Cvs-$77.6m fine!!!!!!!

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It was a fine for not controlling the sale of pseudoephedrine. Apparently they "under-complied" with the law while their competitors "over-complied." I have never worked for anyone who "over complied" Hell when I worked for Albertson's we couldn't even scan IDs, we had to write the info down, as if that would do anything.

Also, where does this money go? And that billion dollars the pharmaceutical companies have been fined?
 
lolol just wait for the one for anti competitive business practices!!
 
After being griped at endlessly about pci, readyfill, etc, working my butt off filling hundreds of scripts with a phone on my ear while I feel like my neck is breaking...
I AM THRILLED!!!!
Its karma haha. I don't actually know if they did anything wrong, but I'm so frustrated that I don't even care....sad but true!
They should get a fine for running the place like a dang sweatshop.
 
Sparda29 said:
Meh, it's a stupid law anyway. Stop trying to control production of illicit drugs. Let the drug makers blow themselves up in their meth labs = problem solved.
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From now on, I am going to assume that everything you say on this forum is a joke and is only said for the purposes of entertaining people, rather than because you actually believe what you are posting. I feel it will be better that way.
 
Since when imposing a puny fine to corporate giants ever work? This is chump change for CVS...
 
Momus said:
Since when imposing a puny fine to corporate giants ever work? This is chump change for CVS...
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It is the start of many fines to come. All told you are correct. It is a drop in the bucket for a big corp machine like CVS. Hell 77 mil is only half of Tom Ryan's bonus for one year.

To the poster above. CVS runs their pharmacies like under staffed sweat shops because they make the most money this way. The money they pay out to settle lawsuits is far less than the money it would take to adequately staff their pharmacies to prevent lawsuits. CVS is so unsafe I do not know why anyone would fill a prescription their. You are rolling the dice that your pharmacist, who is working his third 14-hour shift in a row, will be able to correctly fill your medication. Scary place top work and to get prescriptions filled.
 
MountainPharmD said:
It is the start of many fines to come. All told you are correct. It is a drop in the bucket for a big corp machine like CVS. Hell 77 mil is only half of Tom Ryan's bonus for one year.

To the poster above. CVS runs their pharmacies like under staffed sweat shops because they make the most money this way. The money they pay out to settle lawsuits is far less than the money it would take to adequately staff their pharmacies to prevent lawsuits. CVS is so unsafe I do not know why anyone would fill a prescription their. You are rolling the dice that your pharmacist, who is working his third 14-hour shift in a row, will be able to correctly fill your medication. Scary place top work and to get prescriptions filled.
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Precisely! The public should be informed of what the working conditions are at CVS. I do predict a major lawsuit in the very near future if they don't LISTEN to their pharmacists and adjust their priorities. I worked for CVS for 10 years. It became a balancing act at the end that I was not willing to play. I had to weigh staying at CVS or leaving to protect my license. Their priorities are all out of whack. As far as this current ruling against CVS, I saw it coming. I warned my PIC and store mgr. that pseudoephedrines should NOT be available at the front store. I asked where the log was located. Of course, I was completely ignored. Their only concern was to be able to sell these products when the pharmacy was closed. Was it really worth it CVS? Finally, they instituted the procedure others already were using and started scanning the driver's licenses. Heck, I even had to sell pse thru the drive thru....... all in the name of customer service. I told them this ALSO was not a good practice. Did they listen? No. They stopped selling thru the drive thru about a year ago........hmmm, guess that had to do with the impending lawsuit. I could go on and on about CVS, but that is not my goal. My goal is to see the public protected from the intolerable conditions their pharmacists feel they must operate under. How I miss the good old days..........sigh.
 
