01 Industry overview
The pharmacy industry at a glance
The global prescription pharmaceutical market reached $1.53 trillion in 2024, with North America accounting for 54.8% of sales while retail pharmacy faces consolidation, pricing pressure and expanding digital fulfillment.
- $1.53T[19]
- Global prescription market, 2024
- 54.8%[19]
- North America market share, 2024
- $467.0B[108]
- U.S. prescription drug spending, 2024
- 325,200[60]
- U.S. pharmacist jobs, 2025
- Market size
- The world prescription pharmaceutical market was estimated at €1.414 trillion, or $1.529 trillion, at ex-factory prices in 2024. In the United States, prescription drug spending reached $467.0 billion in 2024, up 7.9% from 2023.[19][108]
- Forecast & CAGR
- IQVIA projects global medicine spending to exceed $2.6 trillion by 2030, implying growth of approximately 5%–8% annually through 2030. CMS projects U.S. retail prescription drug spending to grow at an average 5.7% annually from 2025 through 2034.[72][108]
- Market share & regions
- North America represented 54.8% of global prescription pharmaceutical sales in 2024, followed by Europe at 22.7%, China at 7.1%, Japan at 4.0%, Latin America at 4.1%, and Africa, Asia excluding China and Japan, and Australia at 7.4%.[19]
- Segmentation
- The industry spans prescription and over-the-counter medicines, retail and hospital distribution, branded and generic drugs, and specialty therapies. In OECD countries, prescription medicines represented more than 75% of pharmaceutical expenditure in most countries in 2023, while non-retail pharmaceuticals accounted for 25% of total pharmaceutical spending across 15 reporting countries.[109]
- Key players & concentration
- The U.S. pharmacy market is concentrated among national chains, supermarkets, mass merchants, mail-order providers and independent pharmacies, although a single current market-share measure was not identified from a sufficiently authoritative source. Census data counted 41,792 U.S. pharmacies and prescription drug stores in 2023.[110]
- Pricing
- Pricing differs substantially by country because of reimbursement rules, taxes, negotiated discounts and pharmacy and wholesaler margins. In Europe, EFPIA estimated that the manufacturer retained 67.0% of the average retail medicine price in 2023, while wholesalers received 10.5%, pharmacists 5.0%, and the state through VAT and other taxes 17.5%.[19]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Growth is being supported by new products, specialty medicines, obesity therapies, demographic change and increased medicine use, while patent expiries and biosimilars are expected to moderate spending growth. Access remains a challenge: a 2026 study found 7,240 U.S. pharmacy closures versus 4,178 openings during 2022–2024, a net loss of 3,062 pharmacies.[72][85]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- Retail pharmacy competition is shifting toward mail order, online prescription fulfillment, specialty pharmacy and integrated healthcare services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that pharmacist demand is expected to be limited in retail settings as the industry consolidates and more prescriptions are filled online or by mail; 37% of U.S. pharmacists worked in pharmacies and drug retailers in 2025, compared with 32% in hospitals.[60]
- M&A
- Consolidation remained prominent: Walgreens Boots Alliance agreed in 2025 to be acquired by Sycamore Partners in a transaction valued at up to $23.7 billion. In November 2026, CVS Health announced plans to separate into two publicly traded companies, including a retail pharmacy business with approximately 9,000 CVS pharmacies, with completion expected in the first half of 2028.[42]
- Regulation
- U.S. regulation is increasingly focused on drug affordability, generic competition, shortages and Medicare purchasing power. CMS estimated that negotiated prices for the first 10 Medicare drugs would have reduced 2023 net covered prescription drug spending by $6 billion, or 22%, if they had applied that year; FDA reported four new drug shortages in 2025, down from 15 in 2024 and 55 in 2023.[108][71]
- Latest news
- The most significant recent pharmacy-sector development is CVS Health's November 4, 2026 announcement that it intends to separate its healthcare-solutions operations from CVS Pharmacy. The planned pharmacy company would include approximately 9,000 pharmacies, mail pharmacy and MinuteClinic, with the separation targeted for the first half of 2028.[42]
02 Ranking
Top 10 Companies in the Pharmacy Industry
The leading companies in the pharmacy industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 7, 2026 · Next review December 7, 2026
McKesson leads Gitnux's 2026 pharmacy ranking with an Overall score of 9.4, with revenue growth 16.2%, operating margin 1.2%. Cencora is the runner-up at 9.1, driven by revenue growth 9.3%, operating margin 0.8%.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in pharmaceutical distribution
McKesson
US
Ranked #1 · 9.4 · Pharmaceutical distribution
Why we picked it: It supplies pharmacies and health systems and reports 16.2% revenue growth in pharmaceutical distribution and pharmacy technology.
Leader in retail and pharmacy technology
CVS Health
US
Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Retail and pharmacy technology
Why we picked it: It operates about 9,000 retail pharmacy locations plus mail and specialty pharmacy with 7.8% revenue growth.
