Many people expressed surprise that drug retailer CVS is a participant in our Worst Company in America tournament. In addition to the everyday issues that a pharmacy/drugstore creates for consumers, though, CVS also owns prescription benefits administrator Caremark. Brandon is a Caremark customer who takes a venerable but still useful medication called Synthroid. He recently ran into a weird situation with his refill, where he was switched to the name-brand medication for no discernible reason. Twice. [More]
Pharma Medicine
Worst Company In America Round One: CVS Vs. Johnson & Johnson
By 3.22.11
Here’s an interesting battle between a drugstore chain and the drug company whose products line the chain’s shelves — or at least they used to before they were all recalled. [More]
At CVS, The Word 'Clearance' Is Essentially Meaningless
By 3.15.11
Reader Juhgail noticed “clearance” tags on an item that she was planning to buy anyway. Since “clearance” nearly always also means “sale” in retail, it’s nice when that happens. Except in CVS’s reality vortex, “clearance” actually means “we stuck a shelf tag on it, but left it at the same price.” Makes sense.
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Ex-Girlfriend Auctions Off Sheen's Inscribed Consumer Reports Drug Reference Book
By 3.11.11
Charlie Sheen is a prolific, and apparently, very informed consumer of substances. In a recent Inside Edition interview, his former girlfriend Ginger Lynn brought out a copy of publishing pal Consumer Reports book The Complete Drug Reference that he inscribed and gave to her when they were dating back in the early 90’s. It reads, “To Ging, From one Druggie To Another. Love, C.” The book is going for $1,000 but that’s silly, you can get all the prescription drug information you need at Consumer Reports Health, and you don’t even need to be an extra-dimensional warlock to use it. [More]
Government To Take Control Of Three Tylenol Plants
By 3.11.11
Following a slew of recalls that seemed to have pulled just about every Tylenol product from store shelves, three Johnson & Johnson plants responsible for the recalled goods are being put under the supervision of the FDA. [More]
Did You Know Doctors Are Prescribing Non-FDA-Approved Drugs? They Didn't Either.
By 3.2.11
Awhile back the FDA cracked down on OTC cold medicines that were potentially harmful to children under 2. As part of that effort, the agency has now “ordered the removal from the market of more than 500 prescription drugs used to treat colds, coughs and allergies because the medications had never gone through a federal review of their safety and effectiveness,” says the NYT Prescriptions Blog. [More]
Man Sues Walgreens For Giving Him Wart Remover Instead Of Eye Drops
By 2.25.11
A Walgreens customer in NYC is suing the drugstore chain for $1 million, alleging they mistakenly gave him wart remover when his prescription called for eyedrops. [More]
Do Not Try To Deal Drugs From Your Cruise Ship Cabin
By 2.15.11
What won’t you find on a list of must-pack items for cruise vacations? Narcotics and incriminating wads of drug money. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say a passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise was caught with both inside his cabin, where he had allegedly set up a drug-dealing operation. [More]
Drugstores Cross-Promoting Chocolate And Condoms For Valentine's
By 2.14.11
Drugstores are making it easier for you to get your Valentine’s Day shopping in by putting endcaps of condoms and lubrication on their their chocolate and candy displays. Now you only have to visit one aisle! [More]
Safeway Pharmacist Accidentally Gives Abortion-Inducing Drug To Pregnant Woman
By 2.8.11
If you never thought to double check that bottle you pick up from the prescription counter, here’s a story that will probably stick in your head the next time you’re getting a ‘scrip filled. [More]
Florida Bans Coke-And-Meth-Like "Bath Salts" Sold In Gas Stations
By 2.8.11
Florida became the second state after Louisiana to ban sales of MDPV, a synthetic drug with effects similar to meth and cocaine that sellers are marketing as “bath salts,” NPR reports. They can be found in convenience stores and gas stations. Besides their high, authorities have said that the drug produces a psychotic break in their users, afflicting them with violent hallucinations. In one case, a man tore out a police radio from the car with his teeth. In another, a woman went after her mother with a machete, having confused her with a monster. Party time! [More]
Profiles In Niche Marketing: "Short Hair Magazine"
By 2.3.11
I spotted this in the magazine rack at Walgreens last night. There is an entire magazine devoted just to short hair. It’s called Short Hair, and it turns out it’s been around for many years. While it sounds silly, one of it’s main selling points is that if you see a cut in there you like you can buy the glossy and show it to your stylist. Still, this is the apotheosis of niche marketing. I’m thinking of picking up a subscription but with my budget tight I’ll need to either drop Mason Jar Monthly, or Babe In The Hoods, a periodical devoted to pictures of attractive people wearing hooded sweatshirts. [More]
Walgreens To Sell Their Own Brand Of Beer For Under $.50/Can
By 1.27.11
If its decision to start selling groceries wasn’t enough of a sign that Walgreens is trying to shake up its image and reach a new audience, now comes news that the drugstore chain has begun selling its own private-label beer. [More]
HCG Diet Products Are Fraud, Says FDA
By 1.24.11
There are tons of diet pill pages on the internet prosthelytizing the wonders of the miracle diet drug HCG, or “human chorionic gonadotropin.” You have the usual “before” and “after” pictures where you get to play that fun game of trying to figure out if they’re actually two different people, and the promises of losing 30 pounds in 4 weeks. Only problem is that HCG doesn’t work for weight loss, and an FDA exec says they may even be illegal and fraudulent. Quelle surprise! [More]
Johnson & Johnson Recalls Even More Tylenol, Benadryl, Sudafed & Sinutab
By 1.18.11
The new year isn’t starting well for Johnson & Johnson. First, the OTC drug giant gets sued by the state of Oregon over allegations of a phantom Motrin recall. And now its McNeil Labs division has issued the latest in a lengthy list of actual recalls. This time, it’s for certain lots of Tylenol 8 Hour, Tylenol Arthritis Pain, Tylenol upper respiratory products, Benadryl, Sudafed PE, and Sinutab products distributed in the United States, the Caribbean, and Brazil. [More]
Oregon Sues J&J For Secretly Recalling Motrin
By 1.14.11
Instead of issuing a recall, after Johnson and Johnson discovered its Motrin caplets were defective, they hired a contractor to go around the country buy up all the drugs. It was a “secret recall” that left the bad medicine on shelves for months for consumers to buy. Now the Oregon AG is suing J&J. The story broke when one of the guys hired to do the buying faxed regulators the instructions J&J gave him. [More]
Duane Reade Infilitrates Williamsburg By Adding A Beer Bar
By 1.14.11
When Duane Reade announced it wanted to open a store in the hip poseur enclave neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, it faced stiff opposition from locals and bloggers who feared it would destroy the area’s charm and drive a nearby local pharmacy out of business. So the pharmacy chain bought over the natives with beer. [More]
FDA Asks Prescription Drug Companies To Limit Amount Of Acetaminophen
By 1.13.11
Worried about the possibility of liver damage from over use, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers of prescription drugs containing acetaminophen to limit the amount of acetaminophen to no more than 325 mg in each tablet or capsule. [More]
