There are 60,684 pharmacy listings in our database for the United States, spread across 52 state pages. They range from single-counter independents such as Acton Pharmacy in Los Angeles County, California, to chain stores like the CVS Pharmacy on White Horse Pike in Absecon, Atlantic County, New Jersey. This page explains who licenses and oversees pharmacies, how rules differ by state, what to bring to the counter, and how to pick the right state page to find a location near you.

Pharmacy in the United States: Which Level of Government Is in Charge

No single agency runs pharmacies in this country. Authority is split between federal, state and local bodies. Knowing the split tells you whom to contact when something goes wrong.

Federal agencies set the drug rules

The Food and Drug Administration approves prescription drugs and oversees their labeling. The Drug Enforcement Administration controls who may dispense opioids, stimulants and other controlled substances. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sets the framework for Medicare Part D drug coverage, and federal HIPAA rules govern how a pharmacy protects your health records. None of these agencies licenses the store on your corner, so a federal office is rarely the right place for a local complaint.

State boards license the pharmacy and the pharmacist

Licensing happens at the state level. Every state has a board of pharmacy, although the name and parent agency differ. California's State Board of Pharmacy sits within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Texas has its own State Board of Pharmacy, and so does Ohio. In New York, the State Education Department's Office of the Professions licenses pharmacists.

These boards license pharmacists and, in most states, pharmacy technicians and the pharmacy premises. They inspect stores, investigate complaints and decide what pharmacists may do, from giving vaccines to prescribing certain medicines. A pharmacy generally needs credentials in the state where the patient lives, so mail-order and online sellers must be licensed in each state they serve.

Counties and cities handle the local layer

Counties and cities rarely license retail pharmacies. They do control zoning and business licences, and some county health departments run immunization clinics or dispensing programs. Counties matter on this site because every listing carries a county label. Hitchcocks Hometown Pharmacy is in Alachua County, Florida, and King Pinson Pharmacy in Abernathy is in Hale County, Texas. Use the county to confirm you have the right store.

How Pharmacy Rules, Services and Costs Differ From State to State

A prescription filled in Tennessee follows the same federal drug rules as one filled in Oregon, but the day-to-day experience can differ. State law decides much of what a pharmacist can do for you. Common differences include:

  • Vaccines: Pharmacists can give immunizations in every state, but the vaccines covered and the minimum patient age vary.
  • Pharmacist prescribing: Some states let pharmacists prescribe hormonal birth control or dispense naloxone without a doctor visit. Others do not.
  • Emergency refills: Many states allow a short emergency supply of a maintenance drug, with limits on quantity and drug type.
  • Generic substitution: States set the rules on swapping a brand-name drug for a generic and on telling the patient.
  • Controlled substances: States run prescription monitoring programs, and pharmacists may have to check them before filling certain prescriptions.
  • Delivery and mail order: Shipping medicine across state lines depends on licensing in the patient's state.

Cost is the other area where people are surprised. Pharmacies set their own retail prices, and your copay comes from your insurance plan, not from the state or the store. The same medicine can cost different amounts at two pharmacies a few blocks apart, so ask for the cash price as well as the insurance price. We do not list fees here because they change often and depend on your plan.

Size matters too. California has 5,823 listings in our database, while Tennessee has 1,400. In large states, search by city or county. In sparse areas, one independent may be the only option for miles, as with Toms Pharmacy in Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, or Rosenau Inc Pharmacy in Ada, Norman County, Minnesota.

What to Bring and Ask at a Pharmacy Counter in the United States

A short checklist saves a second trip. Most pharmacies will ask for the following:

  • A valid prescription, or the prescriber's name and phone number so the pharmacy can request it. Most prescribers now send prescriptions electronically.
  • Your insurance and pharmacy benefit cards, including Medicare Part D or Medicaid cards if you have them.
  • A government photo ID, which is commonly required when picking up controlled substances.
  • A list of your current medicines, supplements and allergies, so the pharmacist can check for interactions.
  • Your date of birth, and the patient's details if you are collecting for someone else.

Controlled substances need extra planning. Schedule II drugs, such as many strong painkillers and ADHD stimulants, cannot be refilled under federal law, so each fill needs a new prescription. Small independents may not stock them, so call first. For any medicine, ask the pharmacist to explain the dose, common side effects and what to do if you miss a dose. Many people skip this step, and it is often the quickest way to avoid a mistake.

Hours vary widely. Some chains offer extended hours in larger cities, while small-town stores such as Pettigrew Rexall Drugs in Adamsville, McNairy County, Tennessee, or Abbeville Discount Drugs in Wilcox County, Georgia, may keep shorter schedules. Call the number in the listing before you drive.

Choosing the Right State Page and Avoiding Common Mistakes

Start with the state where the pharmacy physically sits, then narrow by city or county. Town names repeat across the country. Abington has a pharmacy in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and Bemis Drug Health Mart in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Ada appears in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota. The county name settles the question quickly.

