE>

                  (k) the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall become
          unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its
          debts as they become due;

                  (l) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an
          aggregate amount in excess of $25,000,000 (twenty-five million
          dollars) (except to the extent covered by insurance or other right of
          reimbursement or indemnification) shall be rendered against the
          Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall
          remain undischarged for a period of 60 consecutive days during which
          execution shall not be effectively stayed;

                  (m) an ERISA Event shall have occurred and shall be
          outstanding that, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that
          have occurred and are then outstanding, would reasonably be expected
          to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an
          aggregate amount exceeding (i) $25,000,000 (twenty-five million
          dollars), individually or in the aggregate;

                  (n) any of the following shall occur:

                      (i) the managed care agreement between Merck and the
                      Borrower does not remain in full force and effect;

                      (ii) the Borrower shall have breached, on one or more
                      occasions, its obligations under such managed care
                      agreement;

                      (iii) such managed care agreement shall be amended; or

                      (iv) Merck exercises its privilege to withdraw its
                      products from the terms of such managed care agreement;

          and any such failure to remain in full force and effect, breach,
          amendment or withdrawal would, individually or in the aggregate, be
          reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; provided,
          however, that, under this Agreement, in determining whether or not a
          Material Adverse Effect would be reasonably expected to result from
          such termination, breach, amendment or withdrawal consideration shall
          be given by the parties to any attempt to mitigate the effects of such
          termination, breach, amendment or withdrawal; or

                  (o) a Change in Control shall occur;

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower
described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article VII), and at any time thereafter
during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the
request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or
both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the
Lenders' Total Commitments, and thereupon such Total Commitments shall terminate
immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable
in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and
payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the
principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued
interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued
hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately,

                                      -44-

<PAGE>

without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which
are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the
Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article VII, the Lenders' Total
Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then
outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other
obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due
and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind,
all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

                                  ARTICLE VIII
                            THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

                  Each of the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints the
Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to
take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to
the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and
powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

                  The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall
have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender
and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and
such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and
generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or
other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.

                  The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or
obligations except those expressly set forth herein. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject
to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has
occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty
to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except
discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby that the
Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the
Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be
necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02), and (c) except
as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty
to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any
information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is
communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any
of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable
for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of
the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall
be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02) or in the
absence of its own gross negligence or wilful misconduct. The Administrative
Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until
written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a
Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any
duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation
made in or in connection with this Agreement, (ii) the contents of any
certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection
herewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants,
agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein, (iv) the validity,
enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement or any other
agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set
forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items
expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

                                      -45-

<PAGE>

                  The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and
shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request,
certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed
by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The
Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by
telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not
incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult
with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent
accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any
action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such
counsel, accountants or experts.

                  The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties
and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents
appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such
sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers
through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the
preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related
Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to
their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.

                  Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor
Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may
resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the Borrower. Upon any such
resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor,
subject to the approval of the Borrower not to be unreasonably withheld,
provided that such consent shall not be required if the Borrower is then in
Default. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders
and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring
Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring
Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor
Administrative Agent, subject to the approval of the Borrower not to be
unreasonably withheld so long as the Borrower is not then in Default, which
shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any
such bank. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent
hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with
all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative
Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties
and obligations hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor
Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor
unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the
Administrative Agent's resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and
Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring
Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in
respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was
acting as Administrative Agent.

                  Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and
without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on
such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit
analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also
acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and
information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its
own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement,
any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

                                      -46-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE IX
                                  MISCELLANEOUS

                  SECTION 9.01. Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and
other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject
to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for
herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier
service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:

                  (i) if to the Borrower, to it at 100 Parsons Pond Drive,
          Franklin Lakes, New Jersey 07417, Attention of Chief Financial Officer
          (Telecopy No. (201) 269-2874);

                  (ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank,
          Loan and Agency Services Group, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 8th Floor,
          New York, New York 10081, Attention of Anne Bowles (Telecopy No. (212)
          552-7500), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New
          York 10017, Attention of Dawn Lee Lum (Telecopy No. (212) 270-3279);
          and

                  (iii) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or
          telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

                  (b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder
may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications, and not by telecopy,
pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the
foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise
agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative
Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other
communications to it hereunder by electronic communications, and not by
telecopy, pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such
procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

                  (c) Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number
for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties
hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been
given on the date of receipt.