RealistRPh said:
Precisely! The public should be informed of what the working conditions are at CVS. I do predict a major lawsuit in the very near future if they don't LISTEN to their pharmacists and adjust their priorities. I worked for CVS for 10 years. It became a balancing act at the end that I was not willing to play. I had to weigh staying at CVS or leaving to protect my license. Their priorities are all out of whack. As far as this current ruling against CVS, I saw it coming. I warned my PIC and store mgr. that pseudoephedrines should NOT be available at the front store. I asked where the log was located. Of course, I was completely ignored. Their only concern was to be able to sell these products when the pharmacy was closed. Was it really worth it CVS? Finally, they instituted the procedure others already were using and started scanning the driver's licenses. Heck, I even had to sell pse thru the drive thru....... all in the name of customer service. I told them this ALSO was not a good practice. Did they listen? No. They stopped selling thru the drive thru about a year ago........hmmm, guess that had to do with the impending lawsuit. I could go on and on about CVS, but that is not my goal. My goal is to see the public protected from the intolerable conditions their pharmacists feel they must operate under. How I miss the good old days..........sigh.
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honestly, what will it take for them to change their ways? they clearly won't do it voluntarily. I'm guessing it literally require multiple deaths. It seems more likely that they would go out of business than adequately staff their pharmacies.
 
im a little confuse. at our store we can ppl's ID for
every D product, and they're BTC, not front store.
so what's the problem? do other stores not scan ppl's ID?
or does scanning ID do nothing to control the product?
 
Sparda29 said:
Meh, it's a stupid law anyway. Stop trying to control production of illicit drugs. Let the drug makers blow themselves up in their meth labs = problem solved.
Click to expand...

Fnatastic point. Let's take it one step further...Why have speeding laws at all either? Let knuckleheads drive 130 MPH on the Maryland Turnpike in the pre-dawn hours...eventually they will wrap themselves around an overpass abutment = problem solved.

And BONUS...no more ridiculous posts that make me question the admissions process at Touro.
 
Has anyone ever written an article about the working conditions at CVS? If not, maybe one of you (ex)CVS employees should consider it. The NYTimes would eat that **** up right now, don't you think?
 
tungsten87 said:
honestly, what will it take for them to change their ways? they clearly won't do it voluntarily. I'm guessing it literally require multiple deaths. It seems more likely that they would go out of business than adequately staff their pharmacies.
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I've mentioned this before on this website, but that's how Phar-Mor went out of business too.
 
HaleyRX said:
After being griped at endlessly about pci, readyfill, etc, working my butt off filling hundreds of scripts with a phone on my ear while I feel like my neck is breaking...
I AM THRILLED!!!!
Its karma haha. I don't actually know if they did anything wrong, but I'm so frustrated that I don't even care....sad but true!
They should get a fine for running the place like a dang sweatshop.
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So true! I feel your pain HaleyRX. Just look out for your license at all costs. They really are pushing their pharmacists over the edge. 👍
 
IrishHammer said:
From now on, I am going to assume that everything you say on this forum is a joke and is only said for the purposes of entertaining people, rather than because you actually believe what you are posting. I feel it will be better that way.
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Did you go to pharmacy school so you can be a gatekeeper for the government? Stopping illegal narcotic use is not our job.

Hell, on my current public health rotation, I'm designing pamphlets on how to properly shoot up heroin. I don't care that these people are using heroin, I'm only trying to prevent HIV from spreading. Also, one of the reasons I left Costco. I asked the pharmacy manager why they don't participate in the Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP), and he simply told me that they don't want intravenous drug users coming to Costco. They didn't even want to sell a 10 pack of syringes to a patient who had just brought in a prescription for Cyanacobalamin (vitamin b12) injections.

297point1 said:
Fnatastic point. Let's take it one step further...Why have speeding laws at all either? Let knuckleheads drive 130 MPH on the Maryland Turnpike in the pre-dawn hours...eventually they will wrap themselves around an overpass abutment = problem solved.

And BONUS...no more ridiculous posts that make me question the admissions process at Touro.
Click to expand...

See - Autobahn.

rex-autobahn
 
Sparda29 said:
Meh, it's a stupid law anyway. Stop trying to control production of illicit drugs. Let the drug makers blow themselves up in their meth labs = problem solved.
Click to expand...

Nice thought, but they have a tendency to survive their injuries and rarely have health insurance.
 
Sparda29 said:
Did you go to pharmacy school so you can be a gatekeeper for the government? Stopping illegal narcotic use is not our job.

Hell, on my current public health rotation, I'm designing pamphlets on how to properly shoot up heroin. I don't care that these people are using heroin, I'm only trying to prevent HIV from spreading. Also, one of the reasons I left Costco. I asked the pharmacy manager why they don't participate in the Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP), and he simply told me that they don't want intravenous drug users coming to Costco. They didn't even want to sell a 10 pack of syringes to a patient who had just brought in a prescription for Cyanacobalamin (vitamin b12) injections.
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I'll sell syringes to anyone, it's not illegal, even if you know they are drug users.(I checked with my state board). I'd rather have them use a clean needle, because if I don't sell them needles it's not stoppping them from using drugs.
The argument about having tweekers come in is valid. They're more likely to shop lift and can scare away customers. I tell them to come through drive through next time.
If I was an owner of a pharmacy or chain I would mandate that you can't refuse selling needles... And Jack the price up to 6 or 7 dollars for a bag of 10 and 50 dollars for a box. I know an independent that did this, they even sold 1 needle for 75 cents. They made a ton of profit. They were in a shady area though.
 
museabuse said:
I'll sell syringes to anyone, it's not illegal, even if you know they are drug users.(I checked with my state board). I'd rather have them use a clean needle, because if I don't sell them needles it's not stoppping them from using drugs.
The argument about having tweekers come in is valid. They're more likely to shop lift and can scare away customers. I tell them to come through drive through next time.
If I was an owner of a pharmacy or chain I would mandate that you can't refuse selling needles... And Jack the price up to 6 or 7 dollars for a bag of 10 and 50 dollars for a box. I know an independent that did this, they even sold 1 needle for 75 cents. They made a ton of profit. They were in a shady area though.
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LOL, We sell them also and have the same mindset...Please Use a clean needle...the druggies are gonna use either way, whether you sell them the needles or not. We dont charge $50 dollars a box, 34.99 is our price, but they also never buy the whole box...
 
museabuse said:
I'll sell syringes to anyone, it's not illegal, even if you know they are drug users.(I checked with my state board). I'd rather have them use a clean needle, because if I don't sell them needles it's not stoppping them from using drugs.
The argument about having tweekers come in is valid. They're more likely to shop lift and can scare away customers. I tell them to come through drive through next time.
If I was an owner of a pharmacy or chain I would mandate that you can't refuse selling needles... And Jack the price up to 6 or 7 dollars for a bag of 10 and 50 dollars for a box. I know an independent that did this, they even sold 1 needle for 75 cents. They made a ton of profit. They were in a shady area though.
Click to expand...

Huh? If you jack up the price, they are going to start sharing needles again. Whole point of it is to make syringes available and cheap.
 
Doctor M said:
LOL, We sell them also and have the same mindset...Please Use a clean needle...the druggies are gonna use either way, whether you sell them the needles or not. We dont charge $50 dollars a box, 34.99 is our price, but they also never buy the whole box...
Click to expand...

I thought customers could only buy 10 syringes at a time. Maybe this is a NYS rule.
 
Sparda29 said:
Huh? If you jack up the price, they are going to start sharing needles again. Whole point of it is to make syringes available and cheap.
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The pharmacy I interned had a line of people buying syringes at that price, mostly just one needle for 75 cents. Some would come back twice in one day. It defintely was an education for me and my Brady bunch up bringing. The users were very nice and grateful, many people that came in weren't even 'tweekers', they had good jobs and were just using to maintain their addiction.
They didn't mind paying more, they were just glad that they were not being hassled and judged and being asked 20 questions about what insulin their taking.
They can always come up with 75 cents.
 
museabuse said:
The pharmacy I interned had a line of people buying syringes at that price, mostly just one needle for 75 cents. Some would come back twice in one day. It defintely was an education for me and my Brady bunch up bringing. The users were very nice and grateful, many people that came in weren't even 'tweekers', they had good jobs and were just using to maintain their addiction.
They didn't mind paying more, they were just glad that they were not being hassled and judged and being asked 20 questions about what insulin their taking.
They can always come up with 75 cents.
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Yeah...I'd rather just sell a 10-pack of syringes for $1.
 
museabuse said:
That's cool.... Then we'll just take the difference out of your paycheck.
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There are pharmacies here in NYC that sell them at ultra low prices.