Leader in mail and specialty pharmacy
The Cigna Group
US
Ranked #4 · 8.9 · Mail and specialty pharmacy
Why we picked it: It relies on Express Scripts mail and specialty pharmacy, with revenue growth reported at 11%.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Performance | Momentum | Innovation | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McKesson Pharmaceutical distribution · US | 9.4 | 9.9 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · McKesson · Data as of November 7, 2026 A leading pharmaceutical distributor supplying pharmacies, providers and health systems.[111]
| |||||||
| 2 | Cencora Pharmaceutical distribution · US | 9.1 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 9.1 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · Cencora · Data as of November 7, 2026 Serves pharmacies and providers through global pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare solutions.[112]
| |||||||
| 3 | CVS Health Retail and pharmacy technology · US | 8.9 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 8.7 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · CVS Health · Data as of November 7, 2026 Operates about 9,000 retail pharmacy locations and a major pharmacy benefits manager.[113]
| |||||||
| 4 | The Cigna Group Mail and specialty pharmacy · US | 8.9 | 8.5 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 9.3 | |
Company snapshot · The Cigna Group · Data as of November 7, 2026 Express Scripts is one of the largest U.S. mail and specialty pharmacy operators.[40]
| |||||||
| 5 | Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical distribution · US | 8.8 | 9.8 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · Cardinal Health · Data as of November 7, 2026 Distributes pharmaceuticals and supplies pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare providers.[114]
| |||||||
| 6 | Sigma Healthcare Australian pharmacy wholesale and retail network · AU | 8.7 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 8.2 | |
Company snapshot · Sigma Healthcare · Data as of November 7, 2026 Completed its merger with Chemist Warehouse and operates a major Australian pharmacy platform.[115]
| |||||||
| 7 | UnitedHealth Group Optum Rx mail, specialty and community pharmacy · US | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · UnitedHealth Group · Data as of November 7, 2026 Optum Rx is one of the largest U.S. mail, specialty and community pharmacy businesses.[40]
| |||||||
| 8 | Loblaw Companies Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy retail in Canada · CA | 8.2 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · Loblaw Companies · Data as of November 7, 2026 Owns Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada's leading pharmacy retailer with more than 1,300 locations.[116]
| |||||||
| 9 | The Kroger Company Supermarket pharmacy and specialty pharmacy · US | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · The Kroger Company · Data as of November 7, 2026 Operates pharmacy departments across its supermarket network and previously owned specialty pharmacy assets.[117]
| |||||||
| 10 | Humana CenterWell senior and specialty pharmacy · US | 8.1 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 8.7 | |
Company snapshot · Humana · Data as of November 7, 2026 CenterWell operates mail, specialty and community pharmacy services focused on older adults.[40]
| |||||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
- Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
- Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
- Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 7, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the pharmacy industry. In Pharmacy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pharmacy-industry-statistics/#top-companies
Revenue of the largest pharmacy companies
CVS Health leads with $402.1B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Pharmacy Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the pharmacy industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Medicine spending continues rising globally
High confidenceIQVIA expects global medicine spending to exceed $2.6 trillion by 2030, with annual growth of 5%–8%. The strongest spending drivers through 2030 are innovative treatments in oncology, immunology, diabetes and obesity.[72]
Forecast 2027: Global pharmacy demand should continue expanding in 2027, although growth will remain faster in emerging markets and specialty therapies than in mature retail markets. A reasonable base case is 5%–8% growth in medicine spending, consistent with IQVIA’s medium-term outlook.
02U.S. prescription spending moderates
High confidenceU.S. prescription drug spending rose 7.9% to $467.0 billion in 2024. CMS projects retail prescription drug spending to grow 8.2% in 2026 and average 5.1% annually in 2027–2028.[108]
Forecast 2027: U.S. prescription spending is likely to grow by roughly 5%–6% in 2027, as strong utilization of diabetes and obesity medicines is partly offset by negotiated prices, generic competition and slower price growth.
03Obesity medicines drive pharmacy demand
High confidenceCMS identifies diabetes and obesity medicines as major contributors to projected retail prescription growth, including 11.1% growth in 2025 and 8.2% growth in 2026. CDC data show that 33.5% of U.S. adults had obesity in 2025.[108][118]
Forecast 2027: GLP-1 and related obesity therapies should remain one of the pharmacy industry’s fastest-growing demand categories in 2027. Growth will likely shift from initial treatment starts toward refills, maintenance therapy and broader insurance coverage, while supply and affordability remain constraints.
04Specialty medicines gain share
High confidenceIQVIA reports that spending growth is shifting toward more expensive therapies, with oncology, immunology, diabetes and obesity among the largest drivers. FDA states that biologics represented only 5% of U.S. prescriptions but 51% of total drug spending in 2024.[72][71]
Forecast 2027: Specialty pharmacy revenue and operational complexity should continue increasing in 2027, with more dispensing, patient-support and adherence activity moving into specialty channels. Retail pharmacies will face pressure to build specialty capabilities or refer high-value prescriptions to integrated specialty providers.
05Biosimilar competition expands
High confidenceFDA reported 89 licensed biosimilar products as of August 2026, including 42 designated interchangeable. FDA’s product list also shows multiple biosimilars approved in 2026 for products such as insulin aspart, insulin glargine, denosumab and ranibizumab.[71]
Forecast 2027: Biosimilar availability should increase substitution and payer pressure in 2027, particularly in insulin, ophthalmology, oncology and immunology. Adoption will probably remain uneven because contracting, prescriber confidence and reimbursement incentives can delay switching.
