24-hour pharmacies in California

When your prescription runs out at 11 pm or you wake up at 3 am with a sick child, only one type of pharmacy will help: a 24-hour drugstore with an on-duty pharmacist. We've indexed 18 pharmacies in California that publicly list around-the-clock hours, mostly large national chains like CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens that operate 24/7 stores in major metro areas. Coverage is densest in metropolitan counties — outside of those, the nearest 24-hour pharmacy may be in the next county, so it pays to know your closest option in advance rather than during an actual emergency.

What counts as a 24-hour pharmacy?

For this directory, a pharmacy is considered "24-hour" only if its publicly listed opening hours read 24/7 or list "open 24 hours" for every day of the week. Stores that close briefly during the day (most don't) or take a maintenance break are excluded. The pharmacist counter inside a 24-hour store is sometimes on a slightly shorter schedule than the front-of-store retail floor — for example, a Walgreens may be open 24 hours for snacks and toiletries while the pharmacy counter closes at midnight. The hours below reflect what the store has reported publicly; for an emergency refill, always call ahead and confirm a pharmacist is on-duty.

Why aren't there more 24-hour pharmacies?

Both CVS and Walgreens have steadily reduced 24-hour coverage since 2020 due to staffing shortages and shifting demand. Many stores that used to operate around the clock now close between 10 pm and midnight. The locations in California listed below are confirmed in our most recent data refresh, but coverage may be reduced again locally — calling ahead is mandatory before relying on a 24-hour listing for a midnight prescription pickup.

Tips for a smoother pharmacy visit

• Call before driving. Listed hours can change for staffing, holidays, or temporary closures, especially overnight and on weekends.
• Bring an ID and the original bottle. Speeds up emergency refills and out-of-state transfers significantly.
• Ask about 90-day fills. Most chronic medications can be filled in 90-day supplies, often at a lower per-day cost and with fewer pharmacy visits.
• Use prescription transfer for one-off needs. You don't have to permanently switch pharmacies to fill a single prescription somewhere convenient.
• Mind controlled-substance rules. Schedule II prescriptions can't be transferred and require the original written or e-prescribed order, which limits your options for after-hours pickup.

How this list is built

Every listing on this page comes from public OpenStreetMap data, supplemented by community corrections. We index brand, city, state, ZIP, opening hours, and contact details — but not prescription pricing or insurance acceptance, which change too frequently to maintain reliably. For pricing or coverage questions, call the pharmacy directly or check your insurance plan's pharmacy network.