Complain about a product or service

Caremark RX Inc

Caremark Rx • Changing Prescriptions • Delivery Problems • Refusing to Fill Prescriptions • Shorting Prescriptions --- News • Caremark Settles Drug-Switching Charges • CVS, Caremark Rx Agree to Merge • CVS In Merger Talks With Caremark • Feds Side With Whistleblower In Caremark Case • Pharmacy Benefit Managers Scrutinized • Class Action Filed

Caremark Rx is one of the big three pharmacy benefit managers, companies that supposedly save consumers and, not least of all, their insurers big bucks on prescriptions. But these savings, if indeed they exist, all too often come out of the consumer's hide, as the complaints in this section demonstrate.

Norman of Springfield, PA April 9, 2008

Norman of Springfield PA (04/09/08)
CVS CAREMARK has processed a claim on 3/17/08 that should have been billed to Blue Cross Blue Shield and covered at 100%. Since CVS Caremark processed my claim as a prescription claim and not a medical claim I was charged over 1308.76 for a copayment. The total amount of the claim is 4310.50. A representative / manager at Caremark stated that this claim should have been denied and billed to Blue Cross and Blue Shield and covered at 100%. CVS CAREMARK admits their mistake but refuses to reverse the charge and correct the billing. I am requesting a reversal of charge for 1308.76. Caremark refuses to adjust.

Caremark charged my credit card for over 1300.00 and will not reverse the charge.

Tracy of Seymour, TN March 24, 2008

Tracy of Seymour TN (03/24/08)
I had mailed in prescription with specific instructions to fill for generic 3 month supply only as our insurance will not pay unless generic. A week later I get the brand name and was charged 100.00 instead of the 15.00 which it would have been.

I contacted customer service and they said the doctor had signed the dispense as directed. They did admit that they saw where I requested generic only but did not think they needed to contact me or the doctor to verify anything or to tell me this was not possible even though I had requested it. I asked them if I had been standing there and had requested that would they not have talked to me and said they or I need to contact the doctor to get it straight? They said it did not matter what I put in the special instructions box. I then said why does your form have that box to fill out and why did you pay attention to it last month when I wrote to put the prescription on hold? They even emailed me to say they had put it on hold so it mattered last month. Yet this month's instructions were totally ignored with no email. So beware if you deal with Caremark and have a problem, customer service could care less about the customer and will not help in anyway!

Dr. of Monroe Twp, NJ March 11, 2008

Dr. of Monroe Twp NJ (03/11/08)
I am a senior citizen and get my drugs using Medicare Part D through Caremark.com. I ordered a drug that cost 61 last year. They mailed it, and after mailing it, informed me that the cost is 213.00 because it is a Tier 3 drug. I said I would like to return it and get the cheaper drug. They refused.

No business can ship a product without informing the customer of the price. I checked on their website daily, and they did not tell me the price until after they shipped it. Please investigate this, and do what is necessary to stop this unfair business practice. Thank you very much.

Annie of Ridgeville, SC February 18, 2008

Annie of Ridgeville SC (02/18/08)
I was reading your article on Caremark and decided to voice my problem. I have been on Norvasc for 6 years and always used the RX CVS. I was told about 6 months ago that CVS was going to the Generic for Norvasc (because of the cost), so I took my prescription to Publix. On the second and third refills I had to make two trips in order to have my complete 30-day supply filled. I live 34 miles round trip to the nearest RX and gas is almost 3.00 a gallon. I then had Publix switch my refills to the RiteAide just down the street. I had the same problem there.

I spoke with my physician about the generic because last year they gave me a generic in a different prescription; and my body had a bad reaction to the generic, so my Dr. requested I stay on the brand name. I only have to pay 17.49 for the brand, and I don't understand why CareMark is trying to push everyone into the generics, especially when your body cannot tolerate them. I guess they are even making it harder for the pharmacies to obtain the brand names.

My doctor is concerned that a change from the Norvasc to the generic might affect my body like the generic of another medication did last year. It made me very ill. I was on Synthroid for about 8 years; and the CVS filled it with a generic, and my body could not handle it. Once I was put back on the Synthroid I started getting better in just a couple of days and continued to get better until I was back to where I should be.

Pamela of Tucson, AZ January 15, 2008

Pamela of Tucson AZ (01/15/08)
In mid-December, 2007, I received a notice from Caremark stating that all new prescriptions had to reach them by 11:00 am, December 28, 2007, in order to be applied to my 2007 deductible. My AT&T benefit plan describes a calendar year running January 1 through December 31. As soon as I received this notice, I notified my doctor, a specialist located 300 miles away from me. He was able to rewrite and send me a new prescription on December 20, 2007. I received it on December 26, 2007. I immediately took the new prescription over to my main post office and paid 16.75 to have them overnight express my order. The tracking information shows that my order arrived at Caremark's pick-up point at 9:39 am on December 28, 2007, which met their deadline.

However, Caremark didn't bother to have anyone pick-up my prescription until the following day. I was then informed that my order reached them too late to be applied to my 2007 deductible. Because Caremark refuses to refill my order under the 2007 calendar year, and I cannot afford to pay them 1200 for this medication, I will now have to abruptly stop taking this drug which can seriously affect my health or find someone to lend me the money. Even though I met their deadline for prescriptions, I would like to know if a company, such as Caremark, can make an arbitrary decision and change the definition of a calendar year? How can they refuse to fill prescriptions when they are actually received 3 days before December 31?

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