06Generic substitution intensifies price pressure
High confidenceCMS’s negotiation rules explicitly consider whether a generic or biosimilar is approved and marketed when determining drug eligibility or deselection. The agency also reports that negotiated prices for 15 drugs will take effect on January 1, 2027.[108]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, pharmacies and payers should continue prioritizing lower-cost generics, authorized generics and biosimilars where clinically appropriate. Brand products facing loss of exclusivity will experience greater formulary and reimbursement pressure.
07Medicare negotiation reshapes prices
High confidenceCMS will implement negotiated maximum fair prices for 15 drugs beginning January 1, 2027. CMS estimates that the second negotiation cycle would have reduced 2024 net covered drug spending by $8.5 billion, or approximately 36%, if the negotiated prices had applied that year.[108]
Forecast 2027: Negotiated Medicare prices should reduce reimbursement and spending on selected high-cost medicines in 2027, while increasing the importance of contract execution and claims administration for pharmacies. Manufacturers are likely to respond with tighter launch pricing, contracting changes and greater emphasis on medicines outside the negotiation scope.
08PBM scrutiny intensifies
High confidenceThe FTC describes the pharmacy benefit manager market as highly concentrated and vertically integrated with major insurers, specialty pharmacies and retail pharmacies. A 2025 FTC interim report estimated that the three largest PBMs generated $1.4 billion in spread-pricing income on analyzed specialty generic drugs during the study period.[21]
Forecast 2027: PBM transparency, spread pricing and reimbursement practices should remain central pharmacy-industry issues in 2027. Independent pharmacies will continue seeking clearer pass-through pricing and stronger protections against below-cost reimbursement, while regulators and plan sponsors increase scrutiny of vertically integrated models.
09Retail pharmacy footprints contract
High confidenceBLS says retail pharmacist demand is expected to be limited as the industry consolidates and more prescriptions are filled online or by mail. A JAMA Health Forum study identified 17,493 pharmacy closures and 16,783 openings among U.S. community pharmacies from 2010 through 2023.[60][46]
Forecast 2027: Closures and selective store rationalization should continue in 2027, especially among locations with weak prescription volume, low reimbursement or high labor costs. Pharmacy deserts and access concerns will increase pressure on governments and chains to preserve service in underserved communities.
10Mail and online fulfillment expand
High confidenceBLS links limited retail pharmacist demand to consolidation and increased prescription filling online or by mail. CVS’s planned separation includes approximately 9,000 retail pharmacies, mail pharmacy and MinuteClinic, illustrating that large operators are managing store and centralized fulfillment channels together.[60][42]
Forecast 2027: Mail and online prescription fulfillment should capture additional refill volume in 2027, particularly for chronic medicines and specialty therapies. Physical pharmacies will increasingly compete through same-day access, clinical services, vaccinations and complex prescription support rather than routine refills alone.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
AI and automation appear across documentation, dispensing, and access: 63% of pharmacies used automated pill-counting and 32% used automated dispensing robots in 2023.
AI in the pharmacy industry
- 63% of pharmacy forecast panelists said most health systems would likely adopt AI for pharmacist EHR documentation by 2029.[1]
- 50.1% of male U.S. practicing pharmacists reported using AI software in 2023.[2]
- 38.7% of U.S. practicing pharmacists reported having used AI software in a 2023 survey published in 2025.[2]
- 31% of female U.S. practicing pharmacists reported using AI software in 2023.[2]
- 82.5% of U.S. practicing pharmacists reported familiarity with AI software in a 2023 survey published in 2025.[2]
- 10% of U.S. practicing pharmacists who used AI reported using image-generation tools in 2023.[2]
Automation in the pharmacy industry
- 42% of U.S. independent pharmacies used mobile commerce or signature-capture devices in 2023.[3]
- 71% of U.S. independent pharmacies offered a mobile app in 2023.[3]
- 4% of U.S. independent pharmacies used remote monitoring from wearable or other digital devices in 2023.[3]
- 73% of U.S. pharmacies used automated pill-counting technology in 2023.[3]
- 32% of U.S. pharmacies used automated dispensing robots in 2023.[3]
- 2% of U.S. independent pharmacies offered pharmacist-patient telehealth videoconferencing in 2023.[3]
Digital Transformation in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- About 90% of surveyed global healthcare C-suite executives expected digital technology use to accelerate in 2025, including 50% anticipating a significant impact.[4]
- Across surveyed healthcare practitioners, 60% believed their organizations’ digital experiences met or exceeded customer needs in 2025.[5]
- Among healthcare respondents to KPMG’s global technology survey, 49% were adopting DevSecOps approaches to adapt digital-transformation strategies.[6]
- About 70% of surveyed healthcare executives said investing in technology platforms for digital tools and services would be important or very important in 2025.[4]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 71% used predictive AI integrated into electronic health records in 2024.[7]
Technology Adoption in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 81% enabled patient access through applications using application-programming-interface specifications in 2024.[7]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 99% enabled patients to view health information electronically in 2024.[7]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 96% enabled patients to download health information electronically in 2024.[7]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 84% enabled patients to transmit health information to a third party electronically in 2024.[7]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 92% enabled patients to securely message providers in 2024.[7]
- Across U.S. non-federal acute care hospitals, 70% enabled patient access through applications using HL7 FHIR specifications in 2024.[7]
Cloud Computing in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across surveyed healthcare organizations globally, 18% had started adopting cloud services but lacked a comprehensive cloud strategy at the end of 2025.[8]
- Across surveyed healthcare organizations globally, 15% reported that cloud adoption was fully integrated into business strategy at the end of 2025.[8]
- Across surveyed healthcare organizations globally, 31% had a formal cloud strategy and governance framework that was not yet integrated into IT strategy at the end of 2025.[8]
- Across surveyed healthcare organizations globally, 8% reported minimal cloud adoption without formal strategy or governance at the end of 2025.[8]
- Across surveyed healthcare organizations globally, 27% reported that cloud operations were well managed and integrated into overall IT strategy at the end of 2025.[8]
Big Data in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Pharmaceutical executives emphasize benchmarking and governance: 99% said benchmarking data is critical for revenue-management insights, while 97% cited concerns about internal data in 2024.
