BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — An Orlando man is suing CVS Pharmacy, Inc. in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, claiming a pharmacist at the chain’s Delray Beach store turned a routine prescription pickup into a public humiliation that included a false accusation of illegal drug activity. Melvin Rezende Andrade filed the nine-page verified complaint on May 20, alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and discriminatory treatment at the CVS located at 1690 S. Federal Highway.
According to the lawsuit reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com, Andrade went to the pharmacy on May 23, 2024 to pick up Modafinil, a medication he says he takes for sleep apnea and sudden sleep episodes that have previously contributed to three car crashes. He says a pharmacist identified only as “Jesse” loudly announced the price as “$1,700” in front of other customers, dismissed his attempts to explain that he routinely paid roughly $34 using GoodRx, and told him “I work here every day, don’t try to tell me the price.” When staff eventually checked the GoodRx pricing, the lawsuit says, the cost dropped substantially — consistent with what Andrade had been telling her all along.
The complaint claims things escalated from there. Andrade says when he asked for an apology, the pharmacist pushed back his pickup time, said “I don’t have to serve you with that attitude,” and at one point declared “I’m not filling your script” before taking a phone call. About 15 minutes later, the lawsuit alleges, Jesse loudly told the store that Andrade was going “pharmacy to pharmacy” and that what he and his doctor were doing was “illegal” — an accusation Andrade calls false, retaliatory and damaging, particularly because it was made in front of customers and employees and implied prescription fraud or doctor shopping. He says another CVS employee named Lauren tried to help him while a white male manager told him to quiet down or leave.
Andrade, who is representing himself, says he wrote to the CVS Privacy Office in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in July 2024 and never got a meaningful response. His complaint alleges six counts — defamation per se, negligence, public disclosure of private facts, intentional or reckless infliction of emotional distress, negligent training and supervision, and discriminatory treatment in a place of public accommodation — and seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus the right to amend for punitive damages.
CVS Pharmacy, Inc. had not filed a response as of Friday afternoon.
