EFH Empire Financial Holding

Investment Banking Firm to Lead Financing Strategies to Fund Growth IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Assured Pharmacy, Inc. (OTC:APHY) (BULLETIN BOARD: APHY) today announced that it has retained investment banking firm Empire Financial Group (AMEX:EFH) to develop and lead financing strategies. Assured Pharmacy, Inc. is a specialty pharmacy providing customized services for patients with chronic pain and other long-term care conditions. "Empire Financial Group is an ideal financial partner for us. Rare amongst middle-market brokerage firms, Empire has roughly 500 brokers in combination with deep institutional investor relationships. Empire also provides us access to experienced healthcare research analysts through their wholly-owned subsidiary, Jesup Lamont. All of these factors taken together made engaging Empire an easy decision," stated Robert DelVecchio, CEO of Assured Pharmacy. "Our business continues to deliver strong monthly growth and we believe the opportunity for additional Assured pharmacies is very large. With Empire's strong financial resources, we are well-positioned for growth," Mr. DelVecchio concluded. Mr. Ed Cabrera, Co-Head of Capital Markets, Empire Financial Group said, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Assured Pharmacy. We believe their business model is largely proven and that it represents a large growth opportunity. Emerging growth companies is where much of our financing efforts are concentrated. Assureds' financial model appears to be very strong, so providing them with appropriate growth capital and other financial resources over time is very attractive to us. We look forward to building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with Assured and its management team." About Empire Financial Group, Inc. Empire Financial Group and its subsidiaries provide investment banking and corporate financing services, as well as securities brokerage, asset management, and market making services in the United States, Europe and Asia. It provides brokerage services directly to retail customers, and small- to mid-sized institutions. Empire Investment Advisors provides investment advisory services to its customers, independent registered investment advisors, and unaffiliated broker dealers. Empire Financial Holding also offers ancillary services, including market data and financial information, portfolio tracking and records management, cash management services, and account security. Based in Longwood, Florida, the company, founded in 2000, has offices in NYC, NY and other locations throughout the U.S. About Assured Pharmacy Assured Pharmacy provides customized services for patients with and physicians treating chronic pain, including specialized expertise in dispensing pain medication, including DEA-classified Schedule II and III medications, streamlined prescription processes, digital prescribing technologies, and specialty drug compounding services. Assured Pharmacy also offers a complete line of durable medical equipment through its DME division. Assured Pharmacy currently operates six retail pharmacies on the West Coast, with two in California (Santa Ana and Riverside), one in Kirkland, Washington, and three in Portland, Oregon. Assured has announced plans to open its first pharmacy in Las Vegas, Nevada, and to expand its existing California footprint with an additional pharmacy in Lomita, California. More information about Assured Pharmacy is available at http://www.assuredpharmacy.com/. Investor Contact: Andrew Brown ROI Group LLC 212-495-0202 Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of section21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The Company believes that its expectations, as expressed in these statements are based on reasonable assumptions regarding the risks and uncertainties inherent in achieving those expectations. These statements are not, however, guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially. Some of the factors that may affect the forward looking statements in this news release are the availability of licensed personnel to operate pharmacies, the availability of suitable retail locations, and the acceptance of new technologies by the medical profession. Other risk factors are listed in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB, and most recent Registration Statement on Form SB-2 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievement expressed or implied to differ. DATASOURCE: Assured Pharmacy, Inc. CONTACT: Andrew Brown of ROI Group LLC, +1-212-495-0202, , for Assured Pharmacy, Inc. Web site: http://www.assuredpharmacy.com/

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