CVS Health announced that it is actively preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Florida and that the company’s priority is the health and safety of its colleagues, customers and members, and that it is committed to providing their communities access to the products and services they need to prepare for the storm.
Prior to Hurricane Ian, CVS Health implemented proactive measures across all of its businesses to ensure continuity of care.
CVS Pharmacy has been reaching out to patients via text, email and phone to remind them to refill and pick up their prescriptions. Stores are also receiving additional supplies of emergency items such as water, batteries, and first aid supplies.
According to a release, CVS Caremark, the company’s pharmacy benefit manager, provides one-time emergency refills of a supply of medications for 10 days for plan members in affected areas.
The company said that CVS Specialty patients who are within the area of who are taking specialty medications to discuss alternative delivery arrangements, if necessary.
Aetna’s clinical response teams have expanded their engagement with Medicare and commercial members in potentially impacted areas to ensure member safety and access to emergency services.
In addition, Aetna is liberalizing its Resources For Living (RFL) services to ensure individuals and organizations have access to care, regardless of whether it is part of their existing benefits. Services include on-the-spot mental health phone support, a dedicated crisis support website, and community resource information. People and organizations that do not have RFLs can call 1-833-155-AETNA, and who have EOLs should contact their designated EOL number.
CVS Health is reaching out to colleagues at risk from the storm to make sure they are safe and offer crisis support. Information about community resources and emotional support services is available through the company’s employee assistance program.
CVS Pharmacy stores will be complying with all local evacuation orders. If there are mandatory closures, affected stores will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. If a store is closed for more than a day, pharmacy phone lines will be redirected to a nearby open CVS pharmacy so patients can continue to access their prescriptions. Patients who have scheduled a Covid-19 or Influenza vaccine will be notified of any changes to their appointment by email or text message.
CVS Health also recommends the following tips to ensure prescription needs are met for those potentially impacted by Hurricane Ian:
– Follow local evacuation orders. Go to a safe place first and refill your medications at the nearest pharmacy. This allows you to avoid potentially long lines at your local pharmacy and you won’t have to delay your evacuation unnecessarily.
– Carry a waterproof bag with your current medication, even if the bottle is empty. Information on the prescription label will help pharmacy staff with refill requests. Heat, humidity, and sunlight can degrade the effectiveness of the medication, so try to protect it from extreme weather conditions.
– Keep a written record of your current prescriptions handy. If you’re taking multiple prescription medications, it’s especially a good idea to keep track of your current medications, dosage, and doctor’s contact information.
– CVS Health remains dedicated to supporting its local communities and is in contact with disaster relief organizations to help communities respond to and recover from the storm.
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