WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has opened its first pharmacy-focused CVS Pharmacy location in the Boston area, a new format designed to expand access to pharmacy services and prescription care. The store is located at 32 Warren St. in Roxbury and will offer medications, immunizations and other pharmacist-provided health care services.
The Roxbury location is part of a broader initiative that will see nearly 20 pharmacy-focused stores open in selected communities across the United States in 2026. The format is intended to help address gaps in pharmacy access while providing patients with convenient access to prescription medications and pharmacist consultation.
Each location will feature a full-service pharmacy and a curated assortment of over-the-counter health products. Customers who need items not stocked in the stores can order them for free home delivery.
The pharmacy-focused stores will average about 3,000 square feet, significantly smaller than traditional CVS locations, allowing the company to concentrate on prescription services and community pharmacy care. CVS said the new format will help ensure patients have access to medications and the trusted guidance of neighborhood pharmacists.
“We are reimagining how pharmacy care is delivered by creating locations designed around the needs of the communities we serve,” said Sid Tenneti, Senior Vice President and Interim President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. “This new Roxbury pharmacy expands access to medications, immunizations and trusted pharmacist expertise, while reinforcing our commitment to helping people achieve better health in their own neighborhoods.”
The new Roxbury pharmacy also offers a safe medication disposal bin for patients wanting to safely dispose of unneeded, unwanted, or expired medications, and is also a safe needle collection site, giving community members a convenient place to safely dispose of used sharps.
Multiple pharmacy formats to meet community health needs
The new pharmacy-focused locations are just one component of the company’s work to reinvent pharmacy. By adopting a customized approach focused on the diverse needs of the communities they serve, CVS Pharmacy has worked to strategically realign its retail footprint over the last few years. The new pharmacies 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.
These smaller neighborhood pharmacies join several other formats already in place across the country. They include CVS Pharmacy’s traditional full-service front store and pharmacy locations, store-in-store pharmacies, such as those inside Target and Schnucks grocery stores, CVS Pharmacy stores that feature a MinuteClinic retail medical clinic, and side-by-side CVS Pharmacy and Oak Street Health care centers.
The company has opened pharmacy-focused locations in Birmingham, AL, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, and Washington, D.C. The company also plans to open more than 40 new CVS Pharmacy locations this year, including traditional stores and pharmacies in Target.
Importance of one-on-one interactions with pharmacists
The 2025 CVS Health® Rx Report highlighted that 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.
“Being able to speak with a pharmacist one-on-one, having questions answered and getting advice and counsel when needed is crucial to helping patients maintain and achieve their best health,” said Marco Mares, Pharmacy Manager, CVS Pharmacy. “Our new Roxbury pharmacy is excited to welcome residents, build new relationships and serve the community’s pharmacy care needs.”
Whether a patient prefers the convenience of prescription deliveryor prefers to visit their local pharmacy in-person, CVS Pharmacy is ensuring patients have multiple care options to choose from, depending on their individual needs.
