CVS Pharmacy

Last updated

CVS Pharmacy, Inc.
FormerlyConsumer Value Stores (1963–69)
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryRetail
FoundedMay 8, 1963;60 years ago (1963-05-08)
Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Founders
  • Stanley Goldstein
  • Sidney Goldstein
  • Ralph Hoagland
  • Dipak Dave
Headquarters1 CVS Drive, ,
U.S.
Number of locations
9,967 [1]  (2018)
Area served
Key people
Revenue
  • Increase2.svgUS$169,236 million (2022)
  • US$153,022 million (2021)
  • US$141,938 million (2020)
[2]
  • Increase2.svgUS$7,356 million (2022)
  • US$6,859 million (2021)
  • US$5,688 million (2020)
[2]
Increase2.svgUS$6.0 billion [3]  (2017)
Number of employees
203,000 [4]  (2017)
Parent
Website cvs.com
Footnotes /references
[5]

CVS Pharmacy, Inc. is an American retail corporation. A subsidiary of CVS Health, it is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. [6] Originally named the Consumer Value Stores, it was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1963. [7]

Contents

The chain was owned by its original holding company Melville Corporation from its inception until its current parent company (CVS Health) was spun off into its own company in 1996. CVS Pharmacy is currently the largest pharmacy chain in the United States by number of locations (over 9,600 as of 2016) and total prescription revenue. [8] [5] [9] Its parent company ranks as the fifth largest U.S. corporation by FY2020 revenues in the Fortune 500. [4] The parent company of CVS Pharmacy's leading competitor (Walgreens) ranked 19th for the same time period. [10] CVS sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, film and photo finishing services, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through their CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs retail stores and online through CVS.com. It also provides healthcare services through its more than 1,100 MinuteClinic medical clinics [11] as well as their Diabetes Care Centers. Most of these clinics are located within or outside CVS stores.

CVS on Pratt Street in Baltimore, Maryland. This store opened in 2014. CVS Baltimore-Pratt.jpg
CVS on Pratt Street in Baltimore, Maryland. This store opened in 2014.

Overview

A "shield" logo typical of early Consumer Value Stores, c. 1965 Consumer Value Stores (early CVS signage logo).svg
A "shield" logo typical of early Consumer Value Stores, c. 1965

CVS Pharmacy used to be a subsidiary of Melville Corporation, where its full name was initially Consumer Value Stores. Melville changed its name to CVS Corporation in 1996 [12] [13] after Melville sold off many of its nonpharmacy stores. [14] The last of its nondrugstore operations were sold in 1997. [12]

Former CEO Tom Ryan has said he considers "CVS" to stand for "Convenience, Value, and Service". [15]

During the company's days as a regional chain in the Northeast, many CVS stores did not include pharmacies. Today, the company seldom builds new stores without pharmacies and outside of New England is gradually phasing out any such shops. Any new non-pharmacy store is usually built in a more urban setting where another CVS with a pharmacy exists within walking distance such as downtown Boston, Massachusetts or Providence, Rhode Island. These stores usually lack a pharmacy and a photo center but carry most of the general merchandise items that a normal CVS Pharmacy carries such as health and beauty items, sundries, and food items.[ citation needed ]

Acquisitions and growth

A CVS storefront typical of the mid-20th century, as shown in the company's 1971 annual report CVS 1971 storefront setup.jpg
A CVS storefront typical of the mid-20th century, as shown in the company's 1971 annual report

1960s

The name "CVS" was used for the first time in 1964. That year, they had 17 retail locations, and 40 stores five years later. [16]

In 1967, CVS began operation of its first stores with pharmacy departments, opening locations in Warwick and Cumberland, Rhode Island. CVS was acquired by the now-defunct Melville Corporation in 1969, boosting its growth. [17]

1970s

By 1970, CVS operated 100 stores in New England and the Northeast. [18]

In early 1972, CVS introduced America's first refillable plastic bottle with its CVS private-label shampoo. Customers paid 79¢ for a bottle of CVS private-label shampoo and when they returned the empty bottle and cap, could buy another bottle of the same shampoo for 69¢ (a 10¢ saving). [19] This practice created a cause-related repeat-purchase cycle, wherein the customer saved 10¢ as they bought another bottle of CVS shampoo and avoided using (and CVS producing) a new plastic bottle. Each initial PVC bottle, flip-top cap and label cost CVS 11.5¢, so the process paid for itself and reduced plastic bottle pollution.

In 1972, CVS acquired 84 Clinton Drug and Discount Stores, which introduced CVS to Indiana and the Midwest. By 1974, CVS had 232 stores and sales of $100 million. In 1977, CVS acquired the 36-store New Jersey-based Mack Drug chain.

1980s

The chain had more than 400 stores by 1981. Sales reached $1 billion in 1985, partly due to the pharmacies being added to many of CVS's older stores. [16]

In 1980, CVS became the 15th largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., with 408 stores and $414 million in sales. In 1988 CVS celebrated its 25th anniversary, finishing the year with nearly 750 stores and sales of about $1.6 billion.

