CVS Caremark Receives NCQA Certification For Utilization Management

Woonsocket, RI /PRNewswire/ - CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) announced today that it was certified by NCQA in Utilization Management. NCQA Utilization Management Certification focuses on consumer protection and improvement in service to customers. Standards recognize that organizations that apply for certification have open access networks, and can improve service quality and utilize customized structures to meet purchasers' needs.

"CVS Caremark is pleased to receive this certification from NCQA," said Troyen Brennan, Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark. "This provides further validation of the company's focus on providing high quality utilization management services that help our clients manage costs while also ensuring positive health outcomes for their members."

The CVS Caremark Utilization Management Program is designed to encourage the appropriate and effective use of medications, identify optimal drug use, and promote cost-effective drug benefit plan designs for our clients. The program is based on evidence-based drug information, published guidelines and consensus statements, and standards of medical practice.

"Achieving Utilization Management certification from NCQA demonstrates that CVS Caremark has the systems, processes and personnel in place to conduct utilization management in accordance with the strictest quality standards," said Margaret E. O'Kane, President, NCQA.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company's more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 64 million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 800 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications. Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.