Business intelligence in the pharmacy industry
- 41% of pharmaceutical medical-affairs leaders used proprietary tools or systems to gather or share insights in 2023.[10]
- 47% of pharmaceutical medical-affairs leaders used business-intelligence platforms to store or share insights in 2023.[10]
- 58% of pharmaceutical medical-affairs leaders used a data-visualization product to gather or share insights in 2023.[10]
- 61% of pharmaceutical medical-affairs leaders used technology to collect data for generating insights in 2023, while 8% described the process as highly automated.[10]
- 19% of pharmaceutical medical-affairs leaders used a single central file-sharing repository for insights in 2023.[10]
- 99% of pharmaceutical executives surveyed said benchmarking data was critical for revenue-management insights, and 64% said their companies purchased such data.[11]
Data analytics in the pharmacy industry
- 40% of pharmaceutical executives cited data privacy as an internal-data concern in 2024.[11]
- 97% of pharmaceutical executives cited concerns about their internal data in 2024.[11]
- 45% of pharmaceutical executives reported using data in all revenue-management decisions in 2024.[11]
- 48% of pharmaceutical companies surveyed were pursuing big data and analytics, including 55% of large companies and 43% of small and midsize companies.[12]
- 37% of pharmaceutical executives cited data accuracy as an internal-data concern in 2024.[11]
- 49% of clinical-research industry respondents reported using AI and big-data analytics in drug development in 2024.[13]
Data Quality in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- 40% of U.S. healthcare clinical data abstractors reported that incomplete data hampers clinical registry efforts in 2024.[14]
- 75% of U.S. healthcare organizations represented in the survey predominantly used clinical registry data for quality and process improvement in 2024.[14]
- 40% of U.S. healthcare clinical data abstractors reported that manual data entry hampers clinical registry efforts in 2024.[14]
- 50% of U.S. healthcare clinical data abstractors reported that data inaccuracies hamper clinical registry efforts in 2024.[14]
- 8% of U.S. healthcare organizations rated their provider data as excellent in 2022.[15]
Data Governance in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- 10% of healthcare organizations managed data governance exclusively within IT in 2025.[15]
- 39% of healthcare organizations reported having a formally chartered data-governance function in 2025.[15]
- 66% of healthcare organizations reported multidisciplinary representation in governance, including patient or consumer representatives, in 2025.[15]
- 72% of healthcare organizations operated governance using approved policy and standards frameworks in 2025.[15]
- 38% of healthcare organizations had formal data and information quality-management statements in 2025.[15]
- 77% of healthcare organizations reported that their governance functions met at least quarterly in 2025.[15]
KPIs in the pharmacy industry
- 45% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies tracked service level as a medical-information KPI in 2024.[16]
- 52% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies tracked escalation rate as a customer-query metric or KPI in 2024.[16]
- 61% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies differentiated between metrics and KPIs in 2024.[17]
- 65% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies tracked the number of documents created or updated as a medical-information KPI in 2024.[16]
- 68% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies tracked service level as a customer-query metric or KPI in 2024.[16]
- 55% of surveyed pharmaceutical companies tracked contact types as a medical-information KPI in 2024.[16]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
R&D intensity and specialty mix matter: global market growth was 9.7% in 2024, and specialty pharmacy represented 39% of U.S. dispensing revenue in 2023.