BTW, from the NYS ESAP website:

Sale or furnishing began on January 1, 2001, subject to the issuance of a certificate to the eligible provider by the NYS Commissioner of Health. Such sale or furnishing is further subject to the following rules:

Hypodermic needles/syringes may only be sold in quantities of 10 or fewer to persons 18 years of age or older.
Pharmacies may not advertise that hypodermic needles/syringes are available for sale without a prescription.
Pharmacies must store hypodermic needles/syringes in a manner that makes them available only to authorized personnel and not openly available to customers.
A safety insert must be provided as part of each transaction and must be attached to or included with the hypodermic needles/syringes or provided in brochure form. The NYSDOH provides these brochures.
There are no restrictions on the types of hypodermic needles/syringes that may be provided under this program.
Each provider may establish fees or prices according to the pricing standards currently used by the provider.
Third-party reimbursement is not available when hypodermic needles/syringes are purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription.
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http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/aids/harm_reduction/needles_syringes/esap/provreq.htm
 
Aznfarmerboi said:
I thought customers could only buy 10 syringes at a time. Maybe this is a NYS rule.
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They can't buy more than 10, and we're not breaking open the pack, so you're buying 10 or you're buying 0. I honestly don't understand why everyone wants "just one" and refuses to buy the whole pack. It'll save you 9 trips back here.
 
297point1 said:
277 kmh = 172 mph.

Autobahn or not, you sir are nuts. Did you take this picture yourself?
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Nope. This was stolen from the internets. I've never been to Germany. The point is, if Germany can have a highway with no speed limit, we can also.

I believe this picture is from a motorcycle. Only way to snap a picture would probably be a headcamera.
 
museabuse said:
If I was an owner of a pharmacy or chain I would mandate that you can't refuse selling needles... And Jack the price up to 6 or 7 dollars for a bag of 10 and 50 dollars for a box. I know an independent that did this, they even sold 1 needle for 75 cents. They made a ton of profit. They were in a shady area though.
Click to expand...

How is this different from the Oklahoma pharmacist who got busted for his sudafed sales?
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Templa...mplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=20446

The APhA made this guy out to be a martyr ("you could be next!" mentality), but he had some of the highest sales numbers in his area, and had the highest mark-up.

He sold the stuff to users and marked up his prices. Not cool.

You're advocating selling syringes to users at marked up prices. That's okay?

Would you sell sudafed that way? Just curious.

Edit: to be clear, I'm saying that I see these as being the same since they're both enabling users.
 
pharm B said:
How is this different from the Oklahoma pharmacist who got busted for his sudafed sales?
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Templa...mplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=20446

The APhA made this guy out to be a martyr ("you could be next!" mentality), but he had some of the highest sales numbers in his area, and had the highest mark-up.

He sold the stuff to users and marked up his prices. Not cool.

You're advocating selling syringes to users at marked up prices. That's okay?

Would you sell sudafed that way? Just curious.

Edit: to be clear, I'm saying that I see these as being the same since they're both enabling users.
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I would say they are not comparable. In the sudafed example you are providing them with the raw material to be abused. Dispensing clean needles is a public health issue. I would not call that a minor distinction.

I agree that marking up needles because you are selling to users is not ethical. I am only pointing out the difference of providing product vs. providing a clean delivery system. Just my two cent. Another distinction is that providing needles to users is not illegal.
 
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