Reimagining Pharmacy: A Call to Action for Pharmacy Professionals

As CVS Health’s Chief Pharmacy Officer, I have the privilege of spending time in our pharmacies nationwide. The direct engagement I’ve had with our pharmacy colleagues throughout the company has been inspiring. I’ve seen firsthand the difference they make for patients and communities across the country every single day. Recently, I spent a day with Edwin, a pharmacy manager at CVS Pharmacy, who shared meaningful stories about the many ways he and his colleagues care for patients in their Alabama community. He told me about the patients who make it a point to go into the pharmacy on the days they see his car in the parking lot because of the trusted relationship they’ve built with him.

It's the kind of impact only a pharmacist can have.

Despite the reported erosion of public trust in the US health care system, trust in pharmacists remains high.¹ Pharmacists like Edwin are a testament to the critical role pharmacy plays in public health. Because they are local, in communities across the country, they nurture deeply rooted (and often longstanding) relationships with their patients. And because many pharmacists live in the same communities in which they work, they are personally committed to providing compassionate, high-quality pharmacy care that can only be delivered in person.

From my many conversations with our pharmacists, I know there is more they and their teams can do to serve their communities. They want to play an expanded role in public health, and their patients also want to receive more care at their local pharmacy.

That’s why, at CVS Health, we’re proudly advocating for our more than 100,000 pharmacy colleagues as well as the next generation of professionals. We are working to help evolve the profession so we can continue meeting the needs of our patients and communities. As the country’s largest employer of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, we have a responsibility to help shape the future of pharmacy and advance its role in health care.

In our recently published Rx Report, we share our vision and explore several opportunities to do just that.² But we can’t begin to reimagine our approach without engagement from all pharmacists across the profession.

Expanding Pharmacy’s Role in Health Care

Our research shows that Americans rely on their community pharmacy more than ever. In fact, most adults believe local pharmacists should be able to provide additional care when primary care is unavailable.¹ At CVS Health, we have expanded the types of pharmacy services we provide in our more than 9000 CVS Pharmacy locations, including administering immunizations, testing for certain illnesses, providing preventive health screenings, performing comprehensive medication reviews to support medication adherence for those with chronic conditions, and, in some cases, prescribing certain medicines.

But there is more that pharmacy teams can and want to do. It’s why we continue to advocate for meaningful public policy that can help ensure they have the flexibilities to perform expanded health care services and practice within their clinical abilities developed in their extensive training and education. This includes supporting The Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacy Services (ECAPS) Act of 2025 (HR 3164/S.2426), which will provide Medicare beneficiary coverage for pharmacist-led testing and services that have become mainstays in American communities since the COVID-19 pandemic.³

Technology Is Critical, but Should Not Replace the Human Connection

Many patients have told me how important the relationship with their pharmacist is to them. And we know that most Americans prefer in-person interactions with their local pharmacy teams, with nearly half willing to switch pharmacies if limited to online-only engagements. It’s why, at CVS Health, we take a technology-enabled approach to pharmacy that uses digital tools to enhance the patient experience while still prioritizing the longstanding trust our pharmacy teams have built with their patients.

It's also why we’ve also invested in technology to support our colleagues in managing administrative tasks more efficiently, allowing them to focus on what truly matters: patient care.

Supporting Future Generations of Pharmacists

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 13,000 pharmacist job openings each year, but estimates show that the number of 2026 graduates from PharmD programs will be just about 8000.⁴ This is why we must also continue to invest in the next generation of pharmacy professionals, helping inspire more to pursue a career in pharmacy.

In fact, a growing number of pharmacy technicians want to pursue a career as a pharmacist but cite tuition costs as one of the biggest barriers.¹ At CVS Health, we provide industry-leading scholarship, tuition assistance, and training programs to support increased access to higher education so more can choose a career in pharmacy.

Our Voices Matter

The voices of pharmacy professionals across the industry are crucial in shaping the future of pharmacy. The insights and feedback you provide are invaluable in addressing challenges and advancing opportunities that help us better meet the evolving needs of our patients and communities. Industry associations like the American Pharmacists Association and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy have also made incredible strides in advocating for our profession.

I believe there is more that we can do together to continue to enable important change. Join your state or national pharmacy associations to stay engaged, consider mentoring students, and strengthen trust with your patients by getting involved in community outreach opportunities.

Together, we can move both the profession and the industry forward.

REFERENCES

1. Adams K. Americans’ trust in the healthcare system is plummeting. How can it be repaired? MedCity News. May 8, 2025. Accessed December 19, 2025. https://medcitynews.com/2025/05/healthcare-trust/

2. The Rx Report: Community pharmacy reimagined. CVS Health. Fall 2025. Accessed December 19, 2025. https://www.cvshealth.com/content/dam/enterprise/cvs-enterprise/images/campaigns/rx-report-2025/CVS-2025-Rx-Report.pdf

3. HR 3164 – Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act. 119th Cong; 2025. Accessed December 19, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3164

4. Hamstra M. Retail pharmacy struggles to retain pharmacists, pharmacy technicians. Drug Store News. January 29, 2025. Accessed December 19, 2025. https://drugstorenews.com/brain-drain-retail-pharmacy-struggles-retain-pharmacists-pharmacy-technicians