Man Sues CVS For Disclosing Viagra Prescription To Wife, Ruining His Marriage

A New York man filed a lawsuit against CVS pharmacy for exposing his Viagra prescription to his wife that led to his "broken marriage," reports said Monday. Michael Feinberg sued the drugstore chain for unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit obtained by the New York Post, Feinberg went to a Long Island CVS store to buy a prescription for eight 100-milligram pills of the erectile-dysfunction drug, with five refills. He told a store employee, identified in court papers as “Aurula,” that he would be paying for the medicine himself.

After explaining to the employee that the Viagra — which can cost more than $60 a pill — would not to be put through his insurance, Feinberg left.

A few days after the prescription was filled, Feinberg said, his wife called the CVS to discuss another prescription. During the call, the on-duty pharmacist began talking to her about her husband's Viagra prescription.

Feinberg said the employee “without solicitation, improperly informed [Feinberg’s] wife that [his] prescription for Viagra was not being covered by insurance,” a violation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rules, the lawsuit claimed.

The man said in the lawsuit that his wife, referred to as the "third party," had no right to know about the Viagra prescription.

Feinberg said as a result of the CVS employee’s indiscretion, his “marriage has broken down,” according to the New York Post. He accused CVS of negligence and said he suffered “genuine, severe mental injury and emotional harm.”

In a statement, CVS spokesman Gary Serby said: “CVS Pharmacy does not comment on pending claims or litigation. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that we provide medications to the correct patient. ... We also place the highest priority on protecting the privacy of those we serve, and we take our responsibility to safeguard confidential information very seriously.”

Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction or impotence in men. The most common side effects of Viagra include headaches, nasal congestion, impaired vision, photophobia (sensitivity to light), dyspepsia (indigestion). In very rare cases, the drug can lead to nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or damage to the optic nerve.