Press Release

CVS Caremark Issues Statement on Settlement Concerning Disposal of Patient Information at its Retail Stores

Woonsocket, Rhode Island, February 18, 2009:  CVS Caremark Corporation announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning disposal of patient information at its retail pharmacy stores.  The agreement resolves an investigation prompted by media reports from 2006 about alleged incidents of inadvertent disposal of patient information in dumpsters at a limited number of CVS/pharmacy locations in a manner that was inconsistent with the Company’s waste disposal procedures.     

The investigation was initiated prior to the merger between CVS and Caremark, involved CVS/pharmacy retail locations only and did not relate to the PBM business.  The Company responded to these reports by promptly enhancing its retail waste disposal policies and training programs, and instituted a chain-wide shredding program for confidential waste to further guard against inadvertent disposal of confidential information in the regular trash.   

CVS Caremark is not aware of any consumer harm arising out of, or related to, the alleged incidents.  Per the agreement with the FTC and the OCR, the Company has expressly denied engaging in any wrongful conduct and agreed to settle the matter in order to avoid the time and expense of further legal proceedings. 

CVS Caremark is committed to being an industry leader in privacy matters and places  high priority on protecting the privacy of its customers and plan participants.  The Company has comprehensive policies and procedures in place to safeguard personal and health information and follows federal and state laws in handling this sensitive data.  CVS Caremark’s settlement obligations with the FTC and the OCR reinforce existing business practices in regard to protecting patient information, employee training on privacy issues, and monitoring the effectiveness of privacy policies and procedures on a regular basis. 

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) 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 http://cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the Newsroom section of the Company's Web site, at http://cvscaremark.com/newsroom.