ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In
response to the agreement announced that CVS Caremark would provide
pharmacy benefits to all 9.7 million lives covered by insurance
giant Aetna, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
issued the following statement from Arlington, Texas pharmacy owner and NCPA
President Joseph H. Harmison,
PD:
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100106/DC33253LOGO)
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100106/DC33253LOGO)
“When it comes to putting its profits before patients, CVS
Caremark is quite simply in a league of its own. In seeking Federal
Trade Commission approval of the merger of retail giant CVS with
the major pharmacy benefit manager Caremark, pledged to be agnostic
as to where patients filled their prescriptions. That pledge has
rung hollow as patients and local pharmacists complain of greater
and greater pressure – or outright mandates – to switch
prescriptions to CVS stores or Caremark mail order.
“Two criticisms lodged against CVS Caremark since the merger
would appear to be particularly relevant to the Aetna agreement.
First, the utilization of sensitive, private medical information
for crass, marketing pitches. Second, t
‘/>”/>
SOURCE
