CVS Health is the nation’s premier health innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. With more than 9,900 retail locations, 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with 94 million members, CVS Health is community-based and locally focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it.
As the need for more accessible, integrated health care continues to evolve, CVS Health has expanded its business model beyond the traditional role of pharmacy care, broadening its physical and digital touch points to meet the needs of the communities in which it operates. During the 2017 hurricane season, the deep community ties, resources, and resilience of CVS were fully demonstrated across the affected areas.
For example, before the hurricanes made landfall, CVS Health deployed backup generators to their facilities to ensure pharmacy operations could continue for patients if and when power outages occurred. The company also sent prescription refill reminder phone calls, emails, and text alerts to patients in the areas expected to be impacted by the hurricanes. These alerts helped ensure patients were proactively prepared with a sufficient supply of needed medicines in case of severe infrastructure damage and/or evacuation.
In the aftermath of the hurricanes, CVS Health deployed staff and resources to help ensure access to medicines and treatment. For example, the company deployed mobile pharmacy support to impacted areas, including one mobile unit and several ‘pop up’ pharmacies across several state shelter locations. The ‘pop up’ pharmacy model allows for a more agile approach to service impacted areas where a mobile pharmacy unit may not be available or feasible. The units operated from 8 am to 8 pm and allowed evacuees to purchase medications, receive vaccines, and refill or pick up prescriptions. Additionally, CVS Pharmacy and CVS Caremark (the retail pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management business units, respectively) activated a process allowing pharmacists to fill one-time emergency refills of a 10-day supply of prescription medicines for those impacted by the hurricanes.
CVS Health also leveraged its broad network of community partnerships and disaster relief organizations and other healthcare supply chain companies to connect patients to the medicines and treatment they often desperately needed but weren’t able to access without emergency assistance from CVS. In addition to these actions, the CVS Health Foundation provided $200,000 in cash donations and more than $90,000 in product donations to those impacted by the hurricanes.
The role of health care companies during emergencies and disasters is expanding, and therefore CVS’s capabilities and resources are too becoming increasingly important. Though public-private partnerships, engagement on forward-thinking policies and regulations, and thoughtful engagement on existing barriers and challenges, CVS Health’s commitment to helping patients during emergencies and disasters will continue to be a crucial public benefit. By September 2017, the CVS Health Foundation had donated over $525,000 collectively to hurricane relief efforts. The generosity of CVS to assist with Hurricane relief has helped communities recover and saved countless lives.
Source: Healthcare Ready interview