CVS Health, which says its pharmacists help customers pick menopause products and supplements at about 7,000 locations, is now paying attention to what comes after the pill aisle. The company announced Oct. 15 that it is teaming up with The Midlife Collective on a research study of women's midlife experiences, with the findings set to inform a documentary called Her Second Act, according to a CVS Health press release.
No results exist yet. This is a partnership announcement, not a finding. CVS Health says the study will look at women's physical, emotional, social and life experiences in midlife, including health, identity, caregiving, relationships, career transitions, financial well-being and personal fulfillment.
The Midlife Collective describes itself as a media company and community platform dedicated to changing the cultural conversation around women and aging. Constance Zimmer, an Emmy-nominated actress and co-founder of the group, co-directs the documentary with Abby Epstein. Julie Flakstad produces it, and the film is still in development, according to TheWrap, which first reported the news.
"For too long, conversations about midlife have been centered around symptoms and limitations," Dr. Joanne Armstrong, vice president and chief medical officer of women's health at CVS Health, said. "But midlife can also be a time of growth, reinvention and possibility."
The companies put the scale of the moment in numbers. CVS Health says 75 million women in the U.S. are in some stage of perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause. It adds that about 2 million women transition into menopause each year, and that 8 million to 10 million experience menopausal symptoms in a given year.
Its MinuteClinic works with the Menopause Society to train providers in evidence-based menopause care, and Aetna, which is part of CVS Health, offers virtual care, behavioral health services, education, peer groups and coaching for women in midlife, according to the company. In 2025, CVS Health became the first U.S. company to earn the Menopause Friendly Accreditation from MiDOViA, which recognizes workplace support for midlife health.
"After years of listening to women's midlife experiences, one thing is clear: the story we've been told is blatantly wrong," she said. "We aim to highlight the complexity and possibility of midlife so women feel seen and understood."
The documentary, the release says, will draw on interviews, emerging science, expert perspectives and personal and celebrity stories. The release gives no premiere date for Her Second Act.