Late‑Night Prescriptions In Columbus: The 24‑Hour Pharmacies That Actually Stay Open

It is 1:15 a.m., you have a paper prescription or a new e‑script just hit your phone, and you need it filled before morning. Around Columbus, “open late” on a Google listing often turns out to mean the front of the store is open while the pharmacy counter is dark. Here is the current, verified short list of places around Columbus where the pharmacy counter itself runs 24 hours, plus the best near‑24 alternatives if you do not need an overnight fill.

Which counters in Columbus actually run 24 hours right now?

Walgreens, 2150 E Dublin Granville Rd in Columbus (43229) is operating a 24‑hour pharmacy at the time of writing. The store is in the Northland/Forest Park area just off the SR‑161 corridor, and the pharmacy keeps the window and counter staffed around the clock with one scheduled meal break from 1:30–2:00 a.m. each night when the pharmacy window is briefly closed. The location lists a drive‑thru and the store’s main line is 614‑523‑1165.

CVS Pharmacy, 620 S Cleveland Ave in Westerville (43081) is the other around‑the‑clock option close to Columbus. The store and the pharmacy counter are both open 24 hours, and this location posts a daily pharmacist lunch closure from 1:30–2:00 p.m. It also runs a drive‑thru and carries a staffed MinuteClinic, though the clinic is not 24/7. MinuteClinic typically runs 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. on weekdays, 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Saturday, and 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sunday, which is useful if you need a quick visit and a prescription during normal hours at the same address. Store phone: 614‑891‑9771.

If you remember other 24‑hour counters on West Broad Street, East Broad Street, or Dublin, the landscape has changed. Many grocery and big‑box pharmacies now keep daytime and early‑evening hours in Columbus. If you truly need an after‑midnight fill, the two counters above are the reliable plays within city limits and the near suburbs.

Will a hospital pharmacy fill your outpatient prescription overnight?

Hospital inpatient pharmacies are staffed 24/7, but most outpatient counters tied to Columbus hospitals do not run overnight. If your prescription can wait until morning or evening, these two are predictable alternatives with clear posted hours and straightforward access:

Ohio State University Outpatient Pharmacy – University Hospital, 520 W. 10th Ave., 2nd Floor, Room 2540, Columbus 43210. Hours are 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Monday–Friday and 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The OSU outpatient counter is open every day of the year and provides 24/7 phone access to a pharmacist for urgent questions by calling 614‑293‑8000 and asking to page the on‑call specialty pharmacist. Main pharmacy line: 614‑293‑5920. A small but useful detail if you are already on campus: park in the Wexner Medical Center Garage, then use the enclosed fourth‑level walkway to reach University Hospital without going outside.

Riverside Methodist Hospital (RMB Retail Pharmacy), 3545 Olentangy River Rd., Suite 100, Columbus 43214. The retail pharmacy at Riverside posts weekday hours of 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. only. If you are being discharged there, you can have a prescription filled before you leave, but this counter is not a late‑night option. Pharmacy line: 614‑566‑5115.

Bottom line for overnight needs in Columbus: hospital inpatient services run 24/7, but the outpatient counters that hand medication to the public are not all‑night operations. If you need a fill after midnight, plan on the Northland Walgreens or the Westerville CVS above. If your timing can flex into the evening, OSU’s 9:00 p.m. close covers the gap many community pharmacies leave after dinner.

What should you check before you drive across town at 2 a.m.?

1) Counter hours versus store hours

A common gotcha is that the store may be open 24 hours while the pharmacy counter is not. The two locations at E Dublin Granville and S Cleveland above list 24‑hour pharmacy operations, not just 24‑hour front doors, which is what you need for a fill. Double‑check that detail when you call.

2) Short closures that still happen in the middle of the night

At the Northland Walgreens, the pharmacy window closes for a scheduled 1:30–2:00 a.m. meal break. It is only 30 minutes, but if you arrive during that half‑hour you will wait outside the window. At the Westerville CVS, the posted 1:30–2:00 p.m. lunch is daytime, but it is worth knowing if you plan a midday pickup.

3) Stock and substitutions

Even at 24‑hour counters, not every medication is on the shelf in every strength. If the drug is common and generic, odds are good, but for less common strengths or controlled substances, it helps to call the store line listed above and ask the pharmacy to confirm they have your exact medication and quantity in stock before you drive. If they do not, ask whether they can transfer the e‑script within their chain. Transfers are routine, but they can only fill what they physically have on the shelf at that address after midnight.

4) ID and insurance cards

Bring a government‑issued ID if you are picking up a controlled medication and your prescription‑benefit card if your insurer issues one separate from your medical card. If your plan requires a BIN/PCN/Group number, the pharmacist will need those digits to process the claim, even at 1:40 a.m.

