The following is the SMS message that Brian Kuch of Akron, New York, received from CVS this week: “Your Rite Aid prescriptions have been securely transferred to CVS.”
However, Kuch claimed that months ago, after Rite Aid declared it was closing dozens of locations, he moved his prescription drugs from Rite Aid to Walgreens.The business declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May.
WATCH: Rite Aid locations start to close, causing confusion about prescription transfers.
Kuch claimed that he never granted CVS permission to access his prescription records.
“It’s not against HIPAA,” Clarence Pharmacy co-owner Jon Vorreuter stated. “Even if records are sent to a store they don t want to go to, they still have the option of where they want to go.”
According to a CVS representative, they did buy prescription records from a number of Rite Aid locations in Western New York, but not from the one Kuch visited in Akron. According to the spokesman, it’s possible that Kuch previously visited a different Rite Aid, and CVS obtained records from that store.
Former Rite Aid clients are boosting business at some pharmacies, such as Vorreuter’s. He claimed that in order to keep up, he had to add a second register and hire five or six extra staff members.
Prescription drug access in the US may be made worse by the possible closure of more Rite Aid locations.
A 2024 study by Ohio State University found that pharmacy deserts existed in 46% of U.S. counties.
“Limited medication adherence is frequently linked to poor pharmacy access. According to the study, patients in socially deprived communities might not have the resources to go to several pharmacies or might not have reliable broadband internet connection to look for telepharmacy choices. Additionally, pharmacists frequently provide emergency, preventative, and diagnostic treatments. Patients living in counties with high pharmacy desert densities also have lower primary care densities, making it more difficult for them to get the primary healthcare they need.
Michael Schwartz wrote this piece for Buffalo’s Scripps News Group.
