A new CVS iPhone app aims to make shopping at the pharmacy less frustrating
If you've ever been frustrated while shopping at your local pharmacy, you're hardly alone -- but now CVS has devised a plan to change that with it's new iPhone app.

Image credit: CVS
Pharmacies often get disparaged as one of the most tedious places the average person has to put up with. Long lines, hidden prescription costs, and the highly inconvenient locked cabinets are hated by nearly everyone.
And, that probably includes your local pharmacy, too. That's why CVS is trying to change how you make your pharmacy run with its revamped CVS Health app.
Tilak Mandadi, CVS' executive vice president wants customers to have a better experience by eliminating the worst parts of going to the pharmacy. He's no stranger to addressing customer concerns: he's held roles at both MGM Resorts and Disney.
"Experience has been a consistent theme for me all along," Mandadi told The Wall Street Journal. "How do we optimize customer convenience and take out the stress and guesswork?"
The move isn't entirely altruistic. Research shows that companies that focus on improving customer experience see improved share prices and higher revenue growth.
This is important, as pharmacy chains nationwide haven't been keeping up with overall market growth. These changes could help CVS see growth where it previously stagnated.
The revamped experience includes cutting down on the time spent waiting in line. One way this has been addressed is by providing personalized barcodes for both prescription lookup and payment.
Customers will also be able to track their prescriptions for their whole family and see the cost upfront. This should save time and prevent sticker shock when you reach the register.

The CVS app
Currently, only users who are eligible members of Aetna and Caremark can utilize this feature, as CVS owns both companies. CVS hopes to provide the service to other insurers in the future.
Customers will also be able to schedule immunizations, including multi-shot scheduling and easy-to-find appointments.
Another feature being tested is the ability for CVS loyalty program members to open the much-maligned locked cabinets without tracking down a staff member. Ideally, this should also reduce the extra work placed on CVS staff members, as the chain faces staffing shortages nationwide.
Currently, the ability to unlock cabinets is being tested in three stores. Mandadi says that the test is going well, and hopes to expand to as many as 15 stores for the next phase of testing. The end goal, should the tests continue to go well, would be full-scale deployment.
CVS hopes to incentivize users to use the new app by providing other specialized features. Right now, it gives users the ability to read articles from Everyday Health or partake in guided meditations from Headspace.
There's also an AI-powered search that helps consumers locate products, services, and information from across CVS Health and select third-party content providers. This expands upon the AI-powered chat experience that CVS rolled out in 2024, allowing patients to check medication refills, the status of their orders, and more.
CVS Health app is compatible with any iPhone running iOS 16 or later, as well as the Apple Vision Pro running visionOS 1.0 or later.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Cust: Hi, I'm trying to find out what's happening with my prescription. I really need it, your app says you've been "working on it" for three days but it's still not ready for pickup? No one ever answers the phone when I call, so I came in. What's happening?
CVS: (checking computer screen) Oh, your insurance company didn't approve it, so now we're waiting for your doctor to call us back with more information, so we can call the insurance company and try to get approval.
Cust: But the prescription WAS approved.
CVS: I'm sorry, sir, no it wasn't.
Cust: (holding up phone) But look, it says it was approved.
CVS: I'm sorry, sir, but I can't go by something you have on your phone.
Cust: But this is YOUR app that's saying it's approved. Look--it's the CVS app and it says "Approved."
CVS: Well we have no way of confirming that here.
Ugh. We've all ended up in conversations like this at one time or another and it truly is a special level of hell.
My doctor recently put in a prescription order with them. I received a notification from CVS almost immediately that it was placed and that it would be available in a couple of hours. I then decided to schedule a vaccine using the app, for a time well after the prescription was to be ready. A short time later, I received a notice that the prescription was not ready and that there was a delay. I was heading out anyway, so I figured I'd stop by and get the vaccine then come back later for the prescription.
I checked in for the vaccine, and a few minutes later they called me to the counter to let me know that they did not have the vaccine in stock. I asked how it was possible that I was even allowed to schedule an appointment if they didn't have the vaccine, but of course they couldn't answer. So I told them I would be coming back later anyway, when my prescription became ready (app still said delayed or "not ready"), but then they looked up my name and found that the prescription was in fact ready to be picked up!
At least the trip wasn't a total waste...