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Was CVS Pharmacy right or wrong?

Was CVS Pharmacy right or wrong?


  • Total voters
    42

I would say its a matter of principal and that CVS did the right thing. They would be setting a precedent that they do not want if they gave the woman a discount merely because she forgot to carry her own inhaler. So CVS did the right thing. If you are starving does that entitle you a discount at a grocery store or McDonalds?

That said if I was the clerk I might have helped out with a dollar if I believed the individual was suffering from a asthma attack.
 
I don't see anything wrong with what happened.

CVS is a business, not a public service. They operate on profit. And even though they offered surety, they cannot be compelled to accept it.

So boyfriend called the paramedics, a public service that doesn't worry about profit because it's paid for in tax dollars. They arrive to the scene and gave her the medication that she needed.

Everything worked out as it's supposed to.

If we're going to have a capitalistic society don't be surprised when businesses act capitalistic.

Pharmacists take an OATH that they seek to uphold - they're not just businessmen behind a counter.
I've floated money sometimes for customers - .50, .75 . . . out of a money-jar, etc. . .and that's never been for important things like medicine.

I understand that they don't want to foster an environment where people feel they can continuously take advantage of them - but in this one case their heart should have won out. You know, we're talking about the SAME line of work where people who fought for the legal right to carry or not carry certain types of birth control because of religious beliefs.

Yet it's sickening to think that 'pay it forward' went on in a restaurant for MONTHS but one ass couldn't fork out ONE DOLLAR in a pharmacy to help out? That's just foul.

On the money-jar note - many pharmacies do have measures to help when someone can't pay - so, overall, CVS hasn't evolved yet like everyone else? I find that a bit disturbing.
 
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Pharmacists take an OATH that they seek to uphold - they're not just businessmen behind a counter.
I've floated money sometimes for customers - .50, .75 . . . out of a money-jar, etc. . .and that's never been for important things like medicine.

I understand that they don't want to foster an environment where people feel they can continuously take advantage of them - but in this one case their heart should have won out. You know, we're talking about the SAME line of work where people who fought for the legal right to carry or not carry certain types of birth control because of religious beliefs.

Yet it's sickening to think that 'pay it forward' went on in a restaurant for MONTHS but one ass couldn't fork out ONE DOLLAR in a pharmacy to help out? That's just foul.

On the money-jar note - many pharmacies do have measures to help when someone can't pay - so, overall, CVS hasn't evolved yet like everyone else? I find that a bit disturbing.

I didn't know pharmacist took the Hippocratic Oath? With that in mind it would seem like there should be some legal action that could be taken against CVS. Or atleast the pharmacist should lose their license.
 
Yet it's sickening to think that 'pay it forward' went on in a restaurant for MONTHS but one ass couldn't fork out ONE DOLLAR in a pharmacy to help out? That's just foul.

So why is everybody denouncing the clerks at CVS Pharmacy for not pitching in a dollar but not denouncing the other customers in the store for not pitching in a dollar?

Let's not only boycott CVS Pharmacies but also random business consumers as well.
 
I didn't know pharmacist took the Hippocratic Oath? With that in mind it would seem like there should be some legal action that could be taken against CVS. Or atleast the pharmacist should lose their license.

I think this pretty much says it all:

Pharmacist Code of Ethics & Oath – Pharmacy Pledge & Sworn Statement | U.S. PharmD

Oath of a Pharmacist

At this time, I vow to devote my professional life to the service of all humankind through the professionof pharmacy.

I will consider the welfare of humanityand relief of human suffering my primary concerns.

I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal drug therapy outcomes for the patients I serve.

I will keep abreast of developments and maintain professional competency in my profession of pharmacy. I will maintain the highest principles of moral, ethical and legal conduct.

I will embrace and advocate change in the profession of pharmacy that improves patient care.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.
 
Why wouldn't they let the boyfriend pay the extra dollar? I'm confused...

If I were a customer there or someone who worked there, I would've paid for it for her.
 
I don't see anything wrong with what happened.

