Matt sent Consumerist an e-mail with the subject line, “Why is my receipt two feet long?” See, he shopped at CVS, purchased one item, used the self-checkout machine, and walked away with a receipt longer than my dog. This is a massive waste of paper, especially when you multiply it by the number of CVS stores and the number of purchases at each one, but it isn’t completely pointless.
Pharma Medicine
Massachusetts CVS Stores Regularly Overcharge Customers
By 5.7.09
The number of overcharging violations – defined as charging more at the register than the price in an advertisement, on a shelf sign, or on the item itself – soared to 711, from 425.
8 Million Patient Records Stolen From Virginia State Database, Held For Ransom
By 5.5.09
The Washington Post says that a hacker encrypted 8 million patient prescription records from a Virginia state website last week, deleted the backups, and replaced the home page with a ransom note. If the state doesn’t pay $10 million within 7 days, the hacker has threatened to sell the data to the highest bidder.
Costco Fixes Customer's Botched Electronic Prescription
By 5.1.09
If you get your prescriptions filled electronically, always double-check the dosage. Kimberly’s prescription was recently screwed up somewhere between the physician filling out the order online and Costco’s pharmacist receiving it. Luckily for her, the Costco pharmacist was incredibly helpful and fixed the problem for her, so Kimberly didn’t have to waste her copay or deal with the issue on her own. He also explained, however, that the current state of electronic prescriptions is a big mess.
Customer Wants To Know What Happened To CVS Extra Care Coupons
By 5.1.09
Any readers here who work for CVS? Maya wants to know what’s going on with the Extra Care coupons that are printed at the bottom of each receipt. Lately the clerks at her local CVS stores have been tearing something off the bottom of the receipt before giving it to her, and the coupons are no longer there. Coincidence?
Walgreens Pharmacist Sends Hand Written Thank You Note To Customer
By 4.30.09
Whether it’s rational or not, there’s something very satisfying when your pharmacist acknowledges you personally—it makes you feel like this expert you’re placing such trust in takes the job, and you, seriously. In our experience it’s a rare thing to see from pharmacists at chain drugstores, but Mike just had a great encounter with his Walgreens pharmacist when he moved to a new town.
Watch Out, Ambien Makes You Slutty
By 4.28.09
We knew Ambien could cause sleep driving and sleep eating, but this man blames it for causing him to hook up with a woman he barely knows. Now he says the woman has called his home and refers to him as her f*** buddy, and yet he can’t even remember the act. Oh also, he’s married.
Walmart's Prescription Drug Couriers Arrested For Speeding, Smoking
By 4.26.09
When you think “prescription drugs,” you think of clean, sterile facilities, not three stoners driving 100 mph down I-15 with $30,000 of Walmart’s prescription narcotics in the backseat. Cops pulled the trio over, which included two illegal immigrants, and called Walmart to confirm that these were the folks employed to deliver their dirt-cheap drugs. “They said yeah they were expecting a delivery and the driver was late.”
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Don't Cut Risk Of Dementia After All
By 4.23.09
The latest study of people who take large amounts of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) indicates that, contrary to what earlier studies suggested, they don’t seem to cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In fact, it’s just the opposite: “During the study, 476 people developed dementia, and heavy NSAID users had a 66% higher risk of developing the condition than those with low or no use.”
Pop Quiz: How Much Is This Walgreens Mouthwash?
By 4.16.09
Reader Travis is wondering if anyone can tell him how much this mouthwash costs? It is a mystery.
9 Legal Drugs With Extremely Disturbing Side Effects
By 4.16.09
We asked for it and you sent them in, a smorgasbord of drugs with extremely disturbing side effects. Here’s nine of the most disturbing we found. Jeez! Sometimes the cure really can be worse than the disease…
New York Times Calls Botox "The Duct Tape Of Medicine"
By 4.13.09
Who knew botulism could be so awesome? Botox is Allergan’s cash cow, earning the pharmaceutical company $1.3 billion last year alone. The funny thing about the toxin—originally developed as a biological weapon—is it works for a lot of “off-label” uses as well (like treating anal fissures and preventing hair loss), and Allergan says that non-cosmetic applications could be an even bigger market because health insurers will help pay for the treatments. Likely upcoming FDA-approved treatments: stroke-induced muscle spasms, chronic migraines, and enlarged prostates.
Chia Obama Pulled From Walgreens Shelves
By 4.6.09
Sorry, folks, you’ll have to go elsewhere than Walgreens to purchase your “Chia Obamas,” as headquarters has asked local stores to remove the item, saying they felt it was bad for their corporate image. This perhaps marks the first time anyone has said, yeah, that’s probably not a good way to commodify the Barackster. The Chia Obama comes in two formats, “Happy Chia Obama,” and “Determined Chia Obama,” sporting either a smile, or steely resolve, respectively.
CVS Gave Me The Wrong Pills! Is This Common?
By 4.6.09
Reader Pattie got the wrong pills from CVS and luckily, she noticed before taking them. She has no idea what they were, but is wondering if this sort of mistake is common.
Walgreen Health Clinics Now Free For Unemployed
By 4.1.09
Walgreen has announced that if you’re willing to provide proof of unemployment and sign a form that says you lost your health benefits along with your job, you and your uninsured family members can receive free treatment at any of their 300+ in-store health clinics. What’s covered: “respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments.” What’s not: checkups, vaccinations or other injections, and prescriptions.
Judge Orders F.D.A. To Make Plan B Available To 17-Year-Olds
By 3.28.09
Great news, 17-year-olds! A federal judge has ruled that you can now avoid accidental babies by partaking in the emergency contraceptive wonder that is Plan B. Back in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration limited the contraceptive to women 18 and over, and ordered pharmacists to hide the drug behind their counters away from other common contraceptives. Judge Edward Korman ruled this week that the agency’s decision was based on politics not science, and that it constituted an unacceptable public health buzzkill.
