CVS going "smoke free" - no longer selling cigarettes

[lmh2402]

how awesome is that?! i mean, I know it won't make a dent and that people can/will just buy elsewhere. but i still think it's great

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/health/cvs-cigarettes/

[essnce629]

I think it's great! I hope other pharmacies follow suit.

[pinkmomagain]

Amazing and makes perfect sense for a company that is supposed to be supporting health.

[ourbabygirl]

Like, like, like! :)

[barkley1]

Awesome. But I hope it doesn't drive them out of business. The CEO said they will lose 2 billion dollars from it. In my area, it already seems as though Walgreens is taking over their business. I still shop at cvs, though, and will definitely continue in light if this!

[zukeypur]

I think this is fantastic and I hope all of the other pharmacies follow. Yesterday was a rough day for me. Another poster posted a thread about smoking yesterday (forgive me for forgetting who right now). I boohoo'd all day remembering my Gran who died of lung cancer, my Papa who smoked and then lived with her second hand smoke after he quit, and my ore grandpa who died a sloooow painful death of emphysema. Then I logged onto Facebook yesterday and saw a family member post that it was the 7th year anniversary of Gran's death. It was a rough day full of cigarette hate, and this made today much, much better.

[Momit]

I also applaud their decision but wonder if they will continue to survive because of it. We have Walgreen's on every corner but I will seek out CVS now to give them my business.

[o_mom]

I think this may be the thing that gets me to transfer my Rx to CVS.

[essnce629]

I also applaud their decision but wonder if they will continue to survive because of it. We have Walgreen's on every corner but I will seek out CVS now to give them my business.

Maybe it depends on the area? I have a CVS on every corner and they just built another one nearby. I can only think of one Walgreen's in the area and it's further than all the CVS stores so I never go to it.

[BabyBearsMom]

It is a lot of revenue right now but it is a rapidly shrinking revenue stream. The pharmacy industry is actually quite interesting right now from a financial perspective as the primary source of revenue growth have been from minute clinics and the like. I think cvs sees a dying stream of revenue and a growing stream of revenue and they realize that the dying stream is hindering their credibility with the growing stream so they are being proactive. Good for them but I don't see this as an altruistic move (they never are in business)

[lmh2402]

It is a lot of revenue right now but it is a rapidly shrinking revenue stream. The pharmacy industry is actually quite interesting right now from a financial perspective as the primary source of revenue growth have been from minute clinics and the like. I think cvs sees a dying stream of revenue and a growing stream of revenue and they realize that the dying stream is hindering their credibility with the growing stream so they are being proactive. Good for them but I don't see this as an altruistic move (they never are in business)

i absolutely don't think it's altruistic. but i love it nonetheless! i abhor smoking on every level and would LOVE to see it abolished, if that were ever possible ;)

[wendibird22]

The two rural towns I live and work in and there's only 1 CVS between them and no other pharmacy stores. I applaud the ballsy move. I only hope they stick with it and don't retract a year or more down the road.

[AnnieW625]

I heard that this AM too. There seem to be building a lot of CVS stores near me, plus CVS took over all of the Longs Drugs here too when they bought them out a few years ago and I grew up with Longs and to this day still can't get used to the set up of CVS (although it feels way more natural on the East Coast in a 100 yr. old building). That was around the same time that CVS was allowing pharmacists not to dispense birth control due to a morality clause, and since I no longer had RXs at Longs I stopped shopping there for a time. We have a Walgreens on the street we live off at the big intersection near us and a CVS at the next big intersection over. Walgreens is slightly more convenient for us as well for quick ins n out.


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[blisstwins]

I don't care if it is altruistic or not...I assume not. I am nevertheless thrilled and will shop with them because of it and I have A LOT of choices within blocks.

[maybeebaby08]

Local towns have started passing laws if you have a pharmacy you can't sell cigarettes. I think it's a great move for CVS but more a proactive one of what's to come then an altruistic move. They want to do it first so they can say they were first.


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[s7714]

Wow, I'm a little torn. Ordinarily I'd say I'd run out and use CVS over others because of this, but I've had so many problems with the two CVS pharmacies I've used I'm in the process of moving prescriptions to Walgreens or mail order just to avoid going there!

