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CVS Caremark Awarded Platinum Honors for Best Practices in Consumer Health Improvement by URAC

Posted on: Thursday, 2 April 2009, 13:21 CDT

Drug Therapy Management program provides access to one-on-one counseling and support for patients with complex pharmacy needs

WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) was awarded Platinum honors for Consumer Health Improvement by leading health care accreditation organization, URAC. The honor was announced at the 2009 Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards Gala on April 1-2 in Orlando, Florida. The awards are designed to recognize innovative leadership and successful programs in consumer-focused health care management.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/NE75914LOGO )

CVS Caremark was honored for its Drug Therapy Management program, which was developed to improve the outcome of drug therapy by providing patients with access to specially trained clinical pharmacists for one-on-one medication counseling. Patients with complex pharmacy needs -- those on multiple medications who have prescriptions from a number of different health care providers -- are encouraged to participate in an individualized counseling session with a clinical pharmacist to review their pharmacy health needs and identify any potential issues with compliance, efficacy, dosing and interactions. Once enrolled in the program, a comprehensive electronic record is developed and kept up-to-date for the patient, along with an individualized care plan and regular follow-up appointments via phone with their assigned clinical pharmacist.

"The Drug Therapy Management program provides those patients with complex pharmacy needs with access to personalized support from a clinical pharmacist who ensures coordinated communication and care between the patient and their health care providers," said Howard McLure, President CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services. "This program is another concrete example of how CVS Caremark applies our Proactive Pharmacy Care approach to engage the patients we support in their pharmacy health care and provide them with the information they need to make educated choices."

Seventy submissions were evaluated by a 27-member panel of prestigious, independent judges including experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Honors were awarded in six categories: Health Plans and Health Networks, Health Management, Health Information/Decision Support, Pharmacy Quality Management, Consumer Decision-Making, and Consumer Health Improvement.

"Our Best Practices awards program is a unique celebration of the best the health care industry has to offer. These companies have made a difference in the lives of consumers by implementing leading-edge programs with results that matter," said Alan P. Spielman, president and CEO of URAC. "At a time when health care reform is in the spotlight, achievements from companies like CVS Caremark are even more important."

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its more than 6,900 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores; its Caremark Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site, at www.cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the press room section of the Company's Web site, at www.cvscaremark.com/newsroom.

Media Contacts: Steve Campanini Christine K. Cramer CVS Caremark CVS Caremark 401-770-5005 401-770-3317

SOURCE CVS Caremark

Source: PR Newswire

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