Transition plan to focus on continuity of care for patients
SALT LAKE CITY, UT and WOONSOCKET, RI — Intermountain Healthcare will close 25 retail pharmacies and has entered into an agreement to transfer prescriptions and inventory to CVS Pharmacy® in Utah in August 2021. The closures will affect Intermountain retail pharmacies located in Utah with low usage by area residents. These pharmacies are different than hospital pharmacies that serve patients receiving care in a hospital. Inpatient pharmacies are not affected. Intermountain will continue to offer medication management services and medication assistance and financial support services. Intermountain will continue to operate home delivery pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, and the retail pharmacy at Primary Children’s Hospital.
CVS Pharmacy is working closely with Intermountain to ensure the transition is seamless for patients and that their access to pharmacy care is not interrupted. Pharmacy files of each location will be securely and confidentially transferred to conveniently located retail pharmacy locations. CVS Pharmacy will work with all new patients to ensure that they can continue to access their medications easily and without disruption. Patients will receive a letter explaining the pharmacy closures, prescription-transfer process, timeline, and information about who to contact with their questions.
“Every effort will be made to ensure patients and employees are well cared for during this transition,” said Nannette Berensen, vice president and COO of Intermountain Shared Clinical Services. “We’ve seen changes in consumer preference in obtaining medications in retail pharmacies that offer added convenience and expanded shopping options.”
Intermountain is committed to working with impacted employees to identify an opportunity that aligns with their needs and preferences and they will have the option to transition to other roles within Intermountain and be considered for positions at local CVS Pharmacy locations.
CVS Pharmacy is part of CVS Health® , a purpose-driven company dedicated to helping people on their path to better health. Its pharmacy care teams provide trusted advice and counsel to help patients get and stay healthy by delivering innovative health solutions that create a simpler, more accessible experience for patients, customers and caregivers.
“CVS Pharmacy knows that these locations have been providing trusted pharmacy care for the Utah Community for years and we are excited to continue that tradition,” said David Royster, Regional Director, CVS Pharmacy. “We are looking forward to introducing our industry-leading products and services to these new patients and are committed to ensuring that their pharmacy needs are not only met but exceeded.”
CVS Pharmacy offers unique clinical pharmacy services, medication adherence programs, automatic refills to help patients take their medications on time and as directed, immunizations, text alerts to inform patients when their prescriptions are ready, and digital tools to help patients manage their prescriptions.
CVS is a leader in the pandemic response, helping America on its path forward, having recently surpassed 24 million COVID-19 vaccinations given in more than 9,600 stores across 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., including nearly 30 locations across Utah. CVS is also helping America on its path forward by making COVID-19 testing broadly available, with more than 4,800 retail locations nationwide.
About CVS Pharmacy
CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health, is America's leading retail pharmacy with nearly 10,000 locations, including over 1,700 pharmacies inside of Target and Schnucks grocery stores. We are committed to delivering innovative health solutions that create a simpler, more accessible experience for patients, customers and caregivers. CVS Pharmacy is the only national pharmacy to remove tobacco products from its shelves and has taken a leadership role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by making testing and vaccinations available at locations across the United States. For the latest product and service offerings, visit www.cvs.com or download the CVS Pharmacy app.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,600 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company, and other health services in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.
Media contact
Daron Cowley
Intermountain Healthcare
daron.cowley@imail.org
Matt Blanchette
CVS Health
Matthew.blanchette@cvshealth.com