                  SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by
the Administrative Agent or any Lender in exercising any right or power
hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial
exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of
steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise
thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of
the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not
exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of
any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower
therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by
paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be
effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan shall not
be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the
Administrative Agent, any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such
Default at the time.

                                      -47-

<PAGE>

                  (b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be
waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in
writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided
that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Loan Commitment of any Lender
without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of
any Loan or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable
hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii)
postpone the Maturity Date or the scheduled date of payment of any interest on
any Loan, or any fees or any other amounts payable hereunder, or reduce the
amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of
expiration of any Loan Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender
affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.14(b) or (c) in a manner that would
alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written
consent of each Lender affected thereby, or (v) change any of the provisions of
this Section or the definition of "Required Lenders" or any other provision
hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend
or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent
hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that no
such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of
the Administrative Agent hereunder without the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower may, with the consent of the other, amend, modify or supplement this
Agreement to to cure any ambiguity, typographical error, defect or
inconsistency, so long as such amendment, modification or supplement does not
adversely affect the rights of any Lender.

                  SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver. (a) The
Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the
Administrative Agent, the Joint Lead Arrangers and each Related Party of any of
the foregoing Persons, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements
of counsel, expenses incurred in connection with due diligence and travel,
courier, reproduction, printing and delivery expenses) of the Joint Lead
Arrangers in connection with the arrangement and syndication of the credit
facilities provided for herein, the preparation, execution, delivery and
administration of this Agreement or any amendments, waivers, modifications,
waivers or extensions (including amendments, waivers, modifications or
extensions proposed by the Borrower) of the provisions hereof (whether or not
the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), provided
that the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees and expenses incurred by
the Administrative Agent, the Joint Lead Arrangers, any Lender or any other
Related Parties incurred in connection with an assignment or participation of
any rights or obligations of a Lender hereunder unless initiated by the Borrower
under Section 2.15(b) other than as a result of a default by the Lender; and
(ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent,
any Lender or the Joint Lead Arrangers, including the fees, charges and
disbursements of any counsel (including the reasonable allocated cost of
in-house counsel) for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Joint Lead
Arrangers, in connection with the enforcement of its rights under this Agreement
or the Transaction Documents, including its rights under this Section or in
connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket
expenses incurred in connection with any workout proceedings, enforcement costs
and documentary taxes or negotiations in respect of such Loans.

                  (b) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent,
each Lender and the Joint Lead Arrangers, and each Related Party of any of the
foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an "Indemnitee") against, and
hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all reasonable out-of pocket costs,
losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses,

                                      -48-

<PAGE>

including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any
Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in
connection with any actual or threatened third-party claim, litigation,
investigation or proceeding (a "Third-Party Claim"), whether based on contract,
tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party
thereto, relating to (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or any
agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties
hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or the consummation of the
Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or the
use of the proceeds therefrom or (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release
of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that the foregoing indemnity
shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of
competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from
the gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of such Indemnitee. Upon
receipt of notice of any Third-Party Claim, the Indemnitee shall promptly notify
the Borrower thereof. The Borrower, in its sole discretion, upon written notice
of the Indemnitee(s), may elect to defend (or may at any time assume the defense
of) and may, with the consent of the Indemnitee(s) (such consent not to be
unreasonably withheld), settle or compromise any such Third-Party Claim, using
counsel appointed by Borrower, which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to
the Indemnitee if such settlement or compromise would result in the full release
of Indemnitee from any liability arising thereof, or with the consent of the
Indemnitee (not to be unreasonably withheld). No Indemnitee may compromise or
settle or consent to the entry of judgment or determination of liability with
respect to a Third-Party Claim for which it is seeking indemnification hereof,
without the consent of Borrower.

                  (c) To the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount
required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent under paragraph (a) or (b)
of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative
Agent, such Lender's Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the
applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid
amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim,
damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or
asserted against the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such.

                  (d) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower
shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any
theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages
(as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or
as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated
hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof.

                  (e) All amounts due under this Section shall be payable
promptly after written demand therefor.

                  SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns. (a) The provisions of
this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that
(i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any
such attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall
be null and void), and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its
rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing
in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be

                                      -49-

<PAGE>

construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their
respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants (to the extent
provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly
contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of
this Agreement.