Growth in the pharmacy industry
- Pharmaceutical R&D expenditure by large companies increased 73% between 2019 and 2024, reaching $190 billion in 2024.[18]
- EU pharmaceutical R&D spending rose from €27.8 billion in 2010 to €46.2 billion in 2022, equivalent to average annual growth of 4.4%.[19]
- The global pharmaceutical market grew 9.7% in 2024, according to AstraZeneca’s market summary based on IQVIA data.[20]
- Large pharmaceutical companies spent $190 billion on research and development in 2024, equal to 25.2% of their sales.[18]
- 20% growth increased AstraZeneca’s European product sales to $10.848 billion in 2024.[20]
- 18% growth increased BioMarin’s European product revenue to $829.031 million in 2024.[20]
Differentiation in the pharmacy industry
- $1.263 billion was Pfizer’s 2024 Nurtec ODT and Vydura revenue, up 36% from 2023.[20]
- $3.599 billion was Teva’s U.S. revenue from generic products and biosimilars in 2024.[20]
- $1.642 billion was Teva’s U.S. revenue from AUSTEDO, its branded central-nervous-system product, in 2024.[20]
- $5.716 billion was Pfizer’s 2024 Paxlovid revenue, compared with $1.279 billion in 2023.[20]
- Specialty pharmacy represented 39% of U.S. dispensing revenue in 2023, combining 8% specialty retail and 31% specialty mail order.[21]
- $1.937 billion was Teva’s international-market revenue from generic products and biosimilars in 2024.[20]
Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmacy industry
- $34 million was the average life-sciences M&A deal size in 2025, up from $28.7 million in 2024.[4]
- Walgreens shareholders approved a private-equity acquisition valued at approximately $10 billion in July 2025.[22]
- 267 pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions were recorded globally in 2016, the peak reported for the 2010–2023 period.[23]
- $18 billion was the aggregate value of life-sciences M&A transactions in 2025.[4]
- 5.9% was the average increase in pharmaceutical market concentration during the 12 months after an M&A transaction.[23]
- 40% of life-sciences M&A deal volume came from pharmaceuticals in 2025.[4]
Strategic partnerships in the pharmacy industry
- 100 collaboration partnerships were announced in 2024 in William Blair’s biopharma sample.[24]
- Roche reported new partnerships in 2024 across multiple categories, including research, development, commercialisation, and technology collaborations.[25]
- Approximately 38% of large-pharma deals in 2025 involved Chinese biopharmaceutical companies, according to Nature’s review of biopharma deal activity.[26]
- $755 million was the median total deal value for biopharma collaboration agreements in 2024.[24]
- Gilead paid $35 million in 2024 for work under a collaboration with Genesis Therapeutics involving artificial-intelligence-based drug discovery.[27]
- 87 licensing partnerships were announced in 2024 in William Blair’s biopharma sample.[24]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Staffing and vacancies track industry consolidation and workload: U.S. pharmacist jobs were 325,200 in 2025, alongside posted technician demand and vacancy measures.
Hiring in the pharmacy industry
- 73.4% of U.S. hospital-pharmacy survey respondents reported a pharmacy-technician shortage in 2021.[1]
- 7.8% was the pharmacist vacancy rate in Scotland on September 30, 2024.[28]
- 8,429 U.S. retail-pharmacist job postings were recorded in the 2024 Pharmacy Demand Report.[29]
- 4,457 U.S. clinical-pharmacist job postings were recorded in the 2024 Pharmacy Demand Report.[29]
- 43,880 pharmacy-technician job postings were reported in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2025.[29]
Employee retention in the pharmacy industry
- 63% of pharmacy technicians considered the profession a long-term career in the 2025 workforce survey.[30]
- 48.7% of actively practicing U.S. pharmacists agreed that they would recommend pharmacy as a good profession or career in 2024.[29]
- 25.5% of U.S. pharmacists surveyed in 2024 were likely or very likely to leave their current job.[31]
- 83.2% of actively practicing U.S. pharmacists in other practice settings were somewhat or very satisfied with their jobs in 2024.[29]
- 57.6% of actively practicing U.S. pharmacists were somewhat or very satisfied with their advancement or promotion opportunities in 2024.[29]
Remote Work in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. health care and social assistance, 18% of full-time employees worked fully from home during December 2024–March 2025.[32]
- Across U.S. medical groups, 18% of leaders expected their organization’s share of remote or hybrid jobs to decrease during 2024.[33]
- Across U.S. medical groups, 52% reported that 1%–25% of their workforce worked remotely at least 50% of the time.[33]
- Across U.S. medical groups, 22% of leaders expected their organization’s share of remote or hybrid jobs to increase during 2024.[33]
Hybrid Work in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- About 12% of nonclinical healthcare administrative and customer-support jobs were hybrid in a 2024 Robert Half survey cited by the Medical Group Management Association.[33]
- Across U.S. health care and social assistance, 24% of full-time employees were in hybrid arrangements during December 2024–March 2025.[32]
- Across U.S. healthcare practitioners and technical roles, 16% had part-time remote availability, equivalent to hybrid availability, in the 2022 McKinsey American Opportunity Survey.[33]
- About 6% of U.S. healthcare jobs were hybrid in a 2024 Robert Half survey cited by the Medical Group Management Association.[33]
- Across U.S. healthcare support roles, 14% had part-time remote availability, equivalent to hybrid availability, in the 2022 McKinsey American Opportunity Survey.[33]
Upskilling in the pharmacy industry
- 21.4% of U.S. hospital-pharmacy employers used sign-on bonuses for pharmacy technicians in 2021.[1]
- 28.6% of U.S. hospital-pharmacy employers used professional-development reimbursement to address technician workforce challenges in 2021.[1]
- 1.4 million hours of pharmacy education were provided by the American Pharmacists Association to pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in 2024.[34]
- 9.1% of actively practicing U.S. pharmacists had completed a postgraduate year-one residency in 2024.[29]
- 19.0% of actively practicing U.S. ambulatory-care pharmacists reported interest in reskilling in 2024.[29]
