Content about CVS Caremark

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has named Helena Foulkes EVP and chief healthcare strategy and marketing officer. In the newly created role, Foulkes will bring together the company’s capabilities in enterprise branding, communications, community relations, charitable giving, healthcare-reform strategy, government relations and marketing into one integrated organization in an effort to deliver even better business results and stronger partnerships.


WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark announced on Friday that it has agreed to pay $17.5 million, to be allocated among the federal government and 10 participating states, to resolve a civil complaint concerning how its CVS/pharmacy retail pharmacies submitted reimbursement claims in certain states for prescriptions filled for "dual eligible" patients who have coverage under both Medicaid and a third-party insurance plan.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Despite a difficult economy and rising health costs, the benefits of an integrated pharmacy service were evident as CVS Caremark helped its pharmacy benefit manager clients — employers, health plans and third-party administrators — manage pharmacy costs, according to the company's annual "Insights Report."

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The news that CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic has entered into a clinical affiliation with Advocate Health Care and Advocate Physician Partners is important as it reflects a larger focus within the U.S. healthcare landscape: medical homes, or for a growing number of Americans, the lack thereof.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens VP clinical affairs David Lorber will present during the Pinsonault Associates Managed Markets Summit on April 12 in Miami, Fla., the retailer announced Thursday.

The session, titled "Employer Issues in Specialty Pharmacy," will examine concerns for payers, including cost management and containment, benefit and coverage decisions, formulary and medical policy, pipeline management, provider network, member satisfaction and disruption, and compliance.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Former Caremark Rx executive Drew Crawford has been appointed president and CEO of Benecard PBF, an administrator of prescription benefits and services to public and private plan sponsors.

Crawford is a former member of the executive management of Caremark Rx and is the son of Mac Crawford, who served as chairman, president and CEO of Caremark Rx and also is the former chairman of CVS Caremark.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Farmers and tradesmen. That’s who politicians used to be. Back then, legislative initiatives weren’t splintered by a hundred different agendas. But the reality of today’s lawmaking process is so much more convoluted; that’s why educating policy-makers around the hardwood issues is so paramount.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It’s that time of year once again. Come April 30, more than 2,000 of today’s leading retail executives from food, drug and mass, and their supply partners, will convene at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., to gain new insights into today’s changing marketplace and explore future opportunities.

BOSTON — Boston Medical Center announced that it has received a $50,000 grant for the Autism Clinic from CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation created by CVS Caremark.

BMC is one of 72 organizations selected from a pool of 660 applicants to receive an individual or multiyear grant for 2010. The grant will allow the Autism Clinic to develop a written behavioral curriculum for hands-on training for parents with low income and/or limited-English proficiency.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — A drug used to prevent stroke in patients with a form of atrial fibrillation has won preferred Tier 2 formulary status with pharmacy benefit managers Medco Health Solutions and CVS Caremark.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that CVS Caremark and Medco had added Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules to their commercial preferred drug lists, and Medco had added the drug to its Part D drug list.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark's board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share.

The dividend is payable May 3 to holders of record on April 22, the company noted.

Alarming statistics are as common in the healthcare world as healthcare workers themselves, but some of the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are particularly dramatic: Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, the agency said in late January, and an estimated 79 million U.S. adults — representing more than one-third of all adults in the country — have prediabetes.