                  (b) (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph
(b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion
of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including the Loans at the
time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be
unreasonably withheld) of:

                         (A) the Borrower, provided that no consent of the
          Borrower shall be required (1) for an assignment to a Lender, an
          Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund (as defined below), (2) if an
          Event of Default under clause (a), (b), (i) or (j) of Article VII has
          occurred and is continuing, any other assignee or (3) if a breach of
          Section 6.10(a) or 6.10(b) has occurred and is continuing; and

                         (B) the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent
          of the Administrative Agent shall be required (1) for an assignment to
          an assignee that is a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or a Federal
          Reserve Bank, immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment,
          (2) if an Event of Default under clause (i) or (j) of Article VII has
          occurred and is continuing, any other assignee or (3) if a breach of
          Section 6.10(a) or (b) has occurred and is continuing.

                  (ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional
          conditions:

                         (A) each partial assignment shall be made as an
          assignment of a proportionate part of all an assigning Lender's rights
          and obligations under this Agreement;

                         (B) the parties to each assignment shall execute and
          deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption,
          together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500;

                         (C) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall
          deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire;
          and

                         (D) in the case of an assignment to a CLO (as defined
          below), the assigning Lender shall retain the sole right to approve
          any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this
          Agreement, provided that the Assignment and Assumption between such
          Lender and such CLO may provide that such Lender will not, without the
          consent of such CLO, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver
          described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such
          CLO.

                  For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the terms "Approved
Fund" and "CLO" have the following meanings:

                  "Approved Fund" means (a) a CLO and (b) with respect to any
          Lender that is a fund which invests in bank loans and similar
          extensions of credit, any other fund that

                                      -50-

<PAGE>

          invests in bank loans and similar extensions of credit and is managed
          by the same investment advisor as such Lender or by an Affiliate of
          such investment advisor.

                  "CLO" means any entity (whether a corporation, partnership,
          trust or otherwise) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or
          otherwise investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in
          the ordinary course of its business and is administered or managed by
          a Lender or an Affiliate of such Lender.

                  (iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to
          paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section 9.04, from and after the effective
          date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee
          thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest
          assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and
          obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender
          thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such
          Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this
          Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering
          all of the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this
          Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall
          continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.11, 2.12, 2.13
          and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or
          obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this
          Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale
          by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in
          accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 9.04.

                  (iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an
          agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of
          each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the
          recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and principal
          amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof
          from time to time (the "Register"). The entries in the Register shall
          be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the
          Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register
          pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of
          this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register
          shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at
          any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior
          notice.

                  (v) Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and
          Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the
          assignee's completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee
          shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation
          fee referred to in paragraph (b)(ii)(B) of this Section 9.04 and any
          written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b)(i) of
          this Section 9.04, the Administrative Agent shall accept such
          Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein
          in the Register. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this
          Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in
          this paragraph.

                  (c) (i) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower or
the Administrative Agent, sell participations to one or more banks or other
entities (a "Participant") in all or a portion of such Lender's rights and
obligations under this Agreement; provided that (A) such Lender's obligations
under this Agreement (including all or a portion of the Loans owing to it) shall
remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other
parties hereto for the performance of such obligations arising from such
participations so sold by such

                                      -51-

<PAGE>

Lender and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders
shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with
such Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or
instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide
that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to
approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this
Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such
Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment,
modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that
affects such Participant. Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section 9.04, the
Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of
Sections 2.11, 2.12 and 2.13 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had
acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section
9.04. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to
the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided that such
Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.14(c) as though it were a Lender.

                  (ii) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any
greater payment under Section 2.11, 2.12 or 2.13 than the applicable Lender
would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to
such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is
made with the Borrower's prior written consent. A Participant that would be a
Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of
Section 2.13 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such
Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to
comply with Section 2.13(e) as though it were a Lender.

                  (d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security
interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure
obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure
obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any
such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge
or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its
obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender
as a party hereto.

                  SECTION 9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements,
representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the
certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to
this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties
hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
making of any Loans, regardless of any investigation made by any such other
party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any
Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect
representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and
shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any
accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this
Agreement is outstanding and unpaid and so long as the Commitments have not
expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.13, 2.14, 2.15 and 9.03 and
Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the
Loans, the expiration or termination of the Commitments or the termination of
this Agreement or any provision hereof.

