Vivi gets her prescriptions at CVS, and this meant that she recently began getting robocalls from CVS. You can’t blame her for thinking that an announcement telling her that the chain had “important information” for her meant that the phone call contained important information. Not advertising. The store’s robots were calling her up with ads, though, not recall information or anything else urent actually concerning her prescription. [More]
Pharma Medicine
Study Indicates Many Prescriptions For Kids On Medicaid Aren’t Getting Filled
By 9.26.12
Researchers have been looking into the amount of prescriptions that go unfilled for kids on Medicaid and they’ve found some pretty startling results: Almost 17,000 or 22% of prescriptions at two clinics went unfilled. Those findings mirror other studies along the same lines for adults, which have found discrepancies from 16% to 24% of those medications never getting filled. [More]
All Of The Summer Items At CVS That Are 50% Off Are 50% Off
By 9.5.12
Len noticed this sign at CVS. It seems pretty straightforward: the summer clearance items are all 50% off. Except for the fans. And the items that don’t scan at 50% off. The more you think about this sign, the more confusing it gets, because it means walking up to the counter or using a self-scan machine to determine whether items are on clearance sale. Why do you need a sign telling you to do that? [More]
Why 'Antibiotic-Free' Meat Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does
By 8.30.12
Antibiotic-resistant infections are a serious and scary threat to public health. One reason why devious bacteria are evolving to resist antibiotics is the widespread overuse of them in both humans and in animals. A Center for Science in the Public Interest analysis of Food and Drug Administration data shows that 80% of all antibiotics administered are to animals, and not to help them get better when they’re ill. Meat and dairy producers give low doses to the critters in their care in order to prevent illness, and sometimes to promote faster growth. [More]
Optometrist Knows I Want To Buy Contacts Online, Won't Give Me My Prescription
By 8.16.12
In all of the chatter over our post about prescriptions at the vet’s office, many people commented that this kind of conflict is exactly why human doctors don’t sell us the medications we need from right behind the counter. The thing is, there is a kind of human doctor who does just that. I speak, of course, of the optometrist: dispenser of contact lenses and crusher of dreams. [More]
Spot The Problem With This CVS Coupon
By 8.16.12
Reader SaberTail got a pretty average receipt on a recent trip to CVS: a trailing banner that could, in a pinch, be mistaken for an unspooled roll of toilet paper. We exaggerate only a little. It had three coupons, one of which just contradicts itself out of existence. [More]
Johnson & Johnson Promises To Kick All Harsh Chemicals To The Curb By End Of 2015
By 8.15.12
Johnson & Johnson is going forward with plans to take out any of the nasty chemicals consumers have taken issue with recently, by pledging not only to remove “chemicals of concern” from baby products by 2013, but also to reformulate adult products with safer ingredients by the end of 2015. [More]
Why Did CVS Customer Keep Returning Used Enemas To The Store?
By 7.30.12
It was an observant CVS cashier who brought a Florida man’s reign of fecal contamination to a close. The customer would allegedly buy saline enema kits, use them, clumsily reseal the boxes, and return the kits to the store. The enema kits went right back on store shelves to be sold to unsuspecting customers. The bottles contained some fluid, but had fecal matter on them. This purchase and return cycle began in April and continued until June. [More]
CVS Sale Flyer Redefines ‘Slashed’
By 7.26.12
Fair warning from last week’s CVS circular: if you come by to take advantage of this amazing deal on Tide or Gain detergent, there’s a limit. You can only buy three bottles, for a total savings of fifteen cents. [More]
Shortages Force Paramedics To Use Expired Drugs
By 7.13.12
Many of us have probably popped a pill or two that we knew had passed its expiration date. But when you get medical care from professionals, there is usually the expectation that you’re getting the freshest stuff available. But a conspiracy of conditions has led to some emergency responders stocking their ambulances with out-of-date drugs. [More]
Where Has My Slow Fe Iron Supplement Gone?
By 7.13.12
Cheryl takes iron supplements. She has iron deficiency anemia, and the vast majority of iron supplements on the market make her ill. She’s come to rely on Slow-Fe, made by Novartis, to keep her iron levels up and her digestive system functioning. Then Slow-Fe disappeared. Her regular pharmacist can’t find any to order, and the only sources online are re-sellers with expired products. Remembering our past coverage of catastrophic OB tampon, Eggo waffle, and Morningstar veggie dog shortages, Cheryl wrote to us, asking for help. Could we help her figure out where her precious iron had gone? [More]
Excedrin Recall Sends Desperate Migraine Sufferers To eBay
By 7.11.12
Six months ago, production problems at a Novartis plant manufacturing over-the-counter, generic, and veterinary drugs prompted FDA action and a recall of common over-the-counter drugs such as Excedrin, No-Doz, and Gas-X. While generic versions of all of these drugs are commonly available, some Excedrin users don’t find them effective and have been clamoring for the original. Novartis isn’t producing any new Excedrin, and prices on eBay are now nearing $1 per tablet. [More]
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Rite Aid Retail Archaeologist Uncovers Full-Price VHS Movie
By 7.10.12 — Updated: 8.15.13
It’s not out of the question that someone might want to purchase a copy of the film version of “A Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s not difficult to imagine that they might even pick it up at Rite-Aid, and that they might be willing to pay $20 for an eight-year-old movie. What caught reader Jay’s attention, though, was that the film was in his local pharmacy’s discount DVD bin, at full price––and on VHS. [More]
DOJ Alleges Glaxo Paid Dr. Drew $275K To Talk Sexy About Wellbutrin
By 7.3.12
Yesterday, pharma biggie GlaxoSmithKline settled for $3 billion with the Justice Dept. over a wide range of fraud-related allegations. Among all the documents involved in the case are claims by the DOJ that GSK paid TV/Radio personality Dr. Drew Pinsky a pile of cash to talk up off-label uses of the company’s antidepressant Wellbutrin, including a purported tie to causing multiple orgasms in females. [More]
Maker Of OxyContin Believes Children Are The Future (For Extending Its Patent)
By 7.3.12
The company that makes OxyContin has a good thing going, with lots of free PR from shows like Intervention and Justified and no exact generic equivalent to undercut its market share. But there are dark clouds on the horizon for the OxyContin brand, as its patent is set to expire in April. Now, in a ploy to extend that patent, the Oxy folks are going through the motions of pretending they actually care whether or not children can take the drug safely. [More]
GlaxoSmithKline Pleads Guilty & Will Pay U.S. $3 Billion To Resolve Fraud Allegations
By 7.2.12
In the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history, prescription drug giant GlaxoSmithKline is set to plead guilty and pay $3 billion to the U.S. government. The settlement will resolve federal criminal and civil inquiries about things ranging from the company’s illegal promotion of some of its products to its failure to report safety data and alleged false price reporting. [More]
Sale At CVS Means You Pay Double
By 7.2.12
Shopping at CVS, Ajay noticed this odd sale on a seasonal item (sandals). Okay, it’s fine to charge more for seasonal items during the season when they’re used: that’s basic retail. But there’s something terribly wrong when employees put up a sign doubling the price on a sale item without batting an eye. [More]
Walgreens Will Begin Offering Free HIV Testing In Select Locations
By 6.26.12
Walgreens is launching a new initiative offering free, private HIV testing at a few locations, the company announced today. It’s part of a program the company is working on with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to try and connect more people with HIV with care and resources. [More]
