CVS Launches App That Lets Customers Unlock Store Shelves

The revamped CVS Health app aims to provide customers with quicker pharmacy visits

The new CVS Health app | ©Image Credit: CVS
The new CVS Health app | ©Image Credit: CVS

Tired of waiting in line at CVS? The company is rolling out a major upgrade to its mobile app that could significantly reduce the time spent on your next pharmacy visit. Building on the foundation of its previous app, the revamped CVS Health app introduces several new features, including the ability to unlock store shelves with your smartphone. While this innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping experience for customers and improve CVS’s efficiency, some critics argue it pressures consumers to download the app, allowing their behaviors to be tracked and monetized. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the updated CVS Health app.

What’s New in the Revamped CVS Health App?

The revamped CVS Health app, the successor to the CVS Pharmacy app, is designed to serve as a one-stop solution for managing consumers’ overall health. Packed with new features, it enhances convenience, improves transparency, and streamlines pharmacy visits. Below are the key features of the improved CVS Health app:

Comprehensive Healthcare Management

The revamped CVS Health app provides:

  • Simplified Prescription Management: Easily track and manage prescriptions for the entire family across CVS Pharmacy locations, CVS Caremark mail orders, and CVS Specialty pharmacies. Users can access delivery and fulfillment options, along with real-time updates on order status and cost.
  • Faster Immunization Scheduling: Schedule vaccinations for the whole family with industry-leading group and multi-shot booking options, plus a seamless appointment search.
  • Enhanced Health Benefits Access: Aetna and CVS Caremark members can now track prescriptions, view costs upfront, and manage health spending directly within the app. CVS is also exploring ways to extend this transparency to other insurers, according to Tilak Mandadi, CVS Health’s Executive Vice President of Ventures and Chief Digital, Data, Analytics, and Technology Officer.
Book medical appointments through the new CVS Health app | | ©Image Credit: CVS
Book medical appointments through the new CVS Health app | | ©Image Credit: CVS

Time- and Cost-Saving In-Store Solutions

The upgraded CVS Health app is designed to reduce wait times and enhance the in-store experience:

  • Faster Prescription Pickups: A personalized barcode system allows customers to scan a single code for both prescription lookup and payment, reducing checkout time and simplifying the process.
  • Smart Store Access: In response to customer frustration over locked shelves, CVS is piloting a feature that lets loyalty program members unlock cabinets using their smartphones. To activate the feature, users must be logged into the app, connected to the store’s Wi-Fi, and have Bluetooth enabled. Currently available in three stores, CVS plans to expand the pilot to 10–15 locations before full-scale deployment.
Quick and Easy Prescription Pickup with the New CVS Health App | ©Image Credit: CVS
Quick and Easy Prescription Pickup with the New CVS Health App | ©Image Credit: CVS

Timely and Personalized Updates

The revamped app also offers:

  • Personalized Home Screen: Access a personalized home screen featuring a health “to-do” list, medication refill reminders, appointment updates, and savings opportunities.
  • AI-Powered Search: Easily locate products, services, and information across CVS Health and other trusted sources.
  • Curated Health Content: Access valuable health and wellness content, including articles from Everyday Health (reviewed by medical professionals) and guided meditations from Headspace.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next in 2025?

Many of these new app features were introduced throughout 2024, but CVS Health has even bigger plans for 2025. Upcoming enhancements include a conversational AI chat assistant that will allow users to check medication refills, track order statuses, and access more personalized support—all within the app.

Controversies Surrounding the New CVS Health App

While the revamped CVS Health app introduces features aimed at streamlining in-store shopping, critics argue that digital solutions have limitations in improving the in-person experience.

Limited Impact on Operational Challenges

Although features like barcode scanning can slightly reduce wait times, they do not address larger operational issues such as staffing shortages, according to Gartner analyst Gene Alvarez Scheibenreif. “You’re talking about behavior change. If most people shop in-store, they have a certain way of doing it,” Scheibenreif told The Wall Street Journal, emphasizing that CVS must provide more compelling reasons for customers to download and consistently use the app in-store.

Concerns Over Data Collection and Consumer Privacy

One of the most debated aspects of the app is its new shelf-unlocking feature, which critics argue is a solution to a problem CVS itself created by locking up products in response to retail theft concerns. According to Gizmodo, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to increase app adoption and data collection, allowing CVS to track user behavior, target ads, and reinforce customer reliance on its digital ecosystem.

Gizmodo further alleges that CVS has created an information loop, making in-store shopping less convenient without the app to encourage more customers to use it. By requiring users to log in, connect to store Wi-Fi, and enable Bluetooth to unlock products, CVS is allegedly pushing more consumers into its digital ecosystem—where their interactions can be further monitored and monetized.

How to Download the New CVS Health App

Curious to explore the app’s features firsthand? You can download the CVS Health app from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or directly through the CVS Health mobile app website.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo