CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic Launch Flu Shot Voucher Program for Patients in Need This Flu Season

WOONSOCKET, R.I., July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic will support people in need this flu season through a flu shot voucher program being held in August as part of CVS/pharmacy's Project Health free screening events. Qualifying patients who attend a "Flu Voucher Fridays" Project Health event, complete the screenings, and identify themselves as not having health insurance will receive a voucher redeemable for a flu shot at any CVS/pharmacy or MinuteClinic location this flu season.

The flu shot vouchers are being offered as part of National Immunization Awareness Month. CVS/pharmacy's Project Health (Proyecto Salud in Spanish) is also offering free health screening events in August. Screenings will focus on vaccination reviews, vision acuity, glucose, blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI) for individuals in multicultural communities who have difficulty accessing preventive care.  More than 200 Project Health events will take place in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

"CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic are committed to being the most convenient place to get a flu shot this season," said Papatya Tankut, Vice President, Pharmacy Professional Services at CVS/pharmacy. "Offering flu shot vouchers to patients who may have difficulty affording a flu shot is just another way that we help people on their path to better health."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over six months of age receive a seasonal flu shot every year. All CVS/pharmacy locations and all MinuteClinic sites, which are located inside select CVS/pharmacy stores, will provide flu shots every day, including evenings and weekends, with no appointment needed when influenza vaccine becomes available in August. The minimum vaccination age at CVS/pharmacy varies by state.

Project Health events will be held at designated CVS/pharmacy locations from Thursday to Saturday from 2pm to 6pm, with no appointment needed, every week in August.  Flu shot vouchers will be available during the Friday events only.  Qualifying patients must complete the required free screenings and identify themselves as having no health insurance to be eligible to receive a voucher. For a complete listing of August event dates and locations, please visit www.cvs.com/projecthealth or www.cvs.com/proyectosalud, or call 1-800-SHOP-CVS.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), is America's leading retail pharmacy with more than 7,300 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drug stores. CVS/pharmacy is reinventing pharmacy to help people on their path to better health by providing the most accessible and personalized expertise, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://info.cvscaremark.com/.

About MinuteClinic

MinuteClinic is the walk-in medical clinic inside CVS/pharmacy which is a division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. MinuteClinic launched the first retail medical clinics in the United States in 2000 and is the largest provider of retail clinics with approximately 600 locations in 25 states and the District of Columbia. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. Nationally, the company has generated more than 12 million patient visits, with a 95% customer satisfaction rating.  MinuteClinic is the first retail health care provider to receive accreditation (2006) and reaccreditation (2009) from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mike DeAngelis
CVS/pharmacy
michael.deangelis@cvscaremark.com
401-770-2645

SOURCE CVS/pharmacy