CVS Health plans to open 20 pharmacy-only locations in 2026 as part of its healthcare-focused strategy.
The company plans to expand pharmacy-only locations in areas across the country, increasing access to vital pharmacy care, CVS said. The store footprints average around 3,000 square feet, about half the size of traditional locations. Each site will feature a full-service pharmacy with a customized selection of over-the-counter products available for purchase.
The opening of smaller-format stores is part of CVS Health's expansion plans to open 60 stores this year, including traditional stores, locations within Target stores and pharmacy-only sites, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Pharmacists are among the most accessible and most trusted health care providers,” said Len Shankman, Executive Vice President and President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health, in a statement. “We know how important it is for patients to be able to speak one-on-one with their pharmacist, have their questions answered and seek medication advice when needed. Our new, pharmacy-only locations allow our pharmacy teams to continue to build relationships with patients – their friends and neighbors – and provide on the ground pharmacy care in communities that need us.”
The smaller-format stores are part of CVS' strategy to reinvent its pharmacy business. The company has been working to strategically realign its retail footprint over the last few years. The new pharmacy-only sites, opening in select communities, will help the company better support its patients in those communities, ensuring its footprint is the right size and scale, and addressing shifts in the pharmacy industry, executives said.
The company opened its first pharmacy-only location in Birmingham, Alabama late last year followed by Chicago's West End and other locations are planned for several other communities in 2026, including Houston, Texas, Roxbury, Massachusetts, Detroit, Michigan and Brooklyn, New York. The company also plans to open more than 40 new CVS Pharmacy locations, including traditional stores and pharmacies in Target.