1990s

In 1990 CVS acquired the 490-store Peoples Drug chain from Imasco, which established the company in new mid-Atlantic markets including Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. In 1994 CVS started PharmaCare Management Services. The parent company decided to focus on CVS in 1995, selling off Marshalls and This End Up. The following year, they let go of Footaction/Footstar, Meldisco, Linens 'n Things, and KB Toys. The company, then decided to change its name from Melville Corporation to CVS Corporation. In 1997, Bob's Stores were also sold, and CVS nearly tripled its 1,400 stores after purchasing the 2,500-store Revco chain (Revco had acquired Hook's Drug Stores, some of the original Hook's Drug Stores still operate under CVS brand and CVS operates digital pharmacy company as Hook SupeRx LLC. [20] ). CVS bought 200 Arbor Drugs locations in 1998, opened approximately 180 new stores, closed about 160 stores, and relocated nearly 200 existing stores from strip malls to freestanding locations. In 1999 CVS acquired Soma.com, the first online pharmacy, and renamed it CVS.com. The same year, CVS launched their CVS ProCare Pharmacy for complex drug therapies. [16]

In 1990 CVS bought the 23-store Rix Dunnington chain. In 1993, CVS withdrew from the southern California market. Formerly traded as MVL on the New York Stock Exchange, the company now trades as CVS.

2000–08: Acquisition of Eckerd and other acquisitions

A CVS Pharmacy (Store #6240) in Southside Place, Texas (Greater Houston) that was formerly an Eckerd. CVSFormerEckerds.JPG
A CVS Pharmacy (Store #6240) in Southside Place, Texas (Greater Houston) that was formerly an Eckerd.

CVS bought Stadtlander Pharmacy of Pittsburgh from Bergen Brunswig/AmerisourceBergen in 2000. [16] [21] As of December 2009, CVS Caremark had over 7,000 locations. [22]

In 2004 CVS purchased 1,268 Eckerd drug stores and Eckerd Health Services, a PBM/mail-order pharmacy business, from J. C. Penney. [23] Most of the former Eckerd stores, which were converted to CVS stores by June, are located in Florida, Texas, and other southern states. Because JCPenney credit cards were accepted at Eckerd locations, CVS continued to accept them until July 2014.

A CVS Pharmacy on Canal Street in Downtown New Orleans CVS on Canal Street in New Orleans at night.JPG
A CVS Pharmacy on Canal Street in Downtown New Orleans
A typical 2000s CVS in Coventry, Connecticut. CVS, Coventry, CT.jpg
A typical 2000s CVS in Coventry, Connecticut.

On January 23, 2006, CVS announced that it had agreed to acquire the freestanding drug store operations of supermarket chain Albertsons. [24] The deal included the acquisition of 700 drug stores trading under the Osco Drug and Sav-On Drugs banners, mostly in the midwestern and southwestern United States (with a concentration of stores in southern California and the Chicago area), and was formally completed on June 2, 2006. [25] Transition of Sav-On and Osco stores to the CVS brand was completed by December 2006. CVS now dominates the southern California market. Also included were Albertsons Health'n'Home (now CVS Home Health) durable medical equipment stores. Approximately 28 CVS Home Health locations are present in Arizona, California, and the Kansas City area, representing CVS's first venture into the specialized DME market.
CVS had previously operated stores in southern California but completely withdrew from the market in 1993. CVS sold virtually all of the locations to Sav-On's then owner American Stores, who operated them under the name American Drug Stores. Many of the stores CVS gained in January 2006 had been the stores it owned prior to 1993. Before their re-acquisition, these stores were operated under the name Sav-On Express (the Express name was used to help customers identify these stores that did not carry all the lines of merchandise as compared to the larger, traditional Sav-On Drugs locations). CVS now operates over 6,200 stores in 43 states and the District of Columbia. [26] In some locations, CVS has two stores less than two blocks apart.

On July 13, 2006, CVS announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail-based health clinics in the U.S. MinuteClinic operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of CVS Corporation. MinuteClinic health care centers are staffed by board-certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are trained to diagnose and treat common family illnesses such as throat, ear, eye, sinus, bladder, and bronchial infections, and provide prescriptions when clinically appropriate. MinuteClinic also offers common vaccinations, such as flu shots, tetanus, and Hepatitis A & B. The clinics are supported by physicians who collaborate with the staff. There are over 550 locations across the United States, most of which are within CVS Pharmacy locations.

On November 1, 2006, CVS announced that it was entering into a purchase agreement with Nashville-based Caremark Rx Inc., a pharmacy benefits manager. The new company is called CVS Caremark Corporation and the corporate headquarters remains in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The new pharmacy services business, including the combined pharmacy benefits management (PBM), specialty pharmacy, and disease management businesses, is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The new CVS Caremark Corporation is expected to achieve about $75 billion in yearly revenue for 2007. The merger was formally completed on March 22, 2007. [27] Tom Ryan, CVS's Chairman and CEO, remains president and CEO of the combined company, while Caremark's president and CEO, Mac Crawford, is chairman of the board. [27]

On November 7, 2007, Mac Crawford stepped down as chairman of the board for CVS Caremark. He was replaced by president and CEO of CVS Caremark, Tom Ryan. [28]

On August 12, 2008, CVS Pharmacy announced that it would acquire Longs Drugs for $2.9 billion. Walgreens made a counteroffer but dropped it. The deal closed October 30, 2008. [29] [30] Longs Drugs stores outside Hawaii were rebranded to CVS Pharmacy by the summer of 2009.

2012–present: Acquisitions and conversion to CVS Health

Logo until 2016 (still used on signage in many locations) CVS Pharmacy Logo.svg
Logo until 2016 (still used on signage in many locations)
A normal CVS location inside Target located in the Warwick Mall. CVS inside Target, Warwick, RI.jpg
A normal CVS location inside Target located in the Warwick Mall.

