CVS Pharmacy Settlement Results in $650K Payment, Improved Oversight

Irvin Jackson

Add Your Comments

CVS has agreed to pay $650,000 and promised to improve the quality of oversight to settle claims brought by the state of New Jersey, which alleged that the pharmacy repeatedly gave patients the wrong drugs, sometimes placing them in danger. 

The allegations stem from an investigation by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, which announced the agreement in a press release on February 25.

According to a report by the agency, dozens of prescription errors were made at five CVS pharmacy locations in New Jersey, including Budd Lake, Chatham, Cherry Hill, Rahway, and Scotch Plains.

Do You Know about…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit

Do You Know About…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION

A prescription error at a Chatham CVS led to the initial investigation. According to the state’s review, the CVS pharmacy at 471 Main Street in Chatham distributed 15 prescription bottles of fluoride pills for children that also included Tamoxifen, a breast cancer drug that can cause cognitive problems and memory loss. The medication mistakes occurred between December 20, 2011 and February 20, 2012.

“The Division of Consumer Affairs launched an immediate inquiry to ascertain the facts, and potential harm to consumers, of a pill dispensing error at the CVS in Chatham – and soon learned about similar incidents at a total of five CVS pharmacies across New Jersey, all within a short span of time,” Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said in the press release. “In order to protect the public and prevent these errors from happening again, the Division pushed CVS to work with us on an effective solution.”

Other New Jersey CVS drug mix-ups included putting pills for the high blood pressure drug metoprolol into bottles with Risperdal, an antipsychotic; and giving a patient the cholesterol drug pravastatin when they were supposed to receive the diabetes drug metaformin.

In addition to agreeing to pay $650,000, CVS has promised to retrain staff at all of its New Jersey pharmacies, create new procedures for using automated filling machines to fill prescriptions and put into place other new quality assurance measures.

The company’s $650,000 will fund a public awareness campaign in New Jersey on the dangers of prescription drug abuse and the proper use of prescription drugs, and repays the state the cost of the investigation.

Written by: Irvin Jackson

Senior Legal Journalist & Contributing Editor

Irvin Jackson is a senior investigative reporter at AboutLawsuits.com with more than 30 years of experience covering mass tort litigation, environmental policy, and consumer safety. He previously served as Associate Editor at Inside the EPA and contributes original reporting on product liability lawsuits, regulatory failures, and nationwide litigation trends.

Tags: CVS, Medication Error, New Jersey, Pharmacy Error, Prescription Mistake, Risperdal, Tamoxifen

More Risperdal Lawsuit Stories

2 Comments

Chiara
What good did the 650k for oversight do when as of today there still withholding another medication and charging the insurance company for the medication and trying to substitute it with a medication that can my daughter an adverse effect and she cannot take because it interacts with the medications shes on and its deadly.YOU GAVE THEM CVS TILL JUNE 23 OF 2023 TO FIX THE PROBLEM WELL ITS LIKE YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANT AND ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM YOUR HELPING YOURSELF.I HAVE 1 DAY OR SHE TO BE HOSPITALIZED AND SUPERVISED AND YOUR PLAYING WITH PEOPLES LIVES.
chiara
My Issue is that I have been traumatized by CVS.My daughter takes 30 pills a day as is alive today because of these medications but as of lately a few months or longer they have been not able to get her meds,say they need prior authorization when done by the doctors at least three times where oops where sorry it was authorized.Then giving me labels written incorrectly,over billing medicaid by giving 2 tablets 1x a day for 30 days with only 8 tablets for 4 days with 27 refills charging 112.$ so figure it out.They dont have the medication in stock although using the same cvs for 20 years and she is on ready fill THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A PERSON AND A DISABLED PERSON LIFE IT IS LIFE OR DEATH SHE IS EPILEPTIC AND ASTHMATIC.THERE MORE TO THIS STORY.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Comments

This field is hidden when viewing the form
I authorize the above comments be posted on this page
Post Comment
Weekly Digest Opt-In

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

MORE TOP STORIES

Medtronic SCS Lawsuit Alleges Intellis LT Neurostimulator Caused Worsening Pain
An Illinois woman has joined a growing number of plaintiffs alleging that the Medtronic Intellis neurostimulator, and similar devices, may fail to relieve chronic pain and instead lead to worsening complications.
Court Outlines Plan To Prepare Suboxone Tooth Decay Lawsuits for Trial in Early 2028
Four Suboxone tooth decay lawsuits will eventually be selected and prepared for bellwether trials set to begin in March 2028, according to a court order.
Hair Relaxer Class Action Lawsuit Certification Sought For Medical Monitoring Claims
A federal judge is being asked to certify seven hair relaxer class action lawsuits seeking medical monitoring for users, following studies that link the products to an increased risk of cancer.