5) Drive‑thru versus lobby at night

Both the E Dublin Granville Walgreens and the S Cleveland CVS list a drive‑thru. If you are arriving with a sick child in pajamas or limited mobility, use the lane. It is also the more predictable line overnight when front registers are lightly staffed.

6) Vaccines and clinic care

At the Westerville address, the MinuteClinic and most vaccination services keep daytime and evening schedules, not true 24/7. If you need a rapid strep test and an antibiotic at 11:30 p.m., you will want to visit an urgent care first, then bring the script to a 24‑hour pharmacy counter. If it is early evening, the OSU outpatient pharmacy’s 9:00 p.m. close can save you a long north‑side drive.

How do the two around‑the‑clock options compare?

Which near‑24 option is best if you do not need an overnight fill?

If you simply need evening coverage and want to avoid a long drive, the OSU outpatient counter inside University Hospital runs until 9:00 p.m. every weekday and 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on weekends. It is open 365 days a year, which covers holiday gaps when many retail pharmacies run abbreviated schedules. You will find it at 520 W. 10th Ave., 2nd Floor, Room 2540. If you are at a Wexner facility for anything else, ask for bedside delivery at discharge so you can leave with medication in hand instead of stopping on the way home. For after‑hours questions about complex medications, you can page an on‑call specialty pharmacist 24/7 via 614‑293‑8000. For regular refill requests or to check on a fill during posted hours, use 614‑293‑5920.

Riverside Methodist’s RMB Retail Pharmacy on Olentangy River Road is more of a business‑hours shop at 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekdays. It is a convenient same‑campus option if you are already at a clinic appointment on the north side, but it will not help for evenings or weekends. The number there is 614‑566‑5115.

If none of these are close to you and it is not urgent, most community chains in Columbus now follow daytime and early‑evening pharmacy schedules. That usually means a weekday close around dinner, a shorter Saturday, and a Sunday that runs the morning through late afternoon. Store fronts may be open later than that, but the pharmacy counter will not be. When you check hours online, look specifically for the pharmacy line in the hours table, not just the store hours.

Key things to know before you choose

• The Northland Walgreens at 2150 E Dublin Granville Rd and the Westerville CVS at 620 S Cleveland Ave are the two counters in greater Columbus that currently run 24 hours with a pharmacist on duty. The Walgreens pharmacy has a posted 1:30–2:00 a.m. window closure; CVS lists a midday 1:30–2:00 p.m. lunch.
• For evening but not overnight needs, the OSU University Hospital outpatient pharmacy is open until 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on weekends, every day of the year. Address: 520 W. 10th Ave., Room 2540. Call 614‑293‑5920 during hours or 614‑293‑8000 to page an on‑call pharmacist after hours for urgent questions.
• Call ahead after midnight to confirm stock, especially for uncommon strengths and controlled substances. Transfers within the chain are straightforward, but each 24‑hour counter can only fill what is on its own shelf overnight.
• Bring an ID for controlled medications and your current prescription‑benefit card. At night, re‑verifying plan details can add minutes if your insurer requires extra digits.
• If you want to avoid going inside, both 24‑hour options list a drive‑thru. For a daytime clinic visit paired with a fill, note the Westerville CVS has a MinuteClinic in the building, but the clinic closes in the evening.

Reader Q&A

Is there a 24‑hour pharmacy counter within Columbus city limits?

Yes. The Walgreens at 2150 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus 43229 runs a 24‑hour pharmacy with a short 1:30–2:00 a.m. meal break. If you are on the north side or near I‑71 and SR‑161, that is the most direct overnight option. The Westerville CVS at 620 S Cleveland Ave is the other true 24‑hour counter close to the city.

Does OSU’s pharmacy ever run overnight?

No. The OSU University Hospital outpatient pharmacy posts 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on weekends. It is open every day of the year and offers 24/7 phone access to an on‑call pharmacist for urgent questions, but the public outpatient counter is not a 24‑hour fill window.

Can I get vaccines after midnight at the 24‑hour stores?

Pharmacy vaccination services generally follow daytime and evening staffing, even when the counter is open overnight. At the Westerville location, the on‑site MinuteClinic keeps daytime hours and is not 24/7. If you need a vaccine or a quick clinic visit, plan for normal hours.

What happens if the 24‑hour pharmacy does not have my medication?

Call ahead and ask the pharmacist to check stock on your specific strength and quantity. If it is not in stock, you can request a transfer within the chain. Overnight, they can only dispense from what is on their own shelf, so confirming first saves a wasted drive.

When you are choosing at an odd hour, start with where you are. If you are north or northeast, the Northland Walgreens is quickest and truly around the clock. If you are on the far north or east side, Westerville’s 24‑hour CVS is steady, with a drive‑thru and a clinic by day. For evening fills before 9 p.m., the OSU outpatient counter is the most central “open late” backstop without crossing the beltway.

Published: September 9, 2026 · Reviewed by the Whats Up Columbus editorial team