Only On 2: Grammy-Nominated Star Outraged When 24-Hour CVS Refuses Her Rx 'Because Of The Neighborhood'
CARSON (CBSLA.com) — An R&B celebrity says a 24-hour CVS pharmacist refused to fill her prescription for painkillers in the middle of the night "because of the neighborhood."
Kelly Price lives in Carson and is convinced the pharmacist meant the vicinity is unsafe because it's in a low-income area. She saw what happened as an attack on the community.
"I was offended for the people of this neighborhood. I was offended for anybody who lives in a neighborhood that may not be considered the upper echelon where expensive homes are, or where six- and seven-figure earners live," said the seven-time Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter.
It was 1 a.m. Tuesday and Price says she was trying to get painkillers for an upcoming dental procedure.
Price told CBS2's Jennifer Kastner she located the store manager, and after 30 minutes of arguing, he convinced the pharmacist at the CVS on 150 Carson Street to fill her prescription.
CVS corporate apologized to Price on the phone late Wednesday and issued CBS2 a statement that read, in part: "It is not the store's or the company's policy to decline to fill certain prescriptions after midnight."
Price says she shared her experience to make sure future customers aren't treated the same way: "What if it were somebody that walked in and it was a life-or--death situation, and they were denied the ability to fill a prescription just because of the location of the store."
CVS corporate says it's trying to get a hold of the pharmacist who was on-duty to learn what may have transpired and to take any necessary correction action.
