CVS

I could relay whats happened with us & CVS, but I figure, I'll just copy the letter I wrote to them (after changing a few names, etc) and let you read for yourself...






To Whom this may Concern,
My husband , myself and all member of our family are long time CVS customers. My husband uses the CVS pharmacy for filling a prescription for a degenerative disc problem that was brought to light and brought on after his first tour in Iraq. He was wounded in combat and when brought home to recover he began having back pains as he returned to his regular routines. After tests & painful treatments they refused him surgery due to his young age and put him on a pain reliever to take as needed.
He has been filing this prescription for over a year at the CVS Pharmacy located at XXXXXXXXX street in XXXXXX Ohio. Approximately three months ago, a new pharmacist named Michelle XXXXXXX began working at this CVS. Several issues have taken place with her but they are unimportant so I will jump right to the issues at hand.
Michael, my husband went in to fill a prescription a month ago when Ms. XXXXX complained to him about the two customers who had been ahead of him. They both have prescriptions for 80mgs of Oxycotin, she told him and she refuses to fill it with out talking to their doctor as she believes they are abusing the drugs. This is an obvious breech of confidentiality, and none of anyone’s business but those customers. My husband nodded as he knows that she doesn’t need to be discussing this with him and went about his business, finished the transaction and left CVS.
On August 25th 2008 he went in to fill his prescription, it was the first day of Fall classes at the local University of which he is part of the XXXX XXXXX department, and he had to be there early. After a lot of walking or sitting he usually finds himself in a good deal of pain so he thought he would arrive as early as he could so he could fill the prescription and still arrive to the school before classes began.
He walked to the counter, said hello to Ms. XXXX and asked if she was brewing some good coffee ( that is what she was doing at the time) to which she glared at him and said, from which I quote as he has written down her words so that they can be reviewed by whomever might find them of interest, “Wow, you’re here early. I told you before you cant just walk in here first thing in the morning and expect me to just fill your prescription, What is your name?” She then told him that she has other things to do and it would be twenty to thirty minutes. Michael replied that was fine, that he thought he was trying to come early to avoid the several people he usually sees waiting in the mornings ( which she previously informed him were waiting for their 80mgs of Oxycotin) because he had somewhere to be today and he was hoping to get an early start on the day. Ms. XXXXXX then continued to tell my husband “Don’t you think you have a bit of a problem? If your actually waiting for the pharmacy to open its obvious you have an addiction problem & you might want to seek help for your pill addiction.”
To say the least, my husband was stunned, and walked to the waiting area where he sat and waited. Twenty minutes later she called his name and when he approached she counter she advised that he have his medication changed by his doctor because of the obvious addiction that he had to these pain pills and the fact that he is likely going to end up on kidney dialysis due to the abuse of drugs she is accusing him of. My husband proceeded to be shocked and offended while he informed her that he has chosen to stay on this specific medication that doesn’t even fully cover the pain rather than increasing to something stronger, as his doctors have advised because he doesn’t want to be drugged up and groggy from pain pills. We have two young children and it is in no ones best interest for him to be doped up on pills, he simply needs a medication that can help him get through the day so he is able to bend over and pick his two year old up to swing on a swing, or to rock our infant to sleep at night when he is fussy.
Ms. XXXXX continued to accuse my husband of being a drug addict until he finally was so insulted he told her that not only does she have no idea about who he is or why he takes this medication, but that it absolutely isn’t her business to accuse him of such a thing and that he was quite insulted and would not be returning to CVS after this.
My husband is a strong, proud man who I am proud to be a wife to, who I am proud of the service he gave to our country, and who I am proud to know. He is not easily insulted or bothered by people, things roll off his back quite easily. However, when he left the pharmacy after this interaction with Ms. XXXXXX and called me, I have never heard him so insulted or offended in either of our lives.
I chose to call CVS to speak to the store manager myself after hearing how offended Michael was, I believe I spoke to a gentleman named XXX . He was deeply sorry and very nicely talked with me for twenty or so minutes about what a unprofessional matter this was and he honestly sounded shocked and sorry while trying to find the words to make this better.
I was told that a pharmacy supervisor would contact me with in several days to discuss this matter directly with my husband and I. Today is September 2, and I have yet to be contacted. I am extremely angry over this issue. Not only has Ms. XXXXX insulted my husband but she has insulted an Iraq War Veteran, and a good man. I am also quite sure that her disclosing what prescription she fills to the two customers prior to my husband is breaking some sort of legality.
I had hoped that we would be contacted and that this could be resolved with an appropriate apology on Ms. XXXXX behalf, but since we have yet to receive any contact from CVS regarding this I am writing this letter. My hope is that it will be responded to in good time and that an appropriate action will be taken regarding Ms. XXXXX . If this doesn’t happen, I fully intend to alert every family member, every friend, to make known on every message board of thousands of mothers and women, every blog about Military spouses, and to anyone I know who will listen what kind of respect CVS Pharmacy employees have for their War Veterans and also their customers prescription confidence. I’m sure there are plenty of people interested in knowing that a local pharmacist discusses what prescription she just filled for someone to other customers.
My contact information is as follows;

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I hope that someone regarding this lack of customer service will contact either myself, my husband or both of us to resolve this incident. As much as I enjoy the products found at CVS myself, my friends and family will take our service elsewhere if this matter isn’t addressed.
Thank you for your time, I hope this can be resolved and we can resume our regular shopping at CVS after an appropriate apology has taken place.
Sincerely,

Claire XXXXX




SO.. There you have it. I could go on & on.. but the bottom line is.. this woman flat out disclosed private information, which is SURELY against the law ..I mean.. How would you feel if say, you had to go fill a Rx for your herpes medication & you knew when you walked away the pharmacist told a customer "Oh.. s/he just needed their herpes cream..its the second time this month, can you believe that???"
But the biggest issue is THEN she insulted my husband. For those few of you who know me WELL. I am your best friend if I'm your friend, but do NOT get on my bad side.. I hold grudges for eternity & I will go OUT of my way to make sure something is known, or done about something that I dont like. And I am PISSED.. to say the least, at how my husband was treated.. No one, much less the man I love deserves to be talked about like that, or speculated about, much less flat out insulted to their face. Now, dont get me wrong, I forgive! I have too much going on to be walking around stewing about people as unimportant as those who feel the need to insult me or my family for whatever self serving reason they do so.. But I NEVER forget. Ever. PERIOD.

I called the store manager immediately after Mike called me & we talked for a good 20 minutes & he was very apologetic. He told me to be expecting a call from the Pharmacy Superviser... A week later I still hadnt heard..I e-mailed & wrote that letter then, I got a generic "thank you for using CVS" to which I laughed, as they obviously didnt read my words. Then I got a "this will be followed up witn in 2 business days by __________" who never called me to begin with..

ALL I WANT IS AN APOLOGY!!! Seriously..I'm not asking for the lady to be fired, or for a gift or whatever they do to "correct the situation" with things like this..I just flat out want someone to talk to this woman about what she did & how WRONG it was & to offer Mike an apology.

I'm giving it til the end of the month & then I plan to go into the store.. I REALLY hope, for her sake, and Mikes, that something happens before then, because this woman is going to feel REALLY stupid when I ask her to personally apologize to my husband in front of her boss, and her staff... and anyone I can find in the store..
I WILL make a stink over it, and I have not, and will not set foot in a CVS again other than to speak with her.

I think its quite sad, how CVS pharmacies treat their customers, and also War Veterans. I dont eat at Applebees , because the way they treat breastfeeding mothers..same with Gemini Pizza and now I dont use CVS stores. Sad how the list just keeps growing..