Some Pharmacies Are Open on Christmas Day — Plan Ahead to Be Safe

As the holidays approach, you may want to consider logistical things like whether you'll be able to get to the grocery store or pharmacy over the holidays. Christmas Day is often one of the only days out of the year that certain stores and businesses are closed in the U.S. So which pharmacies are open on Christmas Day?

There are some grocery stores open on Christmas for food and beverage needs. Pharmacies are another matter. Plenty of people depend on their prescriptions and therefore need to plan ahead. If the date your prescription runs out is close to Christmas Day, be sure to know where you can get a refill even on that holiday if needed.

Several national chain pharmacies will be open on Christmas Day, though some may shorten their hours of operation. It's best to call or check online with your closest preferred pharmacy to ensure you know when you can stop in.

Good Housekeeping rounds up a number of national stores, including pharmacies, that will be open on Christmas Day. CVS, for example, is expected to be open nationwide. However, that may only refer to the store, not the pharmacy, in some cases, so you'll want to call before Christmas Day if you're counting on getting your prescription or vaccines that day.

Rite Aid is another national pharmacy that may be open on Christmas Day. Most Rite Aid stores are open on major holidays including Christmas, but like with CVS, it's recommended to call ahead to find out if that applies to the pharmacy.

The national pharmacy chain Walgreens is open on Christmas Day. Most Walgreens locations will be open this year on Dec. 25, but you may want to call your local store to find out about their pharmacy hours. Some Walgreens actually operate on a 24-hour schedule, but again, it's best to verify this with your local pharmacy if you're truly depending on getting your prescriptions then.

While certain stores and pharmacies are open on Christmas Day, be aware that many others are closed to give employees the day off.

Most Meijer stores will be closed on Christmas Day, and that includes the Meijer pharmacy. However, most Meijer stores are open for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.

Walmart is another national retailer that is closed on Christmas Day. It's open on Christmas Eve, usually with an earlier closing time. But with Walmart locations closed nationwide, that means Walmart pharmacies are also out of commission. So plan ahead if you get your prescriptions from the Walmart pharmacy.

Target, another retailer with pharmacy services, is closed on Christmas Day. Most of the Target stores nationwide will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 24 and remain closed until Dec. 26. Therefore, your Target pharmacy won't be available on Christmas Day. Be sure to check your local Target pharmacy hours for Christmas Eve if you'll need services that day.

If you typically get your pharmacy services from a local provider, you'll definitely want to talk to someone at the pharmacy in advance. Smaller, locally-owned pharmacies and other businesses may be more likely to be closed on Christmas Day. Check with the pharmacist to find out whether they'll be open on Christmas Day and whether they have shortened hours on any other holidays.

Since Christmas Day is one of the only days out of the year that many retailers are closed, it's always best to check ahead of time if you plan on using any stores or pharmacies on that date. Even if the pharmacy you use is normally a 24-hour pharmacy, those hours may be shortened for the holiday.