CVS Caremark Data Confirms Improved Outcomes for Women with Osteoporosis Who are...

CVS Caremark Data Confirms Improved Outcomes for Women with Osteoporosis Who
are Adherent to Therapy

Non-adherent women up to six times more likely to experience a fracture

WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Data released today by CVS Caremark
(NYSE: CVS) indicates that 87 percent of women 18 years and older with
osteoporosis, who were taking a drug therapy to treat the disease, did not
experience a fracture during the two-year study period. The CVS Caremark data
also found that those women with osteoporosis between the ages of 18-64 who
were not on therapy were 5.7 times more likely to experience a fracture.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/NE75914LOGO )

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), approximately eight
million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis and an additional 27.2 million
women are estimated to have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk
for developing the disease. In addition, the NOF reports that one in two
women with osteoporosis over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporosis
related fracture in their remaining lifetime. The NOF also reports that in
2005, osteoporosis-related fractures were responsible for an estimated $19
billion in costs, which is predicted to increase to $25.3 billion by 2025.

"Osteoporosis impacts millions of women in the United States and the resulting
fractures due to bone loss associated with the disease can have a significant
impact on the individual's quality of life and increase overall health care
costs for the patient and the payor," said Troyen Brennan, M.D., Chief Medical
Officer, CVS Caremark. "Our research suggests that the medications available
today to treat osteoporosis are effective in combating the disease and those
women who take and remain adherent to therapy are better able to maintain
their mobility and quality of life while avoiding costly fractures."

The study analyzed women diagnosed with osteoporosis over a two-year period.
Untreated women less than 65 years of age were 5.7 times more likely to
experience a fracture than those treated with a bisphosphonate, estrogen, or
other hormone-related osteoporosis therapy. This study evaluated aggregated
and de-identified data for almost 400,000 women from the CVS Caremark Health
Management Claims Database who had incurred claims between 01/01/07 and
12/31/08. All study participants were continuously eligible for medical and
pharmacy benefits throughout the evaluation period. This analysis is an
observational study only, and the results demonstrate a relationship between
osteoporosis, osteoporotic pharmacotherapy, and fractures; however, as in most
observational studies, the causal nature of this relationship cannot be
strictly determined.

"The National Osteoporosis Foundation emphasizes the importance of patient
adherence and persistence to a prescribed treatment regimen in order to get
the maximum benefit from a medication," said Robert Recker, M.D., president of
the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). "NOF is proud to sponsor National
Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in May as an opportunity to raise
awareness of this disease, help women understand their risk for developing
osteoporosis and provide information about the treatments available today to
help manage osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fracture."

About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The
Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through
its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the
delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely
positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes
through its more than 6,900 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores; its Caremark
Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and
specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic;
and its online pharmacy, CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is
available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site, at
www.cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the press room section of
the Company's Web site, at www.cvscaremark.com/newsroom.

Media Contact:
Steve Campanini Christine Cramer
CVS Caremark CVS Caremark
Corporate Communications Corporate Communications
(401) 770-5005 (401) 770-3317

SOURCE CVS Caremark

Steve Campanini, +1-401-770-5005, or Christine Cramer, +1-401-770-3317, both
of CVS Caremark, Corporate Communications