Carol Hively, a Walgreens spokeswoman, said the DUR screens are supposed to be used by pharmacists to enter reminders, such as when a patient prefers brand name drugs instead of generics.

'The purpose of the notes field is to help our patients by entering information related to customer service preferences or insurance,' Hively said in an e-mailed statement. 'Personal or uncomplimentary comments about a patient is a totally inappropriate use of the notes field. This should never have occurred. We take patient concerns very seriously. We have reiterated our policies with pharmacy staff and have launched an investigation into this matter.'