[Mopey]

I think this is fantastic and I hope all of the other pharmacies follow. Yesterday was a rough day for me. Another poster posted a thread about smoking yesterday (forgive me for forgetting who right now). I boohoo'd all day remembering my Gran who died of lung cancer, my Papa who smoked and then lived with her second hand smoke after he quit, and my ore grandpa who died a sloooow painful death of emphysema. Then I logged onto Facebook yesterday and saw a family member post that it was the 7th year anniversary of Gran's death. It was a rough day full of cigarette hate, and this made today much, much better.

That was me - sorry to send you over the edge :(

And yes - this is fabulous fabulous fabulous! They'll be getting lots of my business!

[ett]

50 communities in MA including Boston have already banned the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.

[elephantmeg]

I love it!

[mommylamb]

Did you all see this? http://freakoutnation.com/2014/02/05/fox-freaks-out-over-cvs-ending-sales-of-tobacco-people-have-a-right-to-buy-cigarettes/
Sorry, but I just can't help but laugh at this woman who says the most idiotic things over and over again. Really, you think it might not be legal for CVS to stop selling cigarettes? What about private industry and private decision making don't you understand?

[ladysoapmaker]

NPR had an interesting article this morning on this topic. It turns out that CVS is moving their business model more to the healthcare providing. Many CVS stores have mini clinics in them with Nurses and Physician assistants. With the new healthcare law and more access to insurance they want to provide access to healthcare to people who normally wouldn't have a regular doctor. So they decided to eliminate tobacco products from their inventory.

I think it's a gutsy move that may work for them in the long run. My issue is the one CVS walking distance from my house has horrible customer service at the pharmacy. I've gone in their to pick up prescriptions and I've waited 45 minutes to an hour to get it filled. I've dropped off prescriptions and came back the next day and it's still not filled. The other 2 CVS stores I've used (I do love the 24 hour pharmacy) have been great.

Jen

[HipMama]

Good. I hate cigarettes

[MamaMolly]

I think this is fantastic and I hope all of the other pharmacies follow. Yesterday was a rough day for me. Another poster posted a thread about smoking yesterday (forgive me for forgetting who right now). I boohoo'd all day remembering my Gran who died of lung cancer, my Papa who smoked and then lived with her second hand smoke after he quit, and my ore grandpa who died a sloooow painful death of emphysema. Then I logged onto Facebook yesterday and saw a family member post that it was the 7th year anniversary of Gran's death. It was a rough day full of cigarette hate, and this made today much, much better.

Hugs! I was riding on the cigarette hate bandwagon, and I admit it is a hot button issue for me. it makes me so angry! I'm sorry that it was a rough day for you.

[Philly Mom]

I think this is fantastic and I hope all of the other pharmacies follow. Yesterday was a rough day for me. Another poster posted a thread about smoking yesterday (forgive me for forgetting who right now). I boohoo'd all day remembering my Gran who died of lung cancer, my Papa who smoked and then lived with her second hand smoke after he quit, and my ore grandpa who died a sloooow painful death of emphysema. Then I logged onto Facebook yesterday and saw a family member post that it was the 7th year anniversary of Gran's death. It was a rough day full of cigarette hate, and this made today much, much better.

I think what cvs is doing is great. I hope others copy. I also have a grandmother who smoked herself to death. As kids, when she came to visit, my brothers and I would leave signs around our house that said, "if you smoke, you will croak." It didn't get her to stop. She didn't stop until she had dementia caused by lots of mini strokes caused by her smoking. She was unable to buy cigarettes because she couldn't leave her apartment independently. She was a beautiful woman and smoking killed her 20 years younger than she should have.


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[NJ_Mom2011]

My issue is the one CVS walking distance from my house has horrible customer service at the pharmacy. I've gone in their to pick up prescriptions and I've waited 45 minutes to an hour to get it filled. I've dropped off prescriptions and came back the next day and it's still not filled. The other 2 CVS stores I've used (I do love the 24 hour pharmacy) have been great.


I think that another poster had the same issue. Add me on the discontent list. My CVS is very, very popular, and takes forever to fulfill a prescription during the daytime. I have been going to Costco, supermarket pharmacies, or mail-order for prescriptions. These alternative pharmacies have also lower co-pays for me (I am often responsible for 50 % of the prescription cost).

But if I can throw them some future business, I will. Customer Value Service love all the way!

[doberbrat]

I'll be the standalone that says I kind of have a problem with this. I smoked for about a year or so my SR year of college not heavily, but I did.

