A new pharmacy in the South Side of Easton opened in mid-January, ending a 10-month lapse in pharmaceutical service to the neighborhood.
“There was always a plan to have a pharmacy here,” pharmacy manager Jim Teeple said. “Once that CVS closed, it became a need for the community.”
Valley Health Partners held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 15. The pharmacy is a part of a regional health center that opened last May, which offers primary, dental, vision, chiropractic and behavioral health care, according to the center’s website.
South Side lost its only pharmacy in March when CVS’s 602 Old Philadelphia Road location closed, coming as more than 2,000 pharmacies shuttered nationwide, including hundreds of CVS affiliates.
Funding for the pharmacy was supported by large state and federal grants, according to City Councilman Frank Pintabone, a lifelong South Side resident who witnessed the lack of pharmacies in his neighborhood.
“The entire city of Easton, we’re only 4.8 square miles,” he said. “So residents from Downtown, West Ward can easily access the South Side pharmacy and medical facility.”
The pharmacy was slated for completion earlier last year and pushed its soft opening to August, its original target date for a full opening.
“Some of the delay was working through the regulatory process and making sure everything was in place for a successful opening,” wrote Nate Boateng, the community impact officer of Valley Health Partners, in an email.
Teeple said that the mismatched opening dates made raising community awareness necessary upon opening the store.
Allison Czapp, the executive director of the nearby nonprofit Easton Neighborhood Center, emphasized the health center’s multidimensional approach.
“It feels like a doctor’s office, but it’s also a community health center,” Czapp said. “It’s not just about, you know, are you taking your medicine? Did you get your wellness visit? What makes the community healthy? What else do we need to do?”
Czapp described the pharmacy as “another piece of the puzzle” that would help eliminate accessibility barriers to healthcare on the South Side.
“So many residents, especially seniors, many of whom don’t have valid transportation, it’s much more accommodating for them,” Pintabone said.
Around a dozen residents were in the pharmacy on Wednesday afternoon, primarily for consultations.
“We’re just getting the word out to make sure people know that we’re here for anyone who needs a pharmacy,” Teeple said, noting its social media presence on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Easton’s South Side and West Ward neighborhoods have historically faced issues in accessing essential services. The districts both lacked grocery stores until Bravo Supermarket and Ideal Food Basket opened in July 2024 and September 2025, respectively.
Valley Health’s health center and pharmacy are both open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Andreas Pelekis ’26 contributed reporting.