Employee Engagement in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across 2.3 million U.S. healthcare workers, employee engagement declined by 0.02 points in 2024.[35]
- Among U.S. healthcare advanced practice providers, 52% felt heard in 2024.[35]
- Across U.S. healthcare workers, 78% believed their organization cared about their safety in 2024.[35]
- Across U.S. healthcare organizations, employee turnover fell from 20% to 18% in 2024.[35]
- U.S. registered nurses with low teamwork scores were 1.53 times more likely to leave their healthcare organization in 2024.[35]
DEI in the pharmacy industry
- 6.8% of actively practicing U.S. pharmacists agreed that they experienced race or ethnicity discrimination at work in 2024.[29]
08 Statistics
Customer & Sales
Customer experience in the pharmacy industry
- 84 points was the U.S. drugstore industry’s 2024 customer-satisfaction score for mobile-app quality.[36]
- 79 points was the U.S. drugstore industry’s 2024 score for merchandise availability.[36]
- 84 points was the U.S. drugstore industry’s 2024 score for mobile-app reliability.[36]
- 81 points was the U.S. drugstore industry’s 2024 score for ability to provide brand-name products.[36]
- 56% of U.S. consumers said pharmacy-filled cards or pouches with individual doses would be helpful in 2024.[37]
Customer retention in the pharmacy industry
- 102 points higher was overall satisfaction among U.S. pharmacy customers who knew their pharmacist by name in 2023.[38]
- 18% of U.S. mail-order pharmacy customers said they would probably or definitely switch pharmacies within the next year in 2023.[38]
- 51% of U.S. retail-pharmacy customers in 2024 said their prescriptions were filled quickly.[39]
- 706 points was the 2025 U.S. mass-merchandiser pharmacy customer-satisfaction score.[39]
- 45 percentage points was MetroHealth’s reported increase in patient refill retention after its pharmacy changes.[40]
Customer acquisition in the pharmacy industry
- 15% of U.S. consumers in 2023 went to a pharmacy they or their parents had always used.[41]
- 82% of U.S. pharmacies used Facebook for digital marketing in 2023.[3]
- 90% of Americans in 2022 lived within five miles of a retail pharmacy.[42]
- 88% of U.S. pharmacy consumers in 2024 had received or were open to receiving vaccine administration at a pharmacy.[43]
- 92% of U.S. pharmacy consumers in 2024 had received or were open to receiving COVID-19 testing at a pharmacy.[43]
Customer loyalty in the pharmacy industry
- Nearly 90% of U.S. adults in 2023 trusted their local pharmacist and pharmacy team.[42]
- 61% of U.S. pharmacy customers in 2022 said they were more loyal to desired products than to the pharmacy they used.[44]
- 102 points higher was overall satisfaction for U.S. pharmacy customers who knew their pharmacist by name in 2023.[38]
- 83% of U.S. brick-and-mortar pharmacy customers in 2023 were interested in receiving health and wellness services at their pharmacy.[39]
- 74% of U.S. adults in 2022 trusted their local pharmacist or pharmacy team.[42]
Lead generation in the pharmacy industry
- 89% of U.S. mail-order pharmacy customers in 2023 relied on digital technology to interact with their pharmacy.[39]
- 76% of U.S. brick-and-mortar pharmacy customers in 2022 used digital technology to interact with their pharmacy.[39]
- 64% of U.S. adults in 2024 were familiar with pharmacists’ over-the-counter product counseling.[45]
- 29% of U.S. mail-order pharmacy customers in 2023 used text messages to interact with their pharmacy.[39]
- 71% of U.S. pharmacies used a mobile app in 2023.[3]
09 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
Brand and channel influence appears alongside social media usage: 82% of U.S. pharmacies used Facebook for digital marketing in 2023.
Marketing in the pharmacy industry
- $15.6 billion was spent marketing pharmaceuticals to healthcare professionals in the United States in 1997.[46]
- 15.2% was the five-year compound annual growth rate of pharmaceutical revenue through 2024 globally.[47]
- 2.1% of pharmaceutical companies’ revenue was the median advertising spend in 2022 globally.[47]
- 19.7% was the average year-over-year increase in biopharma and medtech marketing spending in 2023.[48]
- 4.4% of pharmaceutical companies’ revenue was the median advertising spend in 2019 globally.[47]
Digital marketing in the pharmacy industry
- 24% of independent pharmacy websites listed products on sale in 2021 in the United States.[49]
- 62% of independent pharmacy websites included health education information or resources in 2021 in the United States.[49]
- 31% of independent pharmacy websites listed upcoming pharmacy events in 2021 in the United States.[49]
- 9% of independent pharmacies used YouTube in 2022 in the United States.[50]
- 24% of independent pharmacy websites listed community events sponsored or attended by the pharmacy in 2021 in the United States.[49]
Branding in the pharmacy industry
- 45% was Nature Made’s consideration-to-awareness conversion rate among U.S. adults in 2025.[51]
- 88% of U.S. adults recognized Band-Aid in the 2025 drugs and medical brand rankings.[51]
- 93% of UK consumers said an OTC product brand name helped them find the right product on shelves in 2026.[52]
- 50% was Band-Aid’s consideration-to-awareness conversion rate among U.S. adults in 2025.[51]
- 61% of UK consumers said trust in an OTC brand influenced their purchase decision in 2026.[52]
Influencer Marketing in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- 38% of posts from U.S.-focused health and wellness influencers promoted a product, service or subscription in 2026.[54]
- 92% of U.S.-focused health and wellness influencers included product or service promotions at least occasionally in 2026.[54]
- 50% of U.S. physicians surveyed had changed prescribing choices based on healthcare influencer or KOL content on social media in 2024.[55]
- 8.57 million influencer posts about the health industry generated a 1.07% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[56]
- 50% of healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers reported dedicated, growing creator/influencer budgets in 2026, compared with 58% globally.[57]
10 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Operational controls and error rates are tracked in pharmacy systems: specialty pharmacies reported 1.46 incorrect-strength errors per 100,000 prescriptions over 2019–2023.
