According to The Bloomburg, CVS Caremark has been accused of using confidential prescription information by sending letters to their customer’s doctors that encourages switching to another medication on behalf of other pharmaceutical companies. This promotion was paid for by competing drug makers Merck & Co, Astra Zeneca and Bayer among others.
The prescription drugs that CVS was pushing are 5-11 times more expensive than the drug the patients were currently using.
Caremark is one of the largest prescription drug benefit managers in the country. Since merging with CVS several years ago, according to the NY Times, a letter written by Consumer Federation of America, Community Catalyst, Consumers Union, National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARx) and U.S. PIRG was sent to Jon Leibowitz, Chairman Federal Trade Commission asking the FTC to undo the merger, because “ the CVS Caremark “Maintenance Choice” program that forces consumers to fill prescriptions at CVS stores/mail-order or else, pay an increased co-pay to fill 90-day or maintenance prescriptions at non-CVS locations”. The letter claimed that CVS Caremark harmed consumers, eliminated choices and reduced their competition with “the confusing “CVS Caremark” benefits card which makes customers (especially vulnerable elderly), patients) believe that they can only use their benefits card and fill prescriptions at CVS stores
Switching Medicare beneficiaries to CVS stores with an increased co-pay, thus, bringing these consumers to the Part D “donut hole” prematurely
Using confidential patient information collected by Caremark to enable CVS pharmacists to solicit non-CVS customers by phone and mail in order to direct them to fill their prescriptions at CVS stores. The letter went on to state “By reducing choice, raising prices and violating patient privacy, the combination of CVS Caremark poses profound problems for consumers”
If you or a family member has been impacted or hurt by the customer privacy violation, Shpoonkle can connect you to a lawyer who will help and advise you.