CVS Health has opened its first CVS Pharmacy store in Houston. It features a smaller-format store design to address local healthcare needs. The Houston store is part of CVS Health’s plan to open nearly 20 pharmacy-focused locations nationwide.
CVS Health Introduces a Pharmacy-Focused Location
Located at 8503A Gulf Freeway in south Houston, the new pharmacy-focused CVS Pharmacy offers prescription medications, immunizations, pharmacist consultations, and a select range of over-the-counter products.
Pharmacy-driven locations average 3,000 sq. ft., with greater focus on medication guidance and counseling, as well as pharmacist support. The new format is part of CVS Health’s ongoing efforts to improve its retail footprint.
The company is improving access to pharmacy services in communities where demand continues to evolve. The company has announced plans to open almost 20 new stores with a pharmacy focus across the country.
Houston joins Birmingham, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. as cities with a pharmacy-focused CVS location. CVS plans to open two more pharmacy-only stores in the greater Houston area within the next year.
Sid Tenneti, Senior Vice President and Interim President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health, shared his thoughts on the new format. He said, “Our new pharmacy-focused locations improve how we engage with communities by expanding access to trusted care, clinical expertise, and personalized support. We help people get the guidance, medications, and pharmacy care services they need where, when, and how they need it most.”
Expanding Access to Pharmacy Care
The new format comes as CVS Health recognizes the need for a personal connection to pharmacy services. In its CVS Health Rx Report 2025, the company found that 80% of patients prefer face-to-face interactions with pharmacists. Meanwhile, 48% said they would consider using a pharmacy that offered only digital services.
The report also found that 97% of pharmacy professionals believe in-person communication remains essential.
The combination of in-store care and digital services is designed to give patients more options based on their healthcare needs, said Thanh Hoang, Pharmacy Manager, CVS Pharmacy. “Our pharmacists live and work within the communities they serve, and because real connections are created through meaningful interactions, patients and customers trust their local pharmacy teams.”
The new neighborhood pharmacy joins several CVS Pharmacy formats already operating across the country. These include traditional CVS Pharmacy stores, pharmacies inside Target and Schnucks grocery stores.
The company also runs locations with MinuteClinic medical clinics. Some sites pair CVS Pharmacy with Oak Street Health centers. Many Oak Street Health centers serve communities with a high percentage of Medicaid-eligible patients.
