Man tries to stop CVS automated pharmacy prescription calls

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Jerry Martin just wanted the calls to stop.

The 70-year-old from Cypress tried to get CVS to stop calling him every month to remind him to refill his prescription.

Martin told ABC13 Investigates that he takes six pills a day.

Martin even showed us the boxes he uses to keep track of them all, "This is how I keep track of my meds, when these get empty I know I need a refill."

Martin told ABC13 Investigates' Ted Oberg that he didn't need the reminders.

"They call four to five times (every month). We started hanging up on them, they called right back," Martin said.

To Martin, keeping track of his meds is part of living independently and that's what he wanted to do, since Martin is spry at 70.

He exercises, keeps up a busy schedule and even bragged about making his own recent roofing repairs.

He just wanted us to tell CVS, "Stop calling senior citizens and treating us like we're dumb and can't handle our own business."

Martin says he asked the pharmacy and they told him to call an 800 number on a card but the card they gave him didn't have a number on it.

He enlisted help from his insurance company and finally, Martin reached out to us.

But it's not just Jerry Martin.

A check of Better Business Bureau records shows other consumers had similar problems - and few got answers at their local pharmacy. We got in touch with CVS' corporate offices in Rhode Island and got Jerry removed from their call list.

Recently Martin says the calls have stopped.

CVS explains the permission from the calls is part of an opt-in when you first shop at a CVS Pharmacy.

If you want to stop the calls, CVS says call them 1-800-SHOP-CVS.

If you have something you need our help with - tell Ted here: abc13.com/oberginvestigates.