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which pharmacy is open on christmas

Some large national pharmacy chains are open on Christmas, but exact hours and which locations have an operating pharmacy counter vary by area and even by store. The safest move is to use each chain’s online store locator or call ahead before you leave home.

Quick scoop

  • CVS
    • Many CVS stores are open on Christmas Day, typically with reduced hours (for example, around 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
* The in‑store **pharmacy counter** may have shorter hours than the front store or be closed at some locations, so you must check your local branch’s listing before going.
  • Walgreens
    • Walgreens stores list Christmas Day as open, but pharmacy hours vary by location , and in some cases only the front store is open.
* You can confirm whether the pharmacy itself is open by using the Walgreens online store locator or by calling the store directly.
  • Local and independent pharmacies (US & UK examples)
    • In places like England, local NHS‑contracted pharmacies follow special bank holiday rotas , so a limited number are open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
* Local medical practices and councils often direct people to an online “Find a pharmacy” service (such as NHS Find a Pharmacy) that shows which nearby pharmacies are open over the Christmas period.

How to quickly find one near you

  1. Search “[your town] pharmacy Christmas Day hours” to bring up local chains and independents. Many health systems publish Christmas opening lists each year.
  1. Use major chains’ store locators (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) and filter or check the “pharmacy” hours for December 25 specifically.
  1. If you are in the UK, use NHS 111 online or by phone , or the NHS “Find a pharmacy” tool, which will direct you to an open pharmacy during bank holidays.

If you can’t find an open pharmacy

  • For minor illnesses , many health services advise using online or telephone triage (for example, NHS 111 in the UK) to get advice and find out the best place to go.
  • For urgent medication issues or symptoms that might be serious, follow your country’s urgent‑care instructions (urgent care centers, on‑call services, or emergency numbers) rather than waiting until normal hours.

Bottom line: There usually are pharmacies open on Christmas, but which one is open depends on your location and the specific store, so always confirm online or by phone just before you go.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.