CVS promotes heart health

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark is marking American Heart Month by encouraging heart-healthy behavior in February, the company said Tuesday.

Throughout the month, CVS/pharmacy will offer savings and offers on heart-healthy products like aspirin, vitamins and blood pressure monitors, and many stores will have a "Heart Health Center" display to make such products easier for customers to find. In addition, the retailer's ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes program is offering members special deals on CVS' private-label aspirin and Nature Made full-strength mini vitamins.

"Knowing your cholesterol and blood pressure levels and understanding the impact that certain factors such as smoking and obesity have on your likelihood to develop heart disease can be life-saving information," CVS Caremark EVP and chief medical officer Troyen Brennan said. "The more educated a patient is about his or her own risk factors, the more he or she will be able to work with a physician or pharmacist around intervention strategies that can further reduce the harmful onset of heart disease."

Minute Clinic locations have nurse practitioners and physician assistants and offer services like high blood pressure evaluations and high cholesterol monitoring. The company also highlighted its services designed to improve medication adherence, such as Pharmacy Advisor, as well as services like Maintenance Choice for PBM patients.