In 2012 CVS Caremark received 59 percent of Rhode Island's tax credits. [31]

On July 14, 2014, it was announced that CVS Caremark would acquire the Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacies when the deal closes, the 33 stores will remain untouched and will stay under the Navarro name. [32]

On September 3, 2014, CVS Caremark changed its name to CVS Health and announced that it would stop selling tobacco products. [33]

On October 25, 2014, CVS Health disabled near field communication NFC payments, disallowing customers from using Apple Pay or Google Wallet payment methods. A reason was not immediately given. Analysts suggested that it was a way to favor the MCX system, which was still under development, and of which CVS was a founding member. [34] They eventually re-enabled NFC on their registers after the MCX system failed to take off.

On May 21, 2015, it was announced that CVS Health would acquire Omnicare, Inc. the leading provider of pharmacy services to long-term care facilities, for $98.00 per share in cash, for a total enterprise value of approximately $12.7 billion, which includes approximately $2.3 billion in debt. The transaction was expected to close near the end of 2015.

On June 15, 2015, CVS Health announced its agreement to acquire Target Corporation's pharmacy and retail clinic businesses. The deal expanded CVS to new markets in Seattle, Denver, Portland and Salt Lake City. The acquisition includes more than 1,660 pharmacies in 47 states. [35] CVS will operate them through a store-within-a-store format. Target's nearly 80 clinic locations will be rebranded as MinuteClinic, and CVS plans to open up to 20 new clinics in their stores within three years. [36] CVS started rebranding the pharmacies within the Target stores on February 3, 2016. [37]

In December 2017 CVS Health announced a deal to acquire Aetna. [38] On October 10, 2018, CVS Health received approval from the United States Department of Justice to acquire Aetna, for $69 billion. [39]

CVS announced it would close 46 "underperforming stores" in 2019, and a further 22 in 2020, without disclosing their locations. [40]

In May 2020 CVS Health announced a partnership with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to more than 60 CVS pharmacies that will conduct 50 or more COVID-19 tests per day. The New York partnership comes within days of CVS's disclosure that it was going to dramatically ramp up COVID-19 testing by processing up to 1.5 million tests every month. [41]

In November 2021, CVS announced it would be closing approximately 900 stores over the next 3 years due to declining sales in underperforming and failing stores.

In January 2024, CVS said some Target pharmacy locations would close between February and April, citing shifts in population, consumer consumption, and anticipated health needs. The move came amid industry-wide labor struggles for pharmacies and were part of the company's plans to close about 10% of its stores overall. At the time of the announcement, the company operated roughly 1,800 pharmacies within Target's 1,950 locations. [42] [43]

On February 5, 2024, it was announced that CVS Pharmacy will sell its stores in Puerto Rico to Caribe Pharmacy Holdings, which operates the Farmacias Caridad chain in the region. [44]

CVS Rewards Program

In 2013 CVS introduced a program that rewarded customers up to $50 per year in ExtraCare Bucks[ clarification needed ] in exchange for filling their prescriptions. In order to enroll in the program, customers had to sign a HIPAA waiver acknowledging, "my health information may potentially be re-disclosed and thus is no longer protected by the federal Privacy Rule." Stores had to fulfill a quota of a number of customers in the program each week. Walgreens and Rite Aid also offer rewards for filling prescriptions, although they do not require a signed HIPAA waiver. [45]

Stopping cigarette sales

As was common practice among U.S. pharmacies, CVS originally stocked cigarettes for sale to the public. This met with criticism from public health advocates of the removal of tobacco from pharmacies due to the harmful effects on health associated with smoking, who pointed to the apparent contradiction implicit in selling cigarettes while offering smoking cessation products and medications to treat ailments such as asthma that are caused or aggravated by smoking. [46] CVS and other pharmacies that continued to sell tobacco products were subject to criticism, and attempts were made to introduce regional bans on the practice, notably by the City and County of San Francisco. [47] [48]

In 2007 CEO Thomas Ryan stated that the company was considering halting the sale of cigarettes within its pharmacies, acknowledging that the issue was problematic for the company. He said the company would continue selling cigarettes, citing internal market research that concluded that ceasing cigarette sales would not change the consumer practice of purchasing them. [49]

In February 2014, CVS announced that it would stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its stores and that it was challenging other retailers to do the same. The decision meant the company would forego about $1.5 billion a year in tobacco revenue. In a videotaped message, CEO Larry J. Merlo said ending tobacco sales "is the right thing to do". [50] On September 3, 2014, CVS officially stopped selling cigarettes in its stores. A Forbes magazine article cited the move to remove tobacco products as coinciding with CVS's decision to change its corporate name from CVS Caremark to CVS Health and said this reflected a "broader health care commitment" and desire to change the future health of Americans. [51]

Online

The domain CVS.com attracted at least 26 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com survey. [52]

CVS no longer owns the soma.com domain name, which it acquired with the purchase of online drugstore pioneer Soma; that domain now resides with the lingerie brand of the same name owned by clothing retailer Chico's.

