FORTUNE® Recognizes CVS Health on 2018 List of “World’s Most Admired Companies”

WOONSOCKET, R.I., January 22, 2017 /3BL Media/ - CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), the nation's largest pharmacy innovation company, today was recognized by FORTUNE® magazine as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies. CVS Health was honored as No. 39 on the corporate rankings, up six spots from the previous year and marking the fourth consecutive year on the Global Top 50 list.

FORTUNE’s Most Admired Companies lists are among the most highly respected indicators of corporate performance and reputation, and rate companies on various attributes including the ability to attract and retain talented people, quality of products and services, quality of management, innovation, social responsibility, and investment value.

"As a purpose-driven, innovative health care company, we are always seeking to do the right thing for our customers, colleagues, clients and communities,” said Larry J. Merlo, CVS Health President and CEO. “We are proud that our work and performance has once again been recognized by FORTUNE, as we continue to deliver on our purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”

Over the past year, CVS Health has taken a number of steps to strengthen the health of communities across the country, including helping to solve for the nation’s opioid crisis. In 2017, the company announced it would enhance opioid utilization management protocols, install 750 new drug disposal collection units in its retail pharmacies to collect unwanted medication and continue the Pharmacist Teach program, which brings CVS pharmacists into schools to educate students on the dangers of prescription drugs.

To address the rising costs of prescription drugs, the company began offering a less expensive epinephrine auto-injector, generic Adrenaclick, for patients with life-threatening allergies in 2017. At the same time, CVS Pharmacy removed artificial trans-fats from all store brand products and will be removing chemicals of concern from nearly 600 store brand beauty and personal care items by 2019.

CVS Health is also recognized as a leading corporate citizen across the country. In the midst of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires, CVS Health and its employees went above and beyond to ensure patients received the medications they needed, responded to the call for community help with $10 million is relief and recovery support, and assisted their own colleagues by giving to the company’s Employee Relief Fund.

Beyond disaster relief, CVS Health supports local communities in many different ways. Through corporate giving and the CVS Health Foundation, communities across the country benefited in 2017 from the more than $100 million in grants, in-kind product donations and other community investments to deliver affordable quality health care, provide chronic disease management and promote smoking cessation and youth tobacco prevention.

This recognition is the latest in a series of third-party acknowledgments for CVS Health, including DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, Points of Light’s Top 50 Community-Minded Companies, Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens, Human Rights Campaign’s Top Places to Work for LGBT Equality and the Disability Equality Index’s Top Places to Work.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.