Process optimization in the pharmacy industry
- 21% of independent U.S. pharmacies used robot-based medication-compliance packaging in 2023.[3]
- 58% of independent pharmacies used automated dispensing counters in 2022 in the United States.[50]
- 21% of independent U.S. pharmacies used geofencing or digital retargeting in 2023.[3]
- 32% of independent U.S. pharmacies used automated dispensing technology in 2023.[3]
- 83% of independent U.S. pharmacies used text notifications in 2023.[3]
Operational efficiency in the pharmacy industry
- Pharmaceutical distributor sales reached $862 billion in the United States in 2024.[58]
- 87.3% of U.S. hospitals used basic pharmacy-related analytics in 2023.[59]
- Pharmacies and drug stores employed 715,200 people in the United States in 2022.[60]
- 67,601 prescriptions were dispensed on average by each independent community-pharmacy location in 2024 in the United States.[50]
- 12.4 full- and part-time workers were employed on average by each independent pharmacy in 2024 in the United States.[50]
Quality management in the pharmacy industry
- 1.46 incorrect-strength errors per 100,000 prescriptions were reported by URAC-accredited specialty pharmacies over 2019–2023.[61]
- 1.27 incorrect-dosage-form errors per 100,000 prescriptions were reported by URAC-accredited specialty pharmacies over 2019–2023.[61]
- 2.55 incorrect-instruction errors per 100,000 prescriptions were reported by URAC-accredited specialty pharmacies over 2019–2023.[61]
- 25 dispensing errors per 100,000 prescriptions were reported by URAC-accredited specialty pharmacies in 2019.[61]
- 55% of reviewed dispensing-error studies identified workload as a contributing factor in community and outpatient pharmacies.[16]
Supply chain in the pharmacy industry
- 46% of discontinued oral-solid drug products in the United States had a price below $1 per unit in 2024.[62]
- Net margins after taxes for U.S. pharmaceutical distributors were 0.2% of revenue in 2024.[58]
- Approximately 6.6 billion prescriptions were dispensed by U.S. pharmacies in 2023.[38]
- More than 90% of U.S. drug shortages were persistent, long-standing shortages in 2024.[62]
- 63% of independent U.S. pharmacies ordered GLP-1 agonists only after paid claims in 2024.[50]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- 46% of global healthcare providers used third-party providers for customer-experience services in 2024, based on a survey of 28 healthcare-provider executives.[63]
- 43% of global healthcare providers used third-party providers for payroll services in 2024, based on a survey of 28 healthcare-provider executives.[63]
- 29% of global healthcare providers used third-party providers for remote patient monitoring in 2024, based on a survey of 28 healthcare-provider executives.[63]
- 54% of global healthcare providers used third-party providers for supply-chain services in 2024, based on a survey of 28 healthcare-provider executives.[63]
- 20% of U.S. medical-group leaders planned to outsource or automate some revenue-cycle-management activities in 2024, according to an MGMA poll with 262 responses.[33]
11 Statistics
Finance & Pricing
Margins and payer pressure remain central: net margins after taxes for U.S. pharmaceutical distributors were 0.2% of revenue in 2024.
