Obagi Medical Products announced strong quarterly earnings and plans for a new online pharmacy.

The Long Beach company, maker of medical skin treatments, reported earnings of $4.4 million or 24 cents a share, an increase from $1.6 million or 7 cents a share for the same quarter last year.

Analysts were expecting earnings of 17 cents a share, according to Bloomberg. After the results were announced, analyst Scott Henry at Roth Capital upgraded his recommendation for the stock to “buy” from “neutral.” Henry set a 12-month price target of $12.50 a share.

The company also announced it will create an online pharmacy to sell its products. All Obagi treatments require a doctor’s prescription.

Chief Executive Al Hummel said in a statement that 400,000 Internet searches a month are performed for the term “Obagi” or related words. The online pharmacy will help market the company’s products to these visitors.

“This new initiative will enable us to refer potential new patients who come to our site to Obagi’s physician customers,” he said.

The company released its earnings after the markets closed on Wednesday. By mid-day Thursday, shares of Obagi traded at $9.55, a gain of 36 cents or 4 percent on the Nasdaq.