CVS Health
Problem: 80M Caremark members struggled to find clear drug pricing. I led the redesign of Check Drug Cost & Coverage, reducing pharmacy support calls by 6.82%.
Redesigned Caremark's Drug Cost & Coverage experience for 80M members, reducing call center inquiries by 6.82% through improved accessibility and usability.
Senior Experience Designer
Apr 2021 – Oct 2023
iOS, Android, Web
Product Managers, Engineers, Accessibility Team, Legal Advisors, Writers
- •6.82% reduction in call center inquiries, generating significant cost savings for a large-scale, multi-billion-dollar support operation
- •80 million members served across iOS, Android, and web platforms
- •WCAG AA compliance achieved by improving accessibility within a complex legacy codebase
- •Approval to replace the legacy database, driven by UX research and measurable reductions in support volume
Introduction
The 'Check Drug Cost & Coverage' feature is the most critical tool on the CVS Caremark platform, serving 80 million members. It's the number one reason users download the app or visit the website, enabling them to find medication pricing and coverage details. Despite its importance, the feature was hindered by outdated technology, usability issues, and legal constraints.
The Challenge
Users faced significant difficulty navigating the search feature, encountering duplicate entries for the same medication due to varying strengths. A decade-old database caused irrelevant search results and slow performance. Compliance with WCAG AA standards and strict legal guidelines added layers of complexity.
My Role
I owned the full design lifecycle for this project, from research through implementation. The work was done within a legacy codebase with significant technical constraints, so I partnered closely with engineering to deliver progressive, high-impact UX improvements that were achievable within those limitations. Through incremental design changes focused on clarity and accessibility, we reduced call center volume meaningfully. The proven impact of this work helped secure stakeholder buy-in and funding to modernize the backend and replace an outdated database.
Figma, Adobe Analytics, Miro, Rally, Adobe Creative Suite
User Research
Conducted user interviews and surveys with clinical staff and patients, created service blueprints and journey maps for the Check Drug Cost feature, leveraged Adobe Analytics to identify drop-off points, ran A/B tests, and partnered with the accessibility team to ensure WCAG AA compliance.
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Duplicate medication entries by strength/form caused the most search confusion
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Long medication names broke layouts and reduced scanability on mobile
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Members called support when coverage or refill status was unclear—not just pricing
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Analytics showed drop-off at ambiguous search results, validating IA changes
Design Artifacts
Sketches, wireframes, and research artifacts that shaped the solution.
Caremark member persona highlighting search and support pain points
Initial wireframes for separated drug name, strength, and form search
What I Designed
Figma, Adobe Analytics, Miro, Rally, Adobe Creative Suite
Key Solutions
- 01
Separated drug name, strength, and form into individual search fields, reducing errors and improving clarity
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Designed solutions for long medication names with responsive line breaks
- 03
Created error states for uncovered medications or unavailable refills
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Implemented design tokens for scalability across thousands of corporate clients
- 05
Introduced a structured layout distinguishing between generic, branded, and alternative medications
Results
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6.82% reduction in call center inquiries, delivering substantial cost savings for multi-billion-dollar operations
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WCAG AA compliance expanded usability for users with disabilities
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Faster database performance benefiting multiple departments
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Enhanced usability for 80 million members including those with disabilities or chronic illnesses
Learnings
The 6.82% reduction validated that search ambiguity and performance issues were major drivers of call center volume. The results prompted deeper analysis and helped secure stakeholder investment to modernize the backend code and database.