My problem is that smoking is legal. Dumb as it may be to do, people do have the right do do stupid things to themselves. Even things that will/could eventually kill you. (like alcohol)

It does make sense that drug stores are there to promote health and that cigarettes not be sold there. But, then alcohol shouldnt be either and in some parts of the country, you can buy wine/beer in drugstores. And, of course, Soda and candy arent healthy either, so maybe they shouldnt sell those either.

CVS is also the company that tried to demand that people show id to buy acetone on the grounds that acetone is an ingredient to making meth. Public outcry had them backing off that one pretty quick! But to me, it smacks just a tad of 'big brother' controlling what we buy/consume do etc.

[BabyBearsMom]

I'll be the standalone that says I kind of have a problem with this. I smoked for about a year or so my SR year of college not heavily, but I did.

My problem is that smoking is legal. Dumb as it may be to do, people do have the right do do stupid things to themselves. Even things that will/could eventually kill you. (like alcohol)

It does make sense that drug stores are there to promote health and that cigarettes not be sold there. But, then alcohol shouldnt be either and in some parts of the country, you can buy wine/beer in drugstores. And, of course, Soda and candy arent healthy either, so maybe they shouldnt sell those either.

CVS is also the company that tried to demand that people show id to buy acetone on the grounds that acetone is an ingredient to making meth. Public outcry had them backing off that one pretty quick! But to me, it smacks just a tad of 'big brother' controlling what we buy/consume do etc.

They aren't preventing you from purchasing it, they just aren't selling it. They also don't sell ponies. It doesn't mean that big brother is trying to keep people from buying ponies.

[lmh2402]

I'll be the standalone that says I kind of have a problem with this. I smoked for about a year or so my SR year of college not heavily, but I did.

My problem is that smoking is legal. Dumb as it may be to do, people do have the right do do stupid things to themselves. Even things that will/could eventually kill you. (like alcohol)

It does make sense that drug stores are there to promote health and that cigarettes not be sold there. But, then alcohol shouldnt be either and in some parts of the country, you can buy wine/beer in drugstores. And, of course, Soda and candy arent healthy either, so maybe they shouldnt sell those either.

CVS is also the company that tried to demand that people show id to buy acetone on the grounds that acetone is an ingredient to making meth. Public outcry had them backing off that one pretty quick! But to me, it smacks just a tad of 'big brother' controlling what we buy/consume do etc.

well, just because it's legal doesn't mean that a store (any store) should be compelled to sell it/be "complicit" in the exceedingly-well-document/scientifically-proven poor decision (IMO) to use the product. i totally agree that soda and candy are also bad for your health, but (again, IMO) it's to a very different degree.

[doberbrat]

well, just because it's legal doesn't mean that a store (any store) should be compelled to sell it/be "complicit" in the exceedingly-well-document/scientifically-proven poor decision (IMO) to use the product. i totally agree that soda and candy are also bad for your health, but (again, IMO) it's to a very different degree.

Totally agree that a store should NOT be compelled to sell anything. and if I didnt know about their trying to be controlling about acetone, I'd probably be much more excited about it.

[BabyBearsMom]

Totally agree that a store should NOT be compelled to sell anything. and if I didnt know about their trying to be controlling about acetone, I'd probably be much more excited about it.

I thought that the controls they did on acetone wasn't so much due to them trying to stop people from making meth as it was to protect their employees and other customers from criminals who were robbing the stores of meth ingredients with weapons? I believe this was around the same time that the government put limitations on pseudo-ephedrine and prior to that drug stores were being held up at gun point, pharmacists were getting shot, customers were being injured. I don't think CVS is some controlling big brother, they are a business making business decisions "employees shot is bad for business, scared customers are bad for business therefore meth ingredients freely available are bad for business." I think we are all giving them a little too much credit about caring about peoples' health. They have stockholders and stockholders want profits.

And honestly, I'm pro-legalization of marijuana, but I don't support anyone's right to make meth. That is dangerous stuff.

[MontrealMum]

I think it's a great move!

Pharmacies in my province have been prohibited from selling tobacco products for nearly 20 years now. There was a lot of outcry at the time, but you don't hear much about it now. Mind you, this was a top down ban, so no one chain/store was going out on a limb the way CVS seems to be doing here.