By 2004, all CVS stores were able to receive electronic prescriptions. [53]

CVS Pharmacy y más

In 2015 CVS Pharmacy launched an alternative version of their CVS Pharmacy stores called CVS Pharmacy y más specifically aimed at attracting Hispanic shoppers. [54] The first stores were launched in Florida and have since expanded to California, Puerto Rico, Texas, and New Jersey. [55] [56] [57]

Environmental record

In 2005 CVS participated in a program to reduce the pollution of Maine's waterways. CVS agreed to accept drugs for disposal so that people would not dispose of them in ways that reach rivers and other bodies of waters. [58] [59] [60]

In 2013 CVS agreed to pay Connecticut $800,000 due to alleged mismanagement of hazardous waste. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection agency found that CVS had improperly identified, managed, and disposed of hazardous materials. [61]

Controversies

A CVS location (#7606) in Austin, Texas, across from the University of Texas at Austin. This location opened in 1988 as an Eckerd, Became CVS in 2005. Has moved as of Early 2022 CVSAustinTexasRetro.JPG
A CVS location (#7606) in Austin, Texas, across from the University of Texas at Austin. This location opened in 1988 as an Eckerd, Became CVS in 2005. Has moved as of Early 2022

Post-Dobbs prescription refusals

Following the Dobbs case that overturned Roe v. Wade, CVS instructed its pharmacists in six states to refuse to fill prescriptions for many routine drugs, which could be potentially used to cause an abortion, unless the patient could affirmatively prove that they were not using the drug for an abortion, even if the prescription was long-standing. [62] Patient advocates for those with autoimmune disorders, [63] such as Crohn's disease, noted that this rule could result in many patients being denied access to medicines to treat their diseases.

$2.25 million HIPAA Privacy Case

CVS was required to pay the United States government $2.25 million in 2009 for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that CVS did not appropriately dispose of sensitive patient information or provide the necessary training on disposal to their employees.[ citation needed ]

Executives accused of bribing state senator

Former CVS executives John R. Kramer and Carlos Ortiz were charged with bribery, conspiracy, and fraud (including mail fraud) by a federal grand jury for allegedly paying State Senator John A. Celona (D-RI) to act as a "consultant" for the company. Between February 2000 and September 2003, CVS paid Celona $1,000 a month, and he received tickets to golf outings and sporting events and compensation for travel to Florida and California. In August 2005, he pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges, and in January 2007, he was fined a record $130,000 by the Rhode Island Ethics Committee. The investigation was led by the FBI and the Rhode Island State Police, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan and Dulce Donovan. Kramer and Ortiz were acquitted after a jury trial, in May 2008.

Massachusetts prescription errors

During 2005 a rash of prescription mistakes came to light in some of CVS Corporation's Boston-area stores. An investigation confirmed 62 errors or quality problems going back to 2002. In February 2006 the state Board of Pharmacy announced that the non-profit Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) would monitor all Massachusetts stores for the next two years. [64] Later, a 2007 segment on ABC News 20/20 accused CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid among other pharmacies, of making various prescription dispensing errors. This segment aired in March 2007, and included an undercover investigation. CVS responded by claiming they had invested millions of dollars in designing a comprehensive quality assurance program. [65]

Texas lawsuit over illegally dumping records containing patient information

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott sued CVS in April 2007, for illegally dumping records containing confidential patient information and sensitive financial information including credit card numbers when closing an acquired Eckerd store in Liberty, Texas. CVS was accused of breaking the state's 2005 Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act. It was reported that this was the fourth time action had been taken against CVS for violating the 2005 law and that there were also other possible violations under the Texas Business and Commerce Code. [66] CVS settled by paying $315,000 to the state and agreeing to overhaul its information security system. [67]

Deceptive business practices

A CVS store in West Hollywood, California. West Hollywood - La Cienega Blvd.JPG
A CVS store in West Hollywood, California.

In February 2008 CVS settled a large civil lawsuit for deceptive business practices. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported: [68]

CVS Caremark has agreed to a $38.5 million settlement in a multi-state civil deceptive-practices lawsuit against pharmacy benefit manager Caremark filed by 28 attorneys general, the Chicago Tribune reports. [69] The attorneys general, led by Lisa Madigan (D) of Illinois and Douglas Ganslar (D) of Maryland, allege that Caremark "engaged in deceptive business practices" by informing physicians that patients or health plans could save money if patients were switched to certain brand-name prescription drugs (Miller, Chicago Tribune, 2/14). [69]

However, the switch often saved patients and health plans only small amounts or increased their costs, while increasing Caremark's profits, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) said (Levick, Hartford Courant , 2/15). [70] Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) said the PBM kept discounts and rebates that should have been passed on to employers and patients (Levy, AP/San Francisco Chronicle , 2/14). [71] In addition, Caremark did not "adequately inform doctors" of the full financial effect of the switch and did not disclose that the switch would increase Caremark's profits, the lawsuit alleges (Chicago Tribune, 2/14). [69]

...The settlement prohibits Caremark from requesting prescription drug switches in certain cases, such as when the cost to the patient would be higher with the new prescription drug; when the original prescription drug's patent will expire within six months; and when patients were switched from a similar prescription drug within the previous two years (Hartford Courant, 2/15). [70] Patients also have the ability to decline a switch from the prescribed treatment to the prescription offered by the pharmacy under the settlement, Madigan said ( Bloomberg News/The Philadelphia Inquirer , 2/15). [72]

Pseudoephedrine lawsuit

A CVS location in Macomb, Illinois, formerly an Osco. Cvs1.jpg
A CVS location in Macomb, Illinois, formerly an Osco.

