CVS Health® 2025 Rx Report highlights transformation of community pharmacy to meet patient needs

Rhea-AI Summary

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) released the 2025 Rx Report: Community Pharmacy Reimagined on Oct 14, 2025, reporting survey results from >2,200 consumers and >1,060 pharmacists and technicians about the future of community pharmacy.

Key findings: 77% of adults trust local pharmacists, 80% prefer face-to-face care, 75% of pharmacy professionals want expanded roles, and 40% of technicians aspire to become pharmacists. CVS says it opened nearly 100 new community locations in 2025 and operates >b>9,000 community health destinations while launching CostVantage™, a cost-based reimbursement framework with a planned 2026 transition for some government programs.

Positive

• Opened nearly 100 new community locations in 2025
• Operates more than 9,000 community health destinations
• 75% of retail pharmacy professionals want to expand patient care roles
• CostVantage™ cost-based pricing with 2026 government program transition

Negative

• Traditional market-basket reimbursement has challenged community pharmacies
• Scope expansion (prescribing) remains constrained by state law

Insights

Health care policy and pharmacy operations expert

CVS frames community pharmacy as a trusted, expanding care channel and pushes reimbursement and workforce changes for sustainability.

CVS highlights strong patient trust (77% trust local pharmacists; 84% view pharmacies as credible) and persistent in‑person demand (80% prefer face‑to‑face), then links those preferences to operational moves: opening nearly 100 new community locations (including >60 from Rite Aid), launching small‑format stores in underserved areas, and investing in technology such as the SmartDUR™ review and a modernized pharmacy operating system to free up pharmacist time.

The company stresses workforce and policy levers as dependencies: workforce pipelines (technician interest in becoming pharmacists rose to 40%), tuition assistance and partnerships aim to address that; and the firm supports H.R. 3164/S.2426 to protect pharmacist‑led services. It also unveils a structural change to reimbursement with CostVantage™, a cost‑based pricing framework and a plan to move several government programs to that model in 2026.

These items create clear, monitorable milestones: progress on the 2026 transition to cost‑based reimbursement, rollout pace of the ~100 new locations and small‑format stores, and any legislative movement on H.R. 3164/S.2426. Expect near‑term operational impact from store openings and tech deployments, and medium‑term policy and reimbursement effects only if the legislation advances or the 2026 CostVantage™ switch is implemented.

CVS Health/Morning Consult survey reveals patients trust and prefer local pharmacy care, want expanded services in community pharmacy

Number of pharmacy technicians who want to become pharmacists has increased significantly since 2024

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) today released the 2025 Rx Report: Community Pharmacy Reimagined, which explores how community pharmacies are adapting to meet patient demand while supporting pharmacy teams and addressing industry challenges with sustainable models of care.

"As one of the most trusted health care brands, CVS Pharmacy® is committed to delivering personalized, accessible care that meets patients where they are," said Len Shankman, Executive Vice President and President of Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. "Our latest Rx Report shows that patients want more care from their local pharmacies, and pharmacy teams are ready to provide it. By combining the power of human connection with innovative digital tools and a more sustainable reimbursement model, we're building the future of community pharmacy today."

The 2025 Rx Report is based on a CVS Health survey of more than 2,200 consumers and more than 1,060 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians¹, revealing several trends:

• Community pharmacies are convenient and accessible. Nearly eight in 10 U.S. adults report visiting a pharmacy in the past year, with 42% prioritizing personalized, convenient care.
• Trust in pharmacists remains strong. More than three-quarters (77%) of adults trust their local pharmacist, and 84% view pharmacies as credible sources of health care.
• In-person care remains essential. 80% of patients prefer face-to-face pharmacy care, and nearly half (48%) would switch pharmacies if limited to digital-only options. The overwhelming majority of pharmacy professionals (97%) also say in-person interactions remain vital.
• Pharmacy teams want to expand their roles. Seventy-five percent of retail pharmacy professionals aspire to provide more care for their patients.
• Technology can enhance care and support pharmacy teams. 65% of retail pharmacists are interested in integrating technology into their roles to enhance their day-to-day work, creating efficiencies and enabling more time for patient care.
• Future generations need support: 40% of pharmacy technicians are interested in becoming pharmacists, up significantly year over year, underscoring the need for scholarships and training programs.

"Community pharmacy teams do so much more than fill prescriptions and, as patients increasingly rely on them for local access to care, we are reimagining the role they play to have an even greater impact on public health," said Lucille Accetta, Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, CVS Health. "It's why we're continuing to develop new ways to support our colleagues, giving them more time to care for patients, advancing smart public policy that enables them to play an expanded care role and helping to champion the next generation of community pharmacists."

