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Jackie of Plymouth MA (9/13/04):
In January 2004 we purchased a drug called cyprofloxacin 500mg, quantity 14. It is a very popular antibiotic, we were told by our oncologist. We purchased it at CVS in Manomet. We paid $86.93. In August, 2004 we filled a prescription for the same drug except it was for a quantity of 10. Same 500MG.

This time we went to Wal-mart because we now have a discount card from The American Legion. It does not discount all drugs, so we had to wait untilit was rung in at the register to know if we did qualify for the discount. In the meantime, the clerk quoted us a price of 18.54, when she rang the sale on her machine we were entitled to the discount. It came to $7.00 -- quite a difference, don't you think?

We went back to CVS with both sales receipts and asked HOW COME? Oh, they said, we will investigate. The answer we got days later was, Sorry, that's the way it is.

Bobbi of Shelton CT (5/19/04):
I went in to pick up 4 generic amoxil capsules which I need as premedication for dental procedures. I was charged $9.99. I asked the cashier why the prescription was so expensive considering the fact that I only received 4 capsules. She said I needed to speak to the pharmacist. That was when I was told that CVS is allowed to charge a minimum of $9.99 for any prescription. I asked if the charge would be less if it wasn't processed throught my insurance and I was told $9.99 is the lowest I will pay for any prescription there regardless of the cost of the drug.

This must be a new policy because I know that I have paid less for prescriptions than $9.99. Generic amoxil is probably one of the cheapest antibiotics out there - why am I paying $2.50 per capsule? I had a dentist appointment and did not have the luxury of taking my script back and find another pharmacy who charges actual cost. I think they should have told me before the script was filled.

I just happened to notice this time because I only received 4 pills. I wonder how many other prescriptions I have had filled where I was charged more than cost. This time the economic damage was probably only $8.00 or so but how long has this been going on without my knowledge. I wonder if I have been charged on other prescriptions more than necessary.

Julie of Takoma Park, MD (7/23/02):
Got an Rx filled and was charged $41.00 for a product I have NEVER paid more than $18.00 for. Next time, I had the SAME Rx transferred to a mom & pop Rexall Drug in Vienna, VA and was charged only $15.55 for the SAME EXACT Rx. This is unforgivable. What recourse do those us us who are uninsured and/or elderly do about this price gouging?

It is devestating to realize that, yet again, big companies can pull one over on the general public. It is causing severe anxiety in my life that is intolerable. What can we do?

Carmen of Detroit (1/23/02):
I purchased a product at CVS for $1.99. The product was on sale for $.99. I was overcharged due to a scanning error. When I returned the product and explained that I was overcharged, the store manager said she would only give me one dollar back. I explained that the law states that I am to receive 10 times the amount that I was over charged up to $5.00. She said this law did not apply to me situation. I believe this is incorrect.

I spoke to another manager the next day he gave me a hard time and agreed with the other manager. In a similar situation at another large store dealing with sale items and I received 10x cash back and filled out special forms.

Jon of Oakton VA (10/01/00):
My mother has high blood pressure and is on medication for this condition. She has a blood pressure monitor to periodically check on her blood pressure. She has had the same monitor for a few years now, and a more advanced, up-to-date model went on sale at the local CVS pharmacy this week. My father went to the store the first day of the sale to buy the monitor.

He returned home and showed us the receipt for the monitor which should have been $59.99 (as advertised). However, the store charged us over $90 for this item. I went back to the store to straighten out the problem. After a long wait at the counter, I received slow and apathetic service from an untrained 20-year-old. He insisted the monitor I was talking about was a different model from what was advertised in the brochure.

Once he finally realized that the monitors in the brochure and in my hands were indeed one and the same, he refunded the money and sent me to the front register to re-purchase the instrument. Why he couldn't simply refund the difference, I don't know - he insisted he must give me a full refund and that I had to pay for the monitor up front. This would not have been a problem had the front cashier been informed of what was going on. I went through the exact same procedure at the front counter; the same inexperienced 20-year-old came to fool with the register, and as it turns out, the correct price had never been entered into the main computer. Therefore, anyone else who tried to purchase the sale monitor would have paid over $40 more than they were supposed to.

I wasted an hour at the store trying to get this straightened out. Moreover, other customers and I were being cheated out of money. I received no apology from the store, nor did they seem to be aware that this is a problem! It certainly doesn't make me want to go back to CVS when they can't enter a featured sale price into their main computer. I would be more understanding if this were my first bad experience with CVS, but it isn't. I have had countless problems at the store, especially with the pharmacy department. I am fed up and vow to use their facility as seldom as possible from now on.

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