Product Expiration Date Verification
We have a stringent expired product removal policy and train our store employees to be vigilant when it comes to product expiration dates. Our stores carry as many as 30,000 different types of products and often have well over 100,000 individual items on their shelves, and each date-coded item must be checked manually. While no labor-intensive process of this kind is immune from error, we strive to achieve 100 percent compliance with our policies. We conduct weekly and monthly internal audits of compliance with our dated merchandise policies and procedures as well as monthly third-party audits. In addition, enhanced systemic controls were put in place in 2011 to prevent distribution centers from receiving merchandise with less than the required shelf life and an automatic process was implemented to prevent merchandise with less than the required shelf life from being delivered to stores. These new system controls contributed to a reduction in date code exceptions noted during store order date code audits.
Pricing Accuracy
We make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the prices posted in our stores and provided by price scanners at our store registers are accurate. We conduct weekly and monthly inspections to help ensure that shelf labels and the price customers are charged at the register match and are accurate. If pricing discrepancies are found, an action plan is developed and implemented to correct the issue and prevent similar issues in the future.
Age Verification and Product Tracking
CVS/pharmacy has processes in place to assure that appropriate protocols are followed in sales of certain products such as alcohol, tobacco and tobacco products, pseudoephedrine (PSE), dextromethorphan (DxM), emergency contraceptives and compressed air based on age verification or other factors. In regard to products containing PSE, we have made substantial investments to improve handling and monitoring of PSE by implementing enhanced technology and making other improvements in our stores and distribution centers, including an enhanced electronic monitoring system, use of “black light” technology to identify false identification cards and installation of security cameras to record transactions at the pharmacy counter.
