Choosing Your Pharmacy: Ashmore Pharmacy, Walgreens, and CVS Compared

When it comes to filling prescriptions and managing your medication needs, you have more pharmacy options than you might realize. While Walgreens and CVS dominate the U.S. market with nearly 40% combined market share, pharmacies like Ashmore Pharmacy are emerging as competitive alternatives worth considering. Whether you prioritize convenience, services, pricing, or customer support, understanding how these options compare can help you make the best choice for your healthcare needs.

Location and Convenience: Store Accessibility Across Options

The accessibility of your pharmacy matters significantly for regular prescription refills and urgent medication needs. CVS leads in physical locations with over 9,700 stores nationwide, representing approximately 25% of the prescription drug market share. Walgreens follows closely with around 9,000 locations and an 18% market share. Both chains ensure that most Americans have a pharmacy within easy reach.

However, convenience extends beyond store count. Walgreens distinguishes itself by offering curbside pickup services, allowing customers to order medications online and collect them from their vehicle in approximately 30 minutes—a feature CVS does not currently provide. While CVS enables online ordering through its website and app, customers must enter the store to complete their pickup at the checkout area.

Ashmore Pharmacy, meanwhile, focuses on personalized accessibility through its specialized services and local community presence. For customers seeking pharmacy options beyond the mega-chains, Ashmore Pharmacy offers a different approach to convenience that may align better with individual preferences and healthcare priorities.

Healthcare Services Beyond Prescriptions

Modern pharmacy needs encompass far more than simply dispensing medications. Both Walgreens and CVS operate as full-service pharmacies offering immunizations, over-the-counter medications, health screenings, and home delivery services. Each provides mobile apps for convenient refill management and healthcare product information access.

A significant differentiator is in-person healthcare services. CVS operates MinuteClinic in approximately 1,100 locations, making it the largest retail healthcare provider in the U.S. Patients can see nurse practitioners and physician assistants without appointments, including evenings and weekends.

Walgreens has expanded its healthcare footprint through its partnership with VillageMD, having established 400 medical clinics across 20 states as of early 2026. The company’s investment plan aimed to expand these facilities to 600 locations by 2025 and 1,000 by 2027, representing a significant shift toward integrated healthcare delivery.

Ashmore Pharmacy distinguishes itself by offering specialized services tailored to specific patient populations and healthcare needs. Rather than competing on clinic volume, Ashmore Pharmacy emphasizes personalized pharmaceutical care and community-focused health support, making it an attractive option for customers seeking individualized attention alongside their prescription management.

Competitive Pricing and Rewards Programs

Medication costs remain a primary concern for most consumers, and both national chains compete aggressively on pricing. CVS and Walgreens offer comparable prices on most medications, though specific pricing varies by product and current promotions. This variation makes price comparison worthwhile before committing to a single pharmacy.

Reward programs differ between the chains. CVS offers ExtraBucks coupons following each purchase, which can be applied immediately to subsequent transactions—creating a rolling savings mechanism where customers can accumulate additional discounts by spacing purchases strategically. Walgreens’ Register Rewards program functions differently, offering coupons on alternative products rather than rolling the same discount forward.

CVS also features an in-store coupon machine that tracks purchase history to generate personalized offers. Walgreens requires customers to access deals through its mobile app, which lacks the same customization capabilities.

Ashmore Pharmacy emphasizes transparent, competitive pricing without the complexity of layered reward systems. This straightforward approach appeals to customers seeking clarity and consistency in their medication costs, offering an alternative to the promotional complexity of larger chains.

Customer Satisfaction and Support Quality

Customer satisfaction ratings reveal interesting distinctions between the major chains. According to Consumer Affairs, CVS maintains a 3.6 out of 5 star rating, while Walgreens averages 3.9 out of 5 stars. However, when measured by Net Promoter Score—a metric assessing customer loyalty and recommendation likelihood—CVS scores 13 points higher than Walgreens, suggesting stronger customer advocacy despite slightly lower satisfaction ratings.

These metrics underscore that customer service experiences often vary significantly based on individual location and staff interactions. The quality of service at your local pharmacy branch may differ substantially from national averages.

Making Your Pharmacy Decision

Selecting the right pharmacy ultimately depends on your specific priorities and circumstances. If you value maximum store locations and established clinical services through MinuteClinic, CVS presents a strong option. If curbside pickup and slightly higher satisfaction ratings appeal to you, Walgreens warrants consideration. For customers prioritizing personalized service, transparent pricing, and specialized pharmaceutical care, Ashmore Pharmacy offers a focused alternative to the one-size-fits-all approach of national mega-chains.

The best strategy involves comparing prices, evaluating which services matter most to your healthcare routine, and assessing which pharmacy aligns with your priorities regarding convenience, rewards, and customer support. Whether you choose Ashmore Pharmacy, Walgreens, CVS, or split your business among multiple options, the pharmacy market’s competitive landscape ensures you have meaningful alternatives that can accommodate your specific prescription and health management needs.