LI Resident Claims CVS Pharmacist Did Not Wear Mask

PATCHOGUE, NY — A Long Island resident claims two employees at a CVS pharmacy in Patchogue failed to comply with coronavirus guidelines by not wearing masks in the store.

Patchogue resident Dwight Lee Wolter said he went to the store at 503 East Main St. to pick up medicine prescribed by his oncologist in preparation for two surgical procedures at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.

He said he has cancer and needs to undergo multiple radiation treatments, all of which are contingent on him remaining coronavirus-free. When he went to the CVS on Monday, he said he was stunned to see that the pharmacist and a clerk restocking shelves were not wearing masks.

Wolter said he asked the clerk why she was not wearing a mask and the clerk replied that it was "too hot." Wolter said that the clerk then eventually put on a mask, but did not cover her mouth or nose. He also claimed that he asked the pharmacist the same question, but was ignored.

"Stuck there, between two mask-less employees, four feet away from the clerk and ten feet away from the pharmacist, I shouted, 'I have cancer. Look! I can’t leave this line! I am buying pre-op stuff for my first surgery,'" Wolter wrote in a Facebook post. "'You can see my RX from my oncologist. Please wear a mask! If I am Covid19-positive, they won’t treat me!'"

He said that the pharmacist told him the mask is "hot" and that she was "very busy." Wolter claims the pharmacist never put on a mask and kept filling prescriptions.

"I left the pharmacy, horrified and fearful that I had been exposed to Covid19 by a pharmacist filling my medications for cancer," he wrote. "I hope to God I am Covid19 negative when I get tested on Saturday for my Monday surgery."

Wolter also claims he spoke to the pharmacist and the store manager but received "defensive, excuse-laden comments from each of them."

In a statement, a CVS spokesperson said company policy requires all employees to wear a mask or cloth face covering while at work.

"We provide all employees with masks, or they can bring their own if they choose," the statement read. "We will follow up with the store to ensure our policy is being followed."

Another spokesperson said the company is looking into Wolter's report.

"If true, it would be disappointing to hear as it is not consistent with either our mask policy or our commitment to providing safe and courteous service to our customers," the statement continued. "We have provided masks to our employees in all our stores and they are required to wear them (or their own face covering if they prefer) while at work, and have asked our customers to do the same.

"Since the COVID-19 outbreak, we have put in place a number of policies and protocols to help ensure the safety for both employees and customers, and we will reinforce our policy at this store.”