On October 14, 2010, CVS was ordered to pay $77.6 million in fines and returned profits stemming from a lawsuit alleging improper control in the sale of pseudoephedrine, a drug that can be used to make methamphetamine. [73]

DEA investigation into oxycodone diversion

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Justice charged that CVS pharmacies in Sanford, Florida, ordered enough painkillers to supply a population eight times its size. [74] Sanford has a population of 53,000 but the supply would support 400,000. [75] According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in 2010 a single CVS pharmacy in Sanford ordered 1.8 million oxycodone pills, an average of 137,994 pills a month. Other pharmacy customers in Florida averaged 5,364 oxycodone pills a month. DEA investigators serving a warrant to a CVS pharmacy in Sanford on October 18, 2011, noted that "approximately every third car that came through the drive-thru lane had prescriptions for oxycodone or hydrocodone". According to the DEA, a pharmacist at that location stated to investigators that "her customers often requested certain brands of oxycodone using "street slang", an indicator that the drugs were being diverted and not used for legitimate pain management. In response, CVS, in a statement issued February 17, 2012, in response to opioid trafficking questions from USA Today , said the company was committed to working with the DEA and had taken "significant actions to ensure appropriate dispensing of painkillers in Florida". [76]

Sale of homeopathic remedies

On April 1, 2011, the James Randi Educational Foundation awarded CVS Pharmacy the tongue-in-cheek Pigasus Award for selling homeopathic remedies alongside medicines recognized by science. [77]

In July 2018 the Center for Inquiry (CfI) filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against CVS for consumer fraud over its sale of homeopathic medicines. [78] In July, 2019, CFI announced that the Stiefel Freethought Foundation was contributing an additional $150,000 to the previously committed $100,000 to support the CVS and Walmart lawsuits. [79] The case was dismissed.

Photo website security

On July 17, 2015, CVS shut down its online photo processing services, [80] blaming a third-party vendor, believed to be PNI Digital Media. According to reporters, CVS was unwilling to confirm or deny questions about whether hackers had stolen customer photographs as well as data. [81] The site was updated on September 11, 2015, with more details of the attack. By the end of November 2015 the CVS photo website was restored, and customers may order photo services online again.

Receipt length

CVS has drawn ire for the length of its receipts, specifically receipts given to people who have signed up for their ExtraCare rewards program. [82] Due to CVS's practice of placing numerous targeted coupons on the front, these receipts can be up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. [83] [84] CVS CEO Larry Merlo responded by saying that they were working on ways to reduce the length of the receipts by 25% and mentioned that customers can get their receipts and coupons digitally through CVS's mobile app, which requires the customer to sign up for digital coupons and receipts. However, despite this, Merlo admitted that CVS still could do a better job of making the instructions to opt out of paper receipts more clear. [85]

The story has since become an internet meme. [86]

Loss of controlled substances

In 2020, Massachusetts CVS stores lost controlled substances at a rate several times higher than other pharmacy chains. [87] CVS was fined $5 million by the federal government in 2017 for controlled substance losses and other violations in California pharmacies, and $1.5 million in 2018 for failing to report losses from New York pharmacies. [87]

Abortion pill controversy

In January of 2023, CVS announced their intentions to start dispensing mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in a medication abortion, following a change in regulations from the Food and Drug Administration. [88] After receiving their certification to do so, CVS started offering abortion pills in jurisdictions where they are legal. [89] The offering of abortion pills at pharmacies such as CVS has caused major political turmoil, and has resulted in numerous protests in-front of the pharmacies. [90]

Pharmacists mistakenly cause an abortion

In October of 2023, CVS mistakenly gave misoprostol, an abortion pill, to Tamika Thomas, a woman undergoing IVF who was supposed to be receiving a medication to help kick-start her pregnancy. [91] [92] In an interview with 8 News Now, Thomas stated she knew something was wrong when she experienced major cramping. "My cramping went beyond that. It was extreme. It was painful." [93] As a result of the medication, Tamika lost both of her embryos. She stated, "They just killed my baby ... Both my babies, because I transferred two embryos." [93]

At the hearing, one of the pharmacists stated, "It's a human error. It was just a human error, and I'm so sorry." The two pharmacists were fined and placed on probation for one year. CVS Pharmacy was given a maximum fine of $10,000. The pharmacists will be able to return back to work after one year if all conditions are met. [93] [94]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osco Drug and Sav-on Drugs</span> Retail pharmacy chains in the United States

Osco Drug and Sav-on Drugs were the names of a pair of chain pharmacies that operated in the United States. Osco Drug was founded by the Skaggs family. Alpha Beta grocery store was purchased by American Stores in 1961. Skaggs Drug Centers bought American Stores in 1979 and assumed the American Stores name. Sav-on Drugs was a California-based pharmacy chain that was acquired by Osco's parent company in 1980. Both Osco and Sav-on stores eventually came under the ownership of American Stores, then Albertsons, and finally SuperValu before the stores were sold off.

drugstore.com was an internet retailer in health and beauty care products. Its web operations were launched on February 24, 1999, and shut down on September 30, 2016 after being acquired by Walgreens in March 2011 for $409 million.

Walgreens is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States, behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, and photo services. It was founded in Chicago in 1901, and is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois. On December 31, 2014, Walgreens and Switzerland-based Alliance Boots merged to form a new holding company, Walgreens Boots Alliance. Walgreens became a subsidiary of the new company, which retained its Deerfield headquarters and trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol WBA. In 2021 the company was found by a federal jury to have "substantially contributed to" the opioid crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duane Reade</span> American pharmacy and convenience store chain

Duane Reade Inc. is a chain of pharmacy and convenience stores owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance. Its stores are primarily in New York and in New Jersey. They are known for high-volume, small store layouts in densely populated Manhattan locations. In 2012, the company headquarters was moved to 40 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, the location of its newest flagship store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rite Aid</span> American drugstore chain

Rite Aid Corporation is an American drugstore chain based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1962 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, by Alex Grass under the name Thrift D Discount Center. It is the third-largest drugstore chain in the United States, with over 2,000 stores, and ranked No. 148 in the Fortune 500 in 2022.