CVS is a business, not a public service. They operate on profit. And even though they offered surety, they cannot be compelled to accept it.

So boyfriend called the paramedics, a public service that doesn't worry about profit because it's paid for in tax dollars. They arrive to the scene and gave her the medication that she needed.

Everything worked out as it's supposed to.

If we're going to have a capitalistic society don't be surprised when businesses act capitalistic.
There is more to life than money
There is customer good will, and trust.
If CVS does not know this they should be denied a license to operate.
This situation must have been embarassing all around.
Two people, yet no "magic card"., no check, no loose change....
Something stinks here...CVS must be run as a tight ship???
What does CVS say about this ??
 
I didn't know pharmacist took the Hippocratic Oath? With that in mind it would seem like there should be some legal action that could be taken against CVS. Or atleast the pharmacist should lose their license.

Why should any legal action be taken? She wasn't hurt. The paramedics were called, she got the treatment she needed, and she fine now.

And if we're going to let legal action to be taken for pharmacists who don't give medicine because people can't pay a dollar for it, what's to happen when someone goes in for medicine but can't pay any of the $21 for it?

And if a pharmacist is going to be punished for violating an oath for not giving an asthma sufferer an inhaler while suffering an asthma attack, are we then going to punish cancer treatment doctors for not giving cancer patients the treatments they need because they can't afford it?
 
At my pharmacy we have a change tray that usually has around $3 in it for people who fall short of the price. CVS was wrong. Personally I would have just given them a dollar if they needed it.
 
Personally, you're allowed to do that. However, they aren't compelled to do that. So the clerks still did nothing wrong.
There is also more to life than "right or wrong".
And, where was the manager?
If he does nothing, then I would fire him, or hand him a broom.
 
Why should any legal action be taken? She wasn't hurt. The paramedics were called, she got the treatment she needed, and she fine now.

And if we're going to let legal action to be taken for pharmacists who don't give medicine because people can't pay a dollar for it, what's to happen when someone goes in for medicine but can't pay any of the $21 for it?

And if a pharmacist is going to be punished for violating an oath for not giving an asthma sufferer an inhaler while suffering an asthma attack, are we then going to punish cancer treatment doctors for not giving cancer patients the treatments they need because they can't afford it?

Legal action for violating their oath. Also, there is a major difference in not providing medicine because someone can't pay, and not providing emergency medical treatment because someone can't pay. There is a big difference between I have a sore throat, and I might die in the next 5 minutes, and how the situation should be handled.
 
So why is everybody denouncing the clerks at CVS Pharmacy for not pitching in a dollar but not denouncing the other customers in the store for not pitching in a dollar?

Let's not only boycott CVS Pharmacies but also random business consumers as well.

I didn't realize they were other customers in the store at the time. The link doesn't really specify that. If there were others there and they didn't help, they should be ashamed of themselves. But I find it hard to believe that there was no one there that would have helped them out.
 
I don't see anything wrong with what happened.

CVS is a business, not a public service. They operate on profit. And even though they offered surety, they cannot be compelled to accept it.

So boyfriend called the paramedics, a public service that doesn't worry about profit because it's paid for in tax dollars. They arrive to the scene and gave her the medication that she needed.

Everything worked out as it's supposed to.

If we're going to have a capitalistic society don't be surprised when businesses act capitalistic.

This wasn't a triumph of capitalism. If CVS loses more than $1 because of the well-deserved bad press arising from this fiasco, then the decision to rescue that $1 profit from the arms of the gasping customer was both foolish and fiscally unsound.

It was also immoral as ****, but of course that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with how we want our businesses to conduct themselves, right? :lol:
 
I think it draws the distinction between a corporation and a Mom and Pop outfit. A Mom and Pop outfit would have waived the dollar.
 
I don't see anything wrong with what happened.

CVS is a business, not a public service. They operate on profit. And even though they offered surety, they cannot be compelled to accept it.

So boyfriend called the paramedics, a public service that doesn't worry about profit because it's paid for in tax dollars. They arrive to the scene and gave her the medication that she needed.