A community health destination

The recent CVS Health survey data indicates that patients prefer face-to-face care over digital-only options. CVS Pharmacy's approach is tech-enabled but powered by colleagues – prioritizing the long-standing trust of pharmacy teams in local communities and using technology in innovative new ways to enhance pharmacist-patient interactions.

To meet growing patient needs in local communities, CVS Pharmacy is also expanding access by opening nearly 100 new community locations this year — including more than 60 acquired from Rite Aid in the Pacific Northwest. The company is also launching new small-format stores in underserved areas, which will offer full prescription services, immunizations, refills and medication support, along with a curated selection of health essentials.

Smart technology supports pharmacy teams and patients

Survey results also highlight the importance of supporting pharmacy teams, with two-thirds of retail pharmacists saying technology integration can improve workflow and patient care. CVS Pharmacy continues to invest in innovations that support its pharmacy colleagues, including a dynamic workload-sharing model, SmartDUR™ drug utilization review system, and a modernized pharmacy operating system developed with input from colleagues themselves.

Expanding the role of community pharmacy

An expanded scope of practice – such as prescribing certain medications – is among the top changes pharmacy professionals want to see in the industry over the next several years. CVS Pharmacy has expanded the types of care and services it provides – from administering more than a dozen vaccines to testing for certain illnesses and prescribing certain therapies, where allowed by state law, and performing comprehensive medication reviews. But there is still more that both pharmacists and technicians can do to play an expanded role in public health.

It is why the company is also advocating for public policy solutions that support sustainable pharmacy care. This includes supporting the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacy Services Act of 2025 (H.R. 3164/S.2426), which would help preserve access to pharmacist-led testing and services that have become mainstays since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advancing a sustainable pharmacy model

The report underscores the need for new reimbursement models to stabilize community pharmacies, as traditional market-basket approaches have challenged community pharmacies.

CVS CostVantage™, the company's cost-based pricing framework, establishes reimbursement based on actual drug cost, a defined markup and a dispensing fee, delivering transparency for payors while ensuring fair compensation for pharmacy services. In 2026, the company plans to transition several government services programs to the cost-based pricing model.

Investing in the next generation

CVS Health is also addressing workforce sustainability with investments in tuition assistance, scholarships and partnerships with pharmacy schools. Through programs such as the PharmD Tuition Assistance Program and partnerships with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and Duquesne University, CVS Health is helping to prepare tomorrow's pharmacy leaders.

Community pharmacy is at an inflection point. To meet rising demand and market pressures, the industry must evolve by combining technology that drives convenience with the human connections patients trust most. With more than 9,000 community health destinations and a 60-year legacy of innovation, CVS Pharmacy is reimagining what local pharmacy care can be — because the future starts now.

The full 2025 Rx Report can be downloaded at CVSHealth.com/Rx-Report.

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of June 30, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members, and a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than 800,000 patients per year. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.

Media Contact
Shannon Dillon
(346) 291-7131
Shannon.Dillon@CVSHealth.com

Amy Thibault
(401) 318-2865
Amy.Thibault@CVSHealth.com 

¹ Morning Consult Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online by Morning Consult between June 2 – June 25, 2025, among a sample of more than 1,060 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and 2,200 general consumers in the United States. The data from the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians were left unweighted, while the data from general consumers were weighted to approximate a target sample of U.S. adults based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, and educational attainment.

 

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SOURCE CVS Health

FAQ

What did CVS announce in the 2025 Rx Report on Oct 14, 2025 (CVS)?

CVS released survey findings showing patient trust in local pharmacists, demand for in-person care, workforce interest in expanded roles, and company actions like nearly 100 new locations and CostVantage™.

How many pharmacies does CVS say it operates and how many new locations in 2025 (CVS)?

CVS reports operating more than 9,000 community health destinations and opening nearly 100 new community locations in 2025.

What is CostVantage and when will CVS transition government programs to it (CVS)?

CostVantage is CVS's cost-based pricing framework that bases reimbursement on actual cost, markup and dispensing fee; CVS plans to transition several government programs to it in 2026.

What workforce trends did the CVS 2025 Rx Report highlight (CVS)?

The report found 75% of retail pharmacy professionals want to provide more care and 40% of pharmacy technicians are interested in becoming pharmacists.

Does the 2025 Rx Report say patients prefer in-person pharmacy care (CVS)?

Yes; the report states 80% of patients prefer face-to-face pharmacy care and 48% would switch if limited to digital-only options.