Revco Discount Drug Stores, once based in Twinsburg, Ohio, was a major drug store chain operating through the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Southeastern United States. The chain's stock was traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RXR. Revco was sold to CVS Pharmacy for $2.8 billion in February 1997. When it was sold, the chain had over 2,500 stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance Boots</span> Pharmaceutical company

Alliance Boots was a multinational pharmacy-led health and beauty group with corporate headquarters in Bern, Switzerland and operational headquarters in Nottingham and Weybridge, United Kingdom.

Longs Drugs is an American chain owned by parent company CVS Health with approximately 70 drugstores throughout the state of Hawaii and formerly in the Continental US.

Express Scripts Holding Company is a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organization. In 2017 it was the 22nd-largest company in the United States by total revenue as well as the largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) organization in the United States. Express Scripts had 2016 revenues of $100.752 billion. Since December 20, 2018, the company has been a direct subsidiary of Bloomfield, Connecticut-based Cigna.

CVS Caremark is the pharmacy benefit management subsidiary of CVS Health, headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

In the United States, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) is a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs for commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and state government employee plans. According to the American Pharmacists Association, "PBMs are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the formulary, contracting with pharmacies, negotiating discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers, and processing and paying prescription drug claims." PBMs operate inside of integrated healthcare systems, as part of retail pharmacies, and as part of insurance companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farmacias El Amal</span> Defunct pharmacy chain in Puerto Rico

Farmacias El Amal, was a regional pharmacy chain operating throughout Puerto Rico. At its peak, it operated more than 60 pharmacies across Puerto Rico. The chain was privately held and was founded in 1973. It's largest competitors were Walgreens, Kmart and Walmart.

CVS Health Corporation is an American healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy chain; CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager; and Aetna, a health insurance provider, among many other brands. The company is the world's largest healthcare company, and its headquarters are in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. In 2023, the company was ranked 65th in the Forbes Global 2000.

MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Health that provides retail clinic services. MinuteClinic was initially started as QuickMedx by Dr. Douglas Smith and his patient Rick Krieger, along with Stephen Pontius in Minneapolis, Minnesota. MinuteClinic has more than 1,100 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia. MinuteClinic was acquired by CVS in July 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco-free pharmacy</span> Retail pharmacy that does not sell tobacco products

A tobacco-free pharmacy is a retail pharmacy where the sale of tobacco products is not available. Outside the United States, it is illegal in countries such as in France and most of Canada for pharmacy stores to sell cigarettes and similar products on the same premises as over-the-counter drugs and prescription medication. Anti-tobacco campaigners advocate the removal of tobacco from pharmacies due to the health risks associated with smoking and the apparent contradiction of selling cigarettes alongside smoking cessation products and asthma medication. Some pharmaceutical retailers counter this argument by reasoning that by selling tobacco, they are more readily able to offer to customers advice and products for quitting smoking.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) is an American multinational holding company headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, which owns the retail pharmacy chains Walgreens in the US and Boots in the UK, as well as several pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies. The company was formed on December 31, 2014, after Walgreens bought the 55% stake in Alliance Boots that it did not already own. The total price of the acquisition was $4.9 billion in cash and 144.3 million common shares with fair value of $10.7 billion. Walgreens had previously purchased 45% of the company for $4.0 billion and 83.4 million common shares in August 2012 with an option to purchase the remaining shares within three years. Walgreens became a subsidiary of the newly created company after the transactions were completed. As of 2022, Walgreens Boots Alliance is ranked #18 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Merlo</span>

Larry J. Merlo is the former president and CEO of CVS Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Foulkes</span> American businessperson

Helena Grace Foulkes is an American businesswoman and politician. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2022 election and is the former Chief Executive Officer of Hudson's Bay Company.

Specialty pharmacy refers to distribution channels designed to handle specialty drugs — pharmaceutical therapies that are either high cost, high complexity and/or high touch. High touch refers to higher degree of complexity in terms of distribution, administration, or patient management which drives up the cost of the drugs. In the early years specialty pharmacy providers attached "high-touch services to their overall price tags" arguing that patients who receive specialty pharmaceuticals "need high levels of ancillary and follow-up care to ensure that the drug spend is not wasted on them." An example of a specialty drug that would only be available through specialty pharmacy is interferon beta-1a (Avonex), a treatment for MS that requires a refrigerated chain of distribution and costs $17,000 a year. Some specialty pharmacies deal in pharmaceuticals that treat complex or rare chronic conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, H.I.V. psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Hepatitis C. "Specialty pharmacies are seen as a reliable distribution channel for expensive drugs, offering patients convenience and lower costs while maximizing insurance reimbursements from those companies that cover the drug. Patients typically pay the same co-payments whether or not their insurers cover the drug." As the market demanded specialization in drug distribution and clinical management of complex therapies, specialized pharma (SP) evolved.„ Specialty pharmacies may handle therapies that are biologics, and are injectable or infused. By 2008 the pharmacy benefit management dominated the specialty pharmacies market having acquired smaller specialty pharmacies. PBMs administer specialty pharmacies in their network and can "negotiate better prices and frequently offer a complete menu of specialty pharmaceuticals and related services to serve as an attractive 'one-stop shop' for health plans and employers."

Amazon Pharmacy is an American online pharmacy which is a subsidiary of Amazon. The business was launched on November 17, 2020, initially offering pharmacy service only in the United States.

