CVS to lay off 5,000 employees in effort to cut costs, focus on healthcare services: Report

CVS has taken steps to move deeply into patient care, including the recent acquisitions of Signify Health and primary-care company Oak Street Health.

CVS Health Corp. will cut 5,000 positions from its workforce to help reduce costs as the drugstore chain focuses on broadening from its retail roots into more health-care offerings.

In May, CVS announced that it would phase out its clinical trial unit with a complete exit by the end of next year. (REUTERS)

None of the job losses will impact customer-facing positions in stores, pharmacies, clinics or customer services centers, a spokesman for the Deerfield, Illinois-based company said Tuesday. The decision is part of an initiative to reprioritize investments around care delivery and technology and reduce expenses, the spokesperson said.

CVS has taken steps to move deeply into patient care, including the recent acquisitions of home health-care provider Signify Health and primary-care company Oak Street Health. Rival Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has also been cutting jobs amid a similar move to diversify away from drugstore operations.

In May, CVS announced that it would phase out its clinical trial unit with a complete exit by the end of next year. A spokesperson at the time said the business “no longer aligned with our long-term strategic priorities,” although the company was among the first retail chains to move into this space back in 2021.

Walgreens said in May that it planned to cut 10% of its corporate workforce, or 504 employees, to focus on its primary care strategy. A spokesperson said that the job cuts about streamlining the business rather than financial concerns.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the CVS job cuts Monday, citing a staff memo.