Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is taking on Walgreen Co., accusing the pharmacy chain of overcharging customers. He filed a lawsuit yesterday, claiming the company is yanking customers’ chains by posting misleading or deceptive price tags on various items, after undercover investigators checked out consumer complaints at area stores. [More]
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Tests Find Cancer-Causing Chemical In 98 Personal Care Products
By 8.27.13
Cocamide diethanolamine (cocamide DEA) is a chemically-modified form of coconut oil, sometimes used as a thickener or foaming agent in a number of products. It has also been listed by the state of California as a known carcinogen, meaning manufacturers are required to include a warning on the label. But recent tests found 98 shampoos, soaps, and other personal care products, that contain the chemical but don’t have any warning. [More]
New York Attorney General Investigating Walmart, Home Depot, Others Over Prepaid Payroll Cards
By 7.3.13
Though it’s been a point of concern with employee-rights advocates for years, the use of prepaid debit cards as a substitute for traditional payroll checks is finally getting attention from the powers that be, with the New York state attorney general’s office investigating the practice at some of the nation’s largest employers. [More]
DEA: Walgreens Ignored Signs, Encouraged Questionable Sales Of Oxycodone At Florida Pharmacies
By 7.2.13
Earlier this summer, the Drug Enforcement Agency slapped Walgreens with a substantial $80 million settlement over allegations that the drugstore chain had allowed an ocean of prescription painkillers to hit the black market in Florida. Now, between revelations from the local police and uncovered DEA documents, the public is finally getting an idea of just how bad the problem was, and how much Walgreens turned a blind eye to illegal activity at its stores. [More]
Walgreens To Pay $80 Million In Settlement Over Black Market Painkillers
By 6.12.13
Walgreens — or, as known by its proper name, Walgreen — has agreed to pony up a whopping $80 million to settle claims by the government that it was negligent in allowing painkillers to end up on the black market. It’s the largest settlement in the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is the result of an investigation into a distribution center in Florida that had been receiving a high number of prescription pain meds from six pharmacies in the state. [More]
Store-Brand Sunscreens From Target, Walmart, Walgreens Outperform Higher-Priced Options In Test
By 5.23.13
If you think you get what you pay for when you buy sunscreen, you might be in for a surprise. Our less-sunburned cousins at Consumer Reports recently put a dozen sun-protection products to the test and the ones that came out on top were also among the least expensive. [More]
Report Claims Many Walgreens Sales Items Are Out Of Stock, Mislabeled
By 5.17.13
Last fall, Walgreens launched Balance Rewards, which isn’t just a loyalty program, but is also the only way to access many of the store’s advertised discounts. However, a new report claims that Walgreens stores in four major cities are having a hard time making these discounted items available to shoppers, and that the items are frequently mislabeled anyway. [More]
How Much Does A Free Pair Of Gloves Cost? 60 Cents
By 5.10.13
Walgreens, it’s great that you’re trying to encourage sales of your “Nice!” house brand by giving away free coordinating stuff with, say, a bottle of dish soap. It’s the part where you’re underestimating their intelligence that’s kind of bad. For example, charging an extra 60 cents, then saying that something is on “sale” and comes with free stuff. [More]
Maybe Man Accused Of Stealing Whitening Strips, Condoms & Weight-Loss Pills Had A Hot Date
By 4.26.13
Police in Colorado are on the lookout for a guy who’s probably having a really great time now, or is at least looking quite dashing and dapper while doing so. Authorities say a “well-groomed” suspect waltzed into several Walgreens stores and boosted more than $2,600 worth of teeth-whitening strips, weight-loss pills, probiotics, condoms and Rogaine, as well as other hair-growth products. [More]
Walgreens Fuzzy Math Means This ‘Smart Buy’ Is Less Smart Than It Appears
By 2.11.13
Just in case you thought that the phrase “smart buy” actually had any meaning at Walgreens, here’s proof that employees might just be slapping that label on everything, then calling it a day. Reader Ben found these two different packages of gauze pads, both labeled “smart buys.” [More]
Walgreens Dangling Green Product Line As Eco-Friendly Carrot To Bring In Consumers
By 11.5.12
Call something “green” and odds are, environmentally-conscious customers are going to be on board with it, as many consumers these days are all about keeping Mother Earth healthy. Walgreens is banking on our need to be green with its own line of household products that don’t contain any harmful chemicals. They’re hoping you like the earth enough to buy their stuff, of course. [More]
Pharmacists Confirm Pressure From Management To Refill Prescriptions Automatically
By 10.25.12
Since we began following the stories of CVS pharmacists who appear to have been pressured into automatically refilling customers’ prescriptions, regardless of whether or not a refill has been requested, we’ve received enough e-mails from from both customers and pharmacists at a number of companies who say these are not isolated incidents. [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]
Ripping Up A Parking Ticket In Front Of Police May Get You Tased, Even If You’re Pregnant
By 6.7.12
If you’re upset with the parking ticket you’ve just received, it’s rarely a good idea to rip it up. It’s certainly a bad idea to rip that ticket up in front of the police officer who just wrote it. Ask the pregnant Chicago woman who says police used a stun gun on her after she tore up her citation. [More]
Walgreens Thinks Buying 2 For The Price Of 3 Is A "Great Buy!"
By 6.1.12
Are you in the market for some hydrogen peroxide? Maybe you need to stock up for all your future hydrogen peroxide needs. In that case, Walgreen’s has a deal for you, if you don’t mind paying more for a two-pack than you would for three individual bottles. [More]
Walgreens To Pay $7.9 Million To Make Prescriptions Controversy Go Away
By 4.20.12
Walgreens owes a pretty penny to the U.S. Department of Justice, specifically, $7.9 million to make a little prescription controversy to go away. The government said Walgreens illegally tried to get federal health care beneficiaries to switch their prescriptions to Walgreens pharmacies. [More]
DEA Searches Six Florida Walgreens Pharmacies
By 4.5.12
As part of its investigation into whether chain drug stores with higher than usual sales of prescription painkillers are actually feeding those drugs to the black market, the DEA has served administrative inspection warrants at six Walgreens stores and one of the chain’s warehouses, all in Florida. [More]
Walgreens Goes All Out In Effort To Convince You To Buy Sex Toys
By 3.21.12
Not only does Walgreens.com have a wide variety of “Sexual Wellness” products, from the usual lubrication and condoms all the way to vibrators and “Adult Toys for Men,” they’re really not holding back when it comes to the descriptions of each item, and why you’d be crazy not to buy them. [More]