Our biggest state pages are Pharmacy in California, Pharmacy in Florida, Pharmacy in Texas and Pharmacy in New York. For the Philadelphia suburbs and the rest of the Keystone State, see Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, where Abington Pharmacy is listed at 1460 Old York Road.

Most problems are easy to avoid:

  • Waiting until the last pill. Ask for refills several days ahead, especially if the drug needs prior authorization.
  • Assuming every chain store offers the same services. Vaccines, compounding and delivery differ by location.
  • Skipping the license check. Look up an online pharmacy on the state board's website before sending personal information.
  • Assuming an out-of-state prescription will be refused. Most are accepted, though controlled substances get extra scrutiny.
  • Relying on a listing alone. Phone numbers and hours change, so confirm by calling.

A two-minute call to the pharmacy usually answers the questions that matter most: whether your medicine is in stock, what it will cost with your insurance, and when the pharmacist is available to talk.

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Using the Pharmacy Listings for the United States

Each listing on this site shows the pharmacy name, street address, city, county and phone number, with a website when we have one. That is enough to confirm you have the right store before you travel. Listings reflect the data we hold, so a store that moved or closed recently may not appear correctly.

A simple routine works well. Pick your state, find your city or county, and call the pharmacy to confirm stock and hours. If you travel often, choose a chain with locations in several states so a transfer is easy. If you live near a state line, check both state pages, because the closest pharmacy may be across the border. A page such as Pharmacy in North Carolina, which includes Aberdeen Prescription Shoppe in Moore County, shows how one state page can mix chain stores with neighborhood independents.

This directory helps you find locations. For medical advice, rely on your prescriber and pharmacist.

Pharmacy Questions Answered for the United States

State boards of pharmacy license and inspect pharmacies, not the federal government. Each state's board issues licenses to pharmacists and pharmacy premises, and in most states to pharmacy technicians as well. The names differ. California's board sits under the Department of Consumer Affairs, while in New York the State Education Department's Office of the Professions licenses pharmacists. Federal agencies still matter. The FDA regulates drugs, and the DEA registers pharmacies that dispense controlled substances. If you have a concern about a specific store, the state board where the pharmacy is located is the right place to start, and its website usually explains the complaint process.

Search the website of the board of pharmacy in the state where the store operates. Most boards offer an online license lookup where you enter the pharmacy's name or license number and see its status and any discipline. Match the name and street address against our listing, such as the CVS Pharmacy on White Horse Pike in Absecon, New Jersey. For online sellers, check that they hold a license in your home state and require a valid prescription. A site that offers prescription drugs without one is a warning sign. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy also runs a verification program for online pharmacies.

In most cases, yes. Give the new pharmacy your medication name and the name and phone number of the old one, and the pharmacists usually handle the transfer between themselves. Transfers work across state lines for most medicines, which helps if you move or travel. Controlled substances face tighter limits under federal and state rules, so call ahead for those. Remaining refills transfer with the prescription, but an expired prescription cannot be refilled anywhere. If you move, ask your prescriber whether they can send a fresh prescription to a pharmacy in your new state, particularly for tightly regulated medicines.

Listing counts roughly follow population and the number of stores operating. California has 5,823 listings, Florida 4,446 and Texas 4,375, while Tennessee has 1,400. Large states have more chain stores, hospital outpatient pharmacies and independent shops. Pennsylvania, with 2,754, and Ohio, with 2,307, show that mid-sized populations still support thousands of locations. A bigger number does not mean better access in every area, though. Rural counties may have a single pharmacy, and urban neighborhoods may have several within a few blocks. Browse by city or county on the state page to see what is actually near you.

Pharmacists can administer vaccines in all states, and flu, COVID-19 and shingles shots are among the most common. What differs is which vaccines a pharmacist may give and the minimum age of the patient. Some states allow pharmacists to vaccinate young children, while others set a higher age floor. Whether insurance covers the shot depends on your plan. Call the pharmacy first to ask about the vaccine you need, whether appointments are required, and what to bring. Take your insurance card and photo ID. For travel vaccines or complex medical histories, your doctor or local health department may be a better choice.

Call the pharmacy first and ask when they expect stock. Ask the pharmacist to check nearby stores of the same chain, or search for another pharmacy in your city or county on our state pages. If you are about to run out of a maintenance medicine such as a blood pressure drug, many states allow pharmacists to dispense a short emergency supply while you reach your prescriber. Limits vary by state and exclude most controlled substances. Do not ration or skip doses without advice. Your prescriber can also send the prescription to a different pharmacy.

Start by speaking with the pharmacist in charge, who can often fix billing and dispensing errors on the spot. If the issue is not resolved, file a complaint with the board of pharmacy in the state where the store is located. Boards investigate matters such as dispensing errors, unlicensed practice and unsafe conditions. For insurance disputes, contact your health plan or your state insurance department. Report a drug side effect or product problem to the FDA through its MedWatch program. In a poisoning or overdose emergency, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if the person is in danger.