References

  1. "Five-Year Financial Summary". CVS Health. March 21, 2019. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "CVS Health 2022 Annual Report" (PDF). CVS Health . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  3. "CVS Financials : Q4-2017" (PDF). CVS Health. February 8, 2018. p. 13. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "CVS Health (CVS) Stock Price, Financials and News | Fortune 500". Fortune . Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Company History". CVS Health. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  6. Nesi, Ted (October 28, 2010). "CVS to lay off 150 people in Woonsocket, 300 nationwide". WPRI-TV . Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  7. "Lowell - Did you know?". City of Lowell. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  8. "2013 Top 100 Retailers" . Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  9. Fein, Adam J. (April 23, 2013). "The Top 50 Retail Pharmacies, according to Drug Store News". Drug Channels (blog). Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  10. "Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Stock Price, Financials and News | Fortune 500". Fortune . Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  11. Dudley, Renee (February 17, 2013). "Wal-Mart medical clinics trail CVS". The News Journal . Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "History of CVS Corporation". FundingUniverse. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  13. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Jun 7, 1996". secdatabase.com. June 7, 1996. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  14. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Dec 6, 1996". secdatabase.com. December 6, 1996. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  15. Berlinski, Peter (January–February 2006). "Ryan Preaches PL to CVS Team". Private Label Magazine. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "CVS Caremark Corporation". Hoover's . October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  17. Hagerty, James R. (January 23, 2020). "CVS Founder Had One Foot in Business, the Other in Counterculture". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  18. "Our history | CVS Health". www.cvshealth.com. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  19. "23+ CVS Statistics, Facts & Trends In 2022 (Your Full Guide)". QuerySprout. June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  20. "openbadges.me". openbadges.me. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  21. "CVS Caremark, Form 10-Q, Quarterly Report, Filing Date Nov 14, 2000". secdatabase.com. November 14, 2000. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  22. "CVS Caremark, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Feb 26, 2010" (PDF). secdatabase.com. February 26, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  23. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Apr 6, 2004" (PDF). secdatabase.com. April 6, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  24. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Jun 30, 2006" (PDF). secdatabase.com. June 30, 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  25. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K/A, Filing Date Aug 8, 2006". secdatabase.com. August 8, 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  26. "CVS to Postpone Shareholder Meeting to Vote on Caremark Merger" (Press release). CVS Caremark. February 13, 2007. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  27. 1 2 "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Mar 23, 2007". secdatabase.com. March 23, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  28. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Nov 7, 2007". secdatabase.com. November 7, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  29. "CVS Caremark Successfully Completes Tender Offer for Longs Shares". MarketWatch. October 30, 2008. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  30. "CVS Caremark, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Oct 20, 2008". secdatabase.com. October 20, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  31. Emery Jr., C. Eugene (February 24, 2013). "Gary Sasse says 90 percent of $35 million in tax credits went to CVS and two out-of-state companies". PolitiFact Rhode Island. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  32. Sampson, Hannah; Brannigan, Martha (July 14, 2014). "CVS to buy Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy". Miami Herald . Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  33. "CVS Changes Name, Announces Plan To Stop Selling Tobacco Products". KCBS-TV . September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  34. Isaac, Mike (October 27, 2014). "Pharmaceutical chains Rite Aid and CVS disable Apple Pay". CNBC .
  35. Taylor, Kate (February 3, 2016). "Target opening CVS pharmacies in stores is scary news for consumers". Business Insider .
  36. Gould, Dan (June 15, 2014). "CVS Health and Target Sign Agreement for CVS Health to Acquire, Rebrand and Operate Target's Pharmacies and Clinics" (Press release). CVS Health. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  37. Bomey, Nathan (February 3, 2016). "CVS launches rebranding of Target Pharmacy". USA Today .
  38. Pinsker, Joe (December 4, 2017). "Why CVS Wants to Buy Aetna". The Atlantic . Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  39. Abelson, Reed (October 10, 2018). "CVS Health and Aetna $69 Billion Merger Is Approved With Conditions". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  40. LaVito, Angelica. "CVS to close 22 drugstores next year". CNBC. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  41. Japsen, Bruce (May 17, 2020). "With New York Deal, CVS Health Broadens U.S. Coronavirus Testing". Forbes. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  42. Goodkind, Nicole (January 11, 2024). "CVS will close some Target pharmacy locations | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  43. "CVS closing select Target pharmacies, with plans to close 300 total stores this year". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  44. "CVS Health says it is selling all 22 of its retail drugstores in Puerto Rico". AP News. February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  45. Lazarus, David (September 12, 2013). "Is CVS rewards program complying with California law?". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  46. "Tobacco-Free Pharmacies". Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights. Archived from the original on May 22, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  47. Rubenstein, Sarah (July 29, 2008). "Cigarette Sales in Drugstores Come Under Fire". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  48. Hussar, PhD, Daniel A. (March 1, 2009). "Pharmacy cigarette sales must end". Modern Medicine. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  49. Berkrot, Bill (November 14, 2007). "CVS wrestles with cigarette sales". Reuters . Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  50. McCullough, D.G. (February 14, 2014). "CVS stops selling cigarettes. Will competitors follow?". The Guardian . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  51. Japsen, Bruce (September 3, 2014). "CVS Stops Tobacco Sales Today, Changes Name To Reflect New Era". Forbes . Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  52. "cvs.com UVs for July 2013 - Compete". Compete, Inc. October 26, 2011. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  53. "Rhode Island Announces 100 Percent of Pharmacies Are Now E-Prescribing and Launches First Statewide System for Tracking Disease Using Prescription Data from Pharmacies". Surescripts (Press release). October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  54. "CVS goes bilingual with CVS/pharmacy y más". Miami Herald .