                  SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on
different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of
which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and
any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the
Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating
to the subject

                                      -52-

<PAGE>

matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings,
oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in
Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been
executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall
have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the
signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding
upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page
of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually
executed counterpart of this Agreement.

                  SECTION 9.07. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement
held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to
such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality
or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability
of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision
in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other
jurisdiction.

                  SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is
hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special,
time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at
any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account
of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now or
hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of
whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and
although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this
Section 9.08 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other
rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.

                  SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service
of Process. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by
the law of the State of New York.

                  (b) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally
submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the
United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any
appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment,
and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees
that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and
determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such
Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any
such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other
jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent
or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to
this Agreement against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any
jurisdiction.

(c) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest
extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or
hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b)
of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby

                                      -53-

<PAGE>

irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an
inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such
court.

                  (d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to
service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing
in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve
process in any other manner permitted by law.

                  SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY
WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE
TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF
OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER
BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES
THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED,
EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF
LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT
AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY,
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

                  SECTION 9.11. Headings. Article and Section headings and the
Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not
part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken
into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

                  SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality. (a) Each of the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information
(as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its
Affiliates' directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants,
legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom
such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such
Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the
extent requested by any regulatory authority, (c) to the extent required by
applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d)
to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any
remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement
or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing
provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee
of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or
(ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or
derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with
the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes
publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 9.12 or
(ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a
nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates. For the purposes of this paragraph, "Information" means all
information received from the Borrower or any of its Affiliates relating to the
Borrower or its business in connection with the facilities for the Loans in
connection with the performance by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders,
other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or
any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any
of its Affiliates; provided that, in the case of information received from the
Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the
time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the
confidentiality of Information as provided in this paragraph shall be considered
to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has

                                      -54-

<PAGE>

exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such
Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to (1)
restrict or affect the rights or ability of the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders to comply with all applicable disclosure laws, regulations and
principles in connection with the IPO, the Notes Offering or related
transactions, (2) restrict the ability of the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders to share information with underwriters participating in the IPO, the
Notes Offering or related transactions, (3) prevent the Administrative Agent or
the Lenders from retaining documents or other information in connection with due
diligence, including any documents or other information disclosed to the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby, (4) restrict or affect the rights or ability of the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders to use any such documents or other
information in investigating or defending itself against allegations or claims
made or threatened by purchasers, regulatory authorities or others in connection
with the IPO, the Notes Offering or related transactions, or (5) prevent the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders from disclosing any confidential information
required to be disclosed by an applicable statute, rule, regulation or other
legal requirement in connection with or arising out of the IPO, the Notes
Offering or related transactions.

                  (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9.12(a), the
letter of confidentiality, dated the date hereof, between Goldman Sachs Credit
Partners L.P. and the Borrower, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P. shall be
bound by the limitation on use and disclosure obligations contained therein in
lieu of the provisions of Section 9.12(a).

                  SECTION 9.13. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to
any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as
interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the "Charges"), shall
exceed the maximum lawful rate (the "Maximum Rate") which may be contracted for,
charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in
accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such
Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be
limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges
that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a
result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and
Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be
increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount,
together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date
of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.

                                      -55-

<PAGE>

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the
day and year first above written.

                                             MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC.

                                             By _________________________
                                                Name:
                                                Title:

                                             JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, individually
                                             and as Administrative Agent

                                             By _________________________
                                                Name:
                                                Title:

                                             [OTHER BANKS]

                                             By _________________________
                                                Name:
                                                Title:<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.24

                                     FORM OF

                       ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT

                  Assignment and Assumption Agreement (this "Agreement"), dated
as of __, 2002, between Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Medco"), and PAID Prescriptions, L.L.C., a Nevada limited
liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Medco ("PAID").

                               W I T N E S S E T H

                  WHEREAS, this Agreement is being executed to evidence the
sale, conveyance and assignment of PAID's right, title and interest in and to
any and all accounts receivable from clients (and all proceeds and rights to
receive all payments made or to be made in respect thereof) held by, or owing or
payable to, PAID as of the date hereof or that may at any time or from time to
time hereafter be held by, or owing or payable to, PAID (collectively, "Client
Receivables"), and Medco's assumption of all PAID's accounts payable (and all
obligations thereunder) existing as of the date hereof and owing or payable to,
or that may exist at any time or from time to time hereafter and be owing or
payable to, retail pharmacies participating in one or more of PAID's retail
pharmacy networks (collectively, "Pharmacy Payables").

