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CVS Caremark Named Finalist in URAC Annual Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection AwardsWOONSOCKET, R.I., Nov 24, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) today announced that the company's Drug Therapy Management program was selected by URAC, a leading independent accrediting organization, as a finalist in its Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards competition. CVS Caremark and the other finalists will be honored at the URAC 2009 Best Practices Conference & Exhibit, April 1-2, 2009 in Orlando, Fla. The goal of the CVS Caremark Drug Therapy Management program is 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 invited 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 Best Practices Awards and Conference provide a unique opportunity for leaders in health care management to learn what premier companies are doing to advance consumer protection and empowerment," said Alan Spielman, URAC's president and CEO. "It is a one-of-a kind conference, designed to inspire the industry as a whole to rapidly adopt proven practices that advance patient safety and empower consumers with improved decision-making tools." "The Drug Therapy Management program provides patients with personalized support from a clinical pharmacist who tracks their pharmacy health care needs and ensures coordinated communication and care between the patient and their health care providers," said Elaine Manieri R.Ph., Vice President, Clinical Product Management, CVS Caremark. "This program is another example of how CVS Caremark applies our Proactive Pharmacy Care(TM) approach in our interactions with patients to enable them to have the information they need to make educated choices about their pharmacy health care." URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification 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 6,800 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 cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the press room section of the Company's Web site, at cvscaremark.com/newsroom. SOURCE CVS Caremark http://www.cvs.com |