  55. "CVS Pharmacy y más, a New Personalized Shopping Experience for the Hispanic Community, Launches in the Los Angeles Market". CVS Health. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  56. "Officer, man injured in shooting".[ permanent dead link ]
  57. "CVS Pharmacy opens 5 Hispanic-focused Stores in N.J." NJ.com. December 9, 2020.
  58. "Maine's First Drug Take Back Keeps Waterways Cleaner". Environment News Service. February 9, 2005. Archived from the original on February 24, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  59. "CVS Pharmacy Plans Drug Collection for S. Portland, Maine". NERC Email Bulletin. January 2005. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  60. "Cleaning Up Medical Waste". Elements 2007. Vol. 16, no. 4. MSW Management. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  61. Forte, Daniela (January 29, 2013). "CVS Paying Connecticut $800,000 for Hazardous Waste Issues; Southbury Store Cited". The Litchfield County Times. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  62. Weiss, Laura; Linkins, Jason; Linkins, Jason; Herchenroeder, Katie; Herchenroeder, Katie; Wiley, Maya; Wiley, Maya; Hartman, Matt; Hartman, Matt (July 20, 2022). "After Roe's Repeal, CVS Told Pharmacists to Withhold Certain Prescriptions". The New Republic. ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  63. "A drug that treats lupus can also end pregnancies. Post-Roe, some patients can't get it". TODAY.com. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  64. Rowland, Christopher (February 10, 2006). "CVS faces pharmacy reviews". The Boston Globe . Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  65. "Drugstores Respond to '20/20'". ABC News . March 30, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  66. "CVS accused of dumping Texas customers' records". The Dallas Morning News . AP. April 17, 2007. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  67. Porretto, John (March 26, 2008). "CVS, Texas settle lawsuit over dumping customers' records". The Boston Globe . Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  68. "CVS Caremark Agrees To Pay $38.5M To Settle Allegations That It Did Not Pass on Rebates, Discounts to Patients, Employers". Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report. Kaiser Family Foundation. February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  69. 1 2 3 Miller, James P. (February 14, 2008). "CVS Caremark settles deceptive-practices complaint for $38.5 million". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  70. 1 2 Levick, Diane (February 15, 2008). "Caremark Settles States' Probe". Hartford Courant . Retrieved February 25, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  71. Levy, Marc (February 14, 2008). "Caremark to pay $38M to settle drug-switching complaint". San Francisco Chronicle . AP. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  72. Harris, Andrew (February 15, 2008). "CVS to pay millions to settle drug-cost case". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Bloomberg News . Retrieved February 25, 2008.[ dead link ]
  73. Ellis, Blake (October 14, 2010). "CVS to pay $77.6 million in meth case". CNN . Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  74. Vivian, Jesse. "Pharmacy Fraud, Waste, and Abuse". U.S. Pharmacist. Jobson Publication. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  75. Schoenberg, Tom (February 29, 2012). "Cardinal Health Blocked From Shipping Painkiller in Florida". Bloomberg News .
  76. Leger, Donna Leinwand (February 27, 2012). "DEA aims big in Cardinal Health painkiller case". USA Today .
  77. Mestel, Rosie (April 1, 2011). "Dr. Oz, Andrew Wakefield and others, um, 'honored' by James Randi". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  78. Hoffman, Matt (July 10, 2018). "CVS Sued by CFI for Fraud Over Sale of Homeopathic Medicines", MD Mag. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  79. "Lawsuit Targeting Walmart and CVS Over Fake Medicine gets $250,000 Boost From Stiefel Freethought Foundation". Center For Inquiry. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  80. Weise, Elizabeth (July 17, 2015). "CVS Photo site taken offline due to possible hack". USA Today .
  81. Pagliery, Jose (July 17, 2015). "CVS Photo website might have been hacked". CNN Money .
  82. Lutkin, Aimée (October 15, 2018). "How to Stop Getting Absurdly Long CVS Receipts". Lifehacker. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  83. Lovelace Jr., Berkeley. "CVS CEO has a fix for those mile-long receipts — here's how it works". CNBC . Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  84. Sugar, Rachel (October 10, 2018). "The long, long history of long, long CVS receipts". Vox.com. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  85. Lovelace Jr. "The long, long history of long, long CVS receipts"
  86. "Why are CVS receipts so darn long? (Hint: It's not because you're buying so much.)". Advisory Board. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  87. 1 2 CVS Lost More Controlled Substance Doses Last Year Than All Other Mass. Pharmacies Combined
  88. Coombs, Spencer Kimball,Bertha (January 5, 2023). "CVS and Walgreens plan to sell abortion pill mifepristone at pharmacies after FDA rule change". CNBC. Retrieved November 23, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  89. "Drug Info Center - Search Drug". www.cvs.com. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  90. "Next frontier in the abortion wars: Your local CVS". POLITICO. January 11, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  91. Bhaimiya, Sawdah. "A woman who was accidentally given abortion pills by a pharmacy when she was undergoing IVF said her plans to have a big family were shattered". Business Insider. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  92. Shaheen, Mansur (October 5, 2023). "Woman Suffers Unthinkable Tragedy After Pharmacy Mix-Up Leads to Accidental Abortion". The Messenger. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  93. 1 2 3 "CVS abortion medication mixup ends pregnancy dreams". KLAS. October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  94. "CVS abortion medication mixup ends Las Vegas woman's pregnancy dreams: 'All I got was a sorry'". Yahoo News. October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.