As part of its continuing efforts to help communities affected by Hurricane Sandy, CVS/pharmacy has announced that it is waiving prescription co-payments, deductibles and other financial liability related to prescription medications for patients who cannot pay at selected stores in the hardest hit neighborhoods in New York City and surrounding communities.

MinuteClinic is highlighting its support for the education and advancement of clinicians across the country in recognition of National Nurse Practitioner Week, the company said Tuesday.

Starting this month, more than 2,000 CVS/pharmacy stores will have special in-store kiosks that showcase the latest trends and innovations in nail care, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

MinuteClinic is offering free diabetes screenings during November to mark Diabetes Month.

Coming off a strong third quarter, CVS Caremark executives expressed confidence that the company’s integrated retail/pharmacy benefit manager model and the unique programs and services it is able to deliver customers and clients are “making the difference,” president and CEO Larry Merlo told analysts during a Tuesday morning earnings call.

VS Caremark announced on Wednesday a donation of more than $100,000 to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund to provide support to communities that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.

As Hurricane Sandy makes landfall today, CVS/pharmacy has announced that, while complying with any mandatory evacuation orders given by local officials, it is keeping its stores in affected areas open for as long as possible. CVS is also deploying generators throughout affected markets as needed to provide power to key store locations in the event of power outages.

CVS/pharmacy is encouraging customers to consider making simple lifestyle changes to experience long-term health benefits in light of new findings on the positive effect of daily vitamin regimens released this week by Brigham and Women's Hospital and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

CVS Caremark has announced that it has reached a civil settlement with the United States Department of Justice regarding its investigation into certain business practices of a subsidiary of Longs Drug Stores, which began prior to the acquisition of Longs by CVS Caremark in October 2008.

CVS/pharmacy is gearing up for Halloween with its second annual Family Halloween Party, a festive customer appreciation event hosted at all 7,400 stores nationwide.

With healthcare reform on track to bring 32 million more Americans into the healthcare system in 2014, and with payers and patients looking for solutions to curb costs as the nation battles a shortage of primary care physicians and access to quality care, CVS Caremark’s role in reinventing pharmacy through its distinctive business model couldn’t be more imperative than it is today.


While CVS/pharmacy’s store clustering initiatives and store brands are fueling front-store profitability, there’s no doubt that its successful, long-standing ExtraCare loyalty program remains a key driver of front-store sales, and it arms the company with a powerful competitive advantage, especially as CVS looks to take the program to new heights.