09.05.19
CVS Health works vigorously to expand access to high-quality,
convenient and affordable women’s health care services through our
MinuteClinic, retail pharmacies in communities nationwide and online or in the
palm of their hand. As part of our focus on transforming the consumer health
care experience, we are committed to providing women with access to the
coordinated services and care they need to manage conditions and determine what
is best for their health.
Providing
Convenient Access to High-Quality Women’s Care
Women, who are often key in maintaining healthy families, access
the health system more frequently than men, both for themselves and on behalf
of their children. In turn, this means that their own health care can take a
backseat to the needs of others.
Many women may find it difficult to receive care at a convenient
time and location. For example, a survey conducted by Morning Consult and
sponsored by CVS Health revealed that 90 percent of women consider the
convenience of location important when accessing health services, while 85
percent consider flexible and extended hours important when selecting a health
care facility.1
Our more than 1,100 MinuteClinic locations offer a full range of
essential women’s health services. These services include access to birth
control, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, treatment for yeast infections
and pregnancy, urinary tract and bladder infection testing. Additionally,
MinuteClinic providers also help women better understand their reproductive
health options and provide referrals to primary care physicians or OB/GYNs, as
needed.
CVS Health also launched a MinuteClinic University Health program, aimed at addressing the
health care gap when young adults leave home for school. Our MinuteClinic
locations in certain geographic areas near universities and campuses offer
additional services for sexual health, women’s health and well-being screenings.
Increasing
Patient Access to Birth Control
Ensuring accessible and affordable medications, including birth
control, is a priority at CVS Health. For example, CVS Pharmacy patients can
pick up prescriptions ordered through the CVS app on their phone, online, in
person at CVS retail pharmacies, or they can have their medications delivered
through our home delivery program. Additionally, CVS Caremark Members can
receive their prescriptions through our mail order pharmacy, and throughout our
network of 68,000 retail and mail order pharmacies.
We also work with public health advocates across the country to
ensure that women can be obtain a birth control prescription from their local
pharmacist. Pharmacists are currently allowed to prescribe oral birth control
medications through Prescriptive Authority and Collaborative Practice
Agreements in 13 states and the District of Columbia – covering 2,464 CVS
Pharmacy locations. And we will be able to do so in 14 more states by the end
of the year.
Affordable
Access in the Community
Through community partnerships and philanthropies, we are able to
address some of the health challenges women face locally. The CVS Health
Foundation has partnered with a variety of groups who are on the front lines of
improving access to women’s health services.
For example, we’ve established a multi-year partnership with
the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) with
grants awarded to free and charitable clinics to increase access to care,
improve health outcomes and lower overall health care costs. Today, 58 percent
of NAFC patients are women – and they rely on 1,400 clinics nationwide for
services including breast and cervical cancer screening, maternal and infant
health and much more.2 Since launching the partnership, the CVS Health
Foundation has delivered a total of more than $4.5 million in funding to free
and charitable clinics across the country.
Addressing
Women’s Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer among women
and accounts for one-third of deaths annually.3 To address the widespread impact of this
disease, we help women understand their risk for heart disease and empower them
to take the next best action for their health. Throughout February 2019, we
provided preventive heart health screenings at no cost in
which women learned their five key personal health numbers that help determine
their risk for heart disease: total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood
pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.
Additionally, our support of the American Health Association Go
Red for Women campaign, includes a new three-year, $15 million commitment to
life-saving cardiovascular research and education.
For more information about CVS Health’s efforts to improve care
across the nation, visit our News
& Insights page and the CVS
Health Impact Dashboard. To stay informed about the latest updates
and innovations from CVS Health, register
for content alerts and our Leaders in Care newsletter.
1Morning Consult poll conducted from October 25-26,
2018, among a national sample of 2,201 adults
3https://www.heart.org/-/media/data-import/downloadables/heart-disease-and-stroke-statistics-2018---at-a-glance-ucm_498848.pdf
https://www.cvshealth.com/thought-leadership/meeting-womens-health-care-needs?linkId=77329729
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