[9] Merlo and his daughter, Kristen, joined First Lady Michelle Obama as one of her special guests at the 2015 State of the Union Address on January 20.

[7] In 2016, Merlo was named University of Pittsburgh's 2016 Distinguished Alumni Fellow, which recognizes graduates with records of professional achievement and community service.

[citation needed] Several states have, in recent years, looked into the use of spread pricing and patient steering by CareMark, CVS's pharmacy benefits manager.

Their Side Effects series ran from January 2018 - April 2020 and prompted a state-sponsored study which found that PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) were charging Ohio taxpayers 3-6 times the normal rate.

The series also led to new state Medicaid rules and to proposed legislation aimed at tightening regulations on PBMs and controlling prescription drug prices.