Everything worked out as it's supposed to.

If we're going to have a capitalistic society don't be surprised when businesses act capitalistic.

An individual can still be held criminally negligent, although holding a corporation to a similar standard. Secondly you're assuming that, while the employee is a representative of his employer, that his employers would agree with his action.

Most importantly you have a funny view of capitalism, even if CVS Pharmacy and its employee could legally get away with this it makes no sense from a business mindset. Firstly, I doubt that CVS Pharmacy bought that medicine for over 20 bucks and needs 21 to make a profit. Secondly, not selling produces a huge amount of public outcry. Thirdly, and most importantly, its never good business to KILL your customer. The woman is going to need asthma medicine in the future, and if she's dead she won't be able to buy it. Not only that but I'm sure she'll like to return to the business that "understands her situation" and will bend the rules for it.
 
Was it the counter help up front they were pestering, or the pharmacists back in the pharmacy area?
That would make a difference in my opinion as to whether or not the employees did anything wrong.
 
Was it the counter help up front they were pestering, or the pharmacists back in the pharmacy area?
That would make a difference in my opinion as to whether or not the employees did anything wrong.

I would assume it was the pharmacists, because you need a prescription to get an inhaler like that.
 
I'm not qualified to judge the employee... neither are most of you.

I know that if it were 'me' behind the counter, I'd have simply given her the damned inhaler and worried about payment later. If I got fired, then so be it. My job is not worth someones life.
 
I can judge the employee because I am a tech :D He should have given it to her and explained why his drawer was $1 short, or maybe took $1 from his own money and put it in there. I'm also an asthmatic who has had severe asthma attacks. They can be fatal (and in my case I was tested and do have fatal asthma), it's important to have a rescue inhaler. Prolonging of the attack can lead to tearing of lung tissue (which is PAINFUL!!!) and lung scarring. It's against the pharmacists oath to let someone's life go in jeopardy over $1. Although to the techs defense, sometimes the corporations are extremely stiff and literally only care about profit. My pharmacy is in a grocery store, so we can't control certain things. The store cuts out hours to make more money during the busiest season of the year... Regardless, what happened at CVS was wrong.
 
I'm not qualified to judge the employee... neither are most of you.

How do you figure?

I've worked my fair share of corporate registers, and I know full well the kind of people who typically operate them.

This didn't surprise me in the least.
 
Nobody died. The paramedics were called, which is what they should have done. Things worked the way they're supposed to.

No
People should learn to care for themselves.
The paramedics cost was far greater than $20....probably $2000, and guess who pays this....
Also, there is individual responsibility, if her illness was so bad that she could die...then the emergency devices should have been with her..
Did anyone say health care reform/improvement ?
Has even the first step been taken ?
As I say, this whole thing stinks.
We need far better politicians, ones who care and are willing to work.
 
Oh, here we go -- it's not enough for the clerk to refuse her the inhaler over a single (practically worthless) dollar, now we have to deny her emergency care, too!

Yeah, let's just let her die, gasping in the street.

While we're at it, let's disband police forces nationwide. People should, after all, take responsibility for defending themselves, their loved ones and their property.

What a joke. :lol:
 
I would say its a matter of principal and that CVS did the right thing. They would be setting a precedent that they do not want if they gave the woman a discount merely because she forgot to carry her own inhaler. So CVS did the right thing. If you are starving does that entitle you a discount at a grocery store or McDonalds?

That said if I was the clerk I might have helped out with a dollar if I believed the individual was suffering from a asthma attack.
Our nation will be far better with some compassion from all.
All includes all, CVS, the manager, our government.
People can live and die, clinging on the "right thing"...
Evidently, some prefer to die.
 
If other people were in the store, what does it say about them to not come up with a dollar. Why no mention, yet CVS is being looked at by some as wrong. Technically CVS was within their rights. I would have liked to see some person step up and help.
 
If there were other people there, I'd agree, but that shouldn't alleviate CVS from the bad press it's going to have to swallow for this.
 
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