Content about Providence County, Rhode Island

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have teamed up to increase awareness of the new services available under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. To announce the partnership and highlight new benefits and options for Medicare beneficiaries, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently visited a CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark on Tuesday announced that a month-long, in-store fundraising campaign at CVS/pharmacy locations throughout the Boston area raised more than $650,000 in donations from customers to The One Fund Boston, which was established by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to raise money for victims and families who were affected by the attack on the Boston Marathon.

 DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday extended its agreement as a network pharmacy provider in the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management national retail network. The companies are not disclosing the financial and other confidential terms of the agreement.

CVS Caremark executives were upbeat during last week’s conference call with analysts, as the company pulled in a “strong” first quarter and narrowed its 2013 guidance to reflect higher-than-expected performance.

The positive start to 2013 is important as it further demonstrates that CVS Caremark’s distinctive, integrated healthcare model is resonating and spelling success for this pharmacy innovation company.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The year appears to be off to a good start, and CVS Caremark executives were optimistic Wednesday morning as the company pulled in a “strong” first quarter and narrowed its 2013 guidance to reflect higher-than-expected performance.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — With National Drug Take Back Day scheduled for April 27 and in light of a new national study revealing that 1-out-of-4 teenagers has misused or abused a prescription medication at least once, CVS Caremark is reminding families that proper management, storage and disposal of their medication can reduce access to drugs by young people in their homes.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Cardinal Health and McKesson separately announced the renewal of their pharmaceutical distribution agreements with CVS Caremark.

Under Cardinal Health’s renewed agreement, the wholesaler stated that it will supply pharmaceuticals to a network of CVS Caremark's retail pharmacies and distribution centers through mid-2016. The stores and distribution centers serviced under the new arrangement are essentially the same as those serviced in the prior arrangement.

It's official. During its most recent quarterly conference call with analysts, CVS Caremark revealed what many had anticipated: Its acquisition of privately held Brazilian drug store chain Drogaria Onofre was complete.

The move is not financially material to CVS Caremark, but it does mark its first foray into the international drug store space. The 44-store chain is the eighth-largest drug store chain in Brazil and, according to published reports, posted gross revenue of R$1.2 billion (Brazilian reals) in 2011.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The increased availability of generics combined with CVS Caremark's generic dispensing rate of 77.4% helped reduce spending on traditional medications by 3.6% for the company's commercial clients, according to its newly released annual insights report, which reviews drug trend and highlights key issues in pharmacy care.

CVS Caremark's GDR is the result of two elements.  First, 2012 marked a high point in the flood of generic launches, with the estimated market value of brands that lost their patents in 2012 exceeding $35 billion. 

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark elected on March 29 former Johnson & Johnson CEO William Weldon to serve on its board of directors, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Weldon is the former chairman of the board and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, having served in those positions from 2002 until his retirement as CEO in April 2012 and his retirement from the board in December 2012. Weldon previously served in a variety of senior executive positions during his 41-year career with J&J.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — To help raise awareness of senior hunger in Rhode Island, CVS Caremark VP workforce strategies and chief diversity officer David Casey teamed up this week with U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island executive director Heather Amaral to deliver hot meals to homebound seniors in Cranston.

CHICAGO — Chicago State University’s College of Pharmacy has announced that CVS Caremark has donated $250,000 for the development of the CVS Caremark Student Center and Technology Laboratory.

“This donation will help to improve the College’s physical space and technological resources, which greatly enhances student success within the College of Pharmacy. To say thank you is an understatement,” stated Dean Miriam Mobley Smith with the College of Pharmacy.