CVS/pharmacy promotes awareness of heart disease for American Heart Health Month

WOONSOCKET, R.I. In recognition of American Heart Health Month, CVS/pharmacy will be educating patients about heart health and preventing heart disease, as well as offering money-saving specials on many heart health-related products in February.

"The term 'heart disease' covers a long list of conditions related to the function of the heart, so it is important for patients to educate themselves on heart disease prevention and treatment," stated Troyen Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., EPV and CMO for CVS Caremark. "We encourage our patients to speak to their pharmacist about medication therapies, prescription or over-the-counter, that they are taking related to their heart health, and to visit one of our in-store MinuteClinic locations for a health screening." 

In collaboration with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, CVS/pharmacy has created a free educational resource booklet. The booklet, titled "Your Smart Guide to a Healthy Heart," is available at all CVS stores nationwide. In addition to information on heart disease symptoms, risk factors and healthy lifestyle tips, the booklet features money-saving offers through the CVS ExtraCare loyalty card program on OTC medications, healthy food items and diabetes monitoring products. 

In addition to these resources, CVS pharmacists are available to counsel patients. There are also about 500 CVS stores that have MinuteClinic retail-based health care clinics where nurse practitioners are available to check patients' blood pressure and cholesterol levels.