                  NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual
promises contained in this Agreement and other good and valuable consideration,
the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to
be legally bound hereby, for itself and its successors and assigns, each of PAID
and Medco hereby agrees as follows:

1.       Assignment of Client Receivables. Effective from and after the date
hereof, PAID does hereby sell, transfer, convey, grant and assign to Medco all
of PAID's right, title and interest in any and all Client Receivables (including
all proceeds thereof and the right to receive all payments made or to be made in
respect thereof) that may from time to time be held by, or owing or payable to,
PAID. In furtherance of the foregoing, in the event that PAID shall at any time
receive any payment in respect of any Client Receivables, PAID shall promptly
transfer such payment to Medco (and shall hold such payment in trust as agent
for the benefit of Medco until it makes such transfer). PAID and Medco intend
the transaction contemplated hereby to be (and agree that the transaction
constitutes) a true and absolute sale, transfer, conveyance, grant and
assignment of the Client Receivables by PAID to Medco (without recourse to PAID)
and not a secured loan. Such sale, transfer, conveyance, grant and assignment of
such Client Receivables is intended to provide Medco with the full benefits of
ownership of such Client Receivables. PAID and Medco further agree that, if any
of the obligors under the Client Receivables fail to make

                                       -1-

<PAGE>

required payments with respect to the Client Receivables, Medco will have no
right to recover such payments from PAID. PAID shall have no right to repurchase
any of the Client Receivables (or any rights thereunder or in connection
therewith).

2.       Assumption of Pharmacy Payables.

         (a) In consideration for the assignment described in Section 1 above,
(i) with respect to the balance of Client Receivables outstanding as of the date
hereof, Medco does hereby accept and assume Pharmacy Payables having an
outstanding balance as of the date hereof equal to        of such Client
Receivables balance and (ii) with respect to all Client Receivables originated
any time or from time to time after the date hereof, Medco does hereby accept
and assume all Pharmacy Payables arising after the date hereof that may from
time to time be owing or payable.

         (b) In addition, Medco does hereby accept and assume all Pharmacy
Payables outstanding as of the date hereof and not accepted and assumed by Medco
pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) of this Section 2 (the amount of such
Pharmacy Payables, the "Contribution Amount"). Such acceptance and assumption
shall constitute a capital contribution from Medco to PAID in amount equal to
the Contribution Amount.

         (c) Effective from and after the date hereof, PAID shall have no
liability or responsibility for, and Medco will hereafter pay, perform, and
discharge in full in accordance with their terms, all Pharmacy Payables accepted
and assumed pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 2.

3.       Treatment of Transactions. Each of Medco and PAID shall mark its books
and records to reflect the transaction effected pursuant hereto as, including
for accounting purposes, a sale, transfer, conveyance, grant and assignment by
PAID to Medco of PAID's right, title and interest in any and all Client
Receivables (including all proceeds thereof and the right to receive all
payments made or to be made in respect thereof) that may from time to time be
held by, or owing or payable to, PAID in exchange for Medco's assumption and
agreement to pay, perform, and discharge in full in accordance with their terms,
all Pharmacy Payables that may from time to time be owing or payable (other than
Pharmacy Payables outstanding as of the date hereof with a balance equal to the
Contribution Amount).

4.       Further Assurances.  Each of the parties hereto agrees to take any and
all further actions and to execute any and all additional documents which may be
required to effectuate the transaction contemplated hereby.

5.       Financing Statements.  PAID authorizes Medco or its assignee to file
financing or continuation statements, and amendments thereto and assignments
thereof, relating to the

                                      -2-

<PAGE>

Client Receivables and with respect thereto without the signature of PAID where
permitted by law.

6.       Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the
conflicts of law principles thereof.

7.       Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall
be for the benefit of the respective successors, legal representatives and
permitted assigns of PAID and Medco.

8.       Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of
which shall constitute an original, but which together shall constitute one
agreement.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this
Agreement as of the date first above written.

                                            PAID PRESCRIPTIONS, L.L.C.

                                            By:
                                                 ------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                            MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC.

                                            By:
                                                 ------------------------------
                                            Name:
                                            Title:

                                       -3-

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