Pricing strategy in the pharmacy industry
- $1.4 billion was the estimated aggregate spread-pricing income generated by the three largest pharmacy benefit managers on analyzed specialty generic drugs over the study period.[21]
- 3.2% was the estimated total margin earned by pharmacies on U.S. retail drugs in 2022.[64]
- 31.2% was the estimated total margin earned by pharmacy benefit managers on U.S. retail drugs in 2022.[64]
- 51% of independent pharmacies strongly considered not stocking drugs on Medicare’s negotiation list because of cost considerations in 2024.[50]
- 4% was the estimated average net margin for pharmacies in a pharmaceutical supply-chain analysis.[65]
Cost reduction in the pharmacy industry
- 10% was the approximate average reduction in pharmacies’ cost of goods sold achieved through broader purchasing options and competitive pricing in 2024.[66]
- 47% of independent pharmacies had declined one or more pharmacy-benefit-manager contracts for 2026 by September 2025.[50]
- 67% of surveyed independent pharmacies offered medication synchronization in 2025.[67]
- 71% of surveyed independent pharmacies offered seasonal vaccinations in 2025.[67]
- 95% of surveyed independent pharmacies used multiple wholesalers to acquire generic drugs in 2025.[67]
Profitability in the pharmacy industry
- 48.6% of independent pharmacists said their business’s financial health declined significantly in 2024.[50]
- $6,526.0 million was infusion and specialty-pharmacy revenue for the reported company in 2024.[68]
- $9,095.9 million was infusion and specialty-pharmacy revenue for the reported company in 2025.[68]
- 3.2% was the estimated total margin for pharmacies on U.S. retail drugs in 2022.[64]
- $5.411 million was the average sales per independent community-pharmacy location in 2024 in the United States.[50]
Financial planning in the pharmacy industry
- 60% of independent pharmacy owners had used personal or business savings to maintain operations in 2026.[69]
- 32% of independent pharmacies said their financial health declined slightly during the year ending in 2025.[50]
- 96.5% of independent pharmacists said pharmacy-benefit-manager and Medicare Part D reimbursement threatened their business’s viability in 2025.[50]
- 26.6% was the share of total commercial health-care spending represented by pharmacy benefits among reporting public-sector purchasers in 2024.[70]
- 12% of independent pharmacies said their financial health improved during the year ending in 2025.[50]
12 Statistics
Product & Service
Service breadth includes oncology and pharmacy interventions: 1,700 pharmacist interventions were generated by an early check-in protocol for patients starting oral anticancer medicines.
Product development in the pharmacy industry
- 89 oncology drug and biologic product approvals were facilitated by the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence in the United States in 2024.[71]
- $190 billion was spent on research and development by the largest pharmaceutical companies in 2024, equal to 25.2% of sales globally.[18]
- $102 billion in global biopharmaceutical funding was recorded in 2024, excluding the pandemic-driven peaks of 2020 and 2021.[72]
- 34 of 50 novel drugs approved by FDA CDER in the United States in 2024 were approved there before approval in other countries.[71]
- 33 of 50 novel therapies approved by FDA CDER in the United States in 2024 used at least one expedited-development or review program.[71]
Product lifecycle in the pharmacy industry
- 682 abbreviated new drug applications were approved by FDA CDER in fiscal year 2025.[71]
- Generic applications accounted for 85% of FDA CDER original-application approvals across fiscal years 2016–2025.[71]
- Biosimilars represented more than 40% of FDA CDER biologics-license approvals in both fiscal years 2024 and 2025.[71]
- 13.5 years was the average period from biopharmaceutical product launch to patent or other exclusivity expiry in the molecules studied globally.[72]
- Modification patents provided a median 2.3 years of additional effective protection before generic entry among 199 drugs studied through August 2025.[73]
After-sales in the pharmacy industry
- More than 3,916 community pharmacies participated in England’s 2024 Pharmacy Advice Audit.[74]
- 21.7 unfunded consultations were completed per community pharmacy per day on average in England in the 2024 Pharmacy Advice Audit.[74]
- 25% of U.S. community pharmacy respondents reported offering opioid-deprescribing services in the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study.[75]
- 19% of U.S. community pharmacy respondents reported offering injection administration in the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study.[75]
- 46% of patients enrolled in a pharmaceutical-sponsored patient-support program remained on therapy after two years, compared with 34% in the control group.[72]
Value proposition in the pharmacy industry
- 10,407 community pharmacies were open in England on 31 March 2025.[76]
- 15.8 million Americans were estimated to live in pharmacy deserts in a 2024 study cited in reporting on pharmacy access.[77]
- 13 million prescription items were dispensed by appliance contractors in England in 2024/25, up 7% from 2023/24.[76]
- 1.16 billion prescription items were dispensed by community pharmacies in England in 2024/25, up 4% from the previous year.[76]
- 1,700 pharmacist interventions were generated by an early check-in protocol for patients starting oral anticancer medicines in a reported U.S. study.[1]
13 Statistics
Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainability reporting includes waste and emissions measures, with quantified landfill outcomes such as 688 tonnes of waste going to landfill in 2025 worldwide.
Sustainability in the pharmacy industry
- 688 tonnes of AstraZeneca’s waste went to landfill in 2025 worldwide.[78]
- 139,594 tonnes of gross Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions were reported by AstraZeneca in 2024 worldwide.[78]
- 31% of analyzed biotech and pharmaceutical companies had medium-term Scope 1 and 2 targets aligned with a 1.5°C pathway.[79]
- 23,409 tonnes of total waste were generated by AstraZeneca in 2025 worldwide.[78]
- 26% was Johnson & Johnson’s reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions from 2021 to 2024 worldwide.[80]
ESG in the pharmacy industry
- 97% of Johnson & Johnson sales and marketing employees completed health-care compliance training in 2024.[80]
- Greater than 99% pay parity between female and male employees was reported by Merck in its 2023 global study.[81]
- 11th out of 20 major pharmaceutical companies was Roche’s ranking in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index assessment.[82]
- 113 low- and middle-income countries were covered by the 2024 Access to Medicine Index.[83]
- 1 of the 8 best practices in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index concerned governance of access.[83]
Ethics in the pharmacy industry
- 11.59 dispensing errors per 100,000 prescriptions involved incorrect quantity in the URAC five-year specialty-pharmacy dataset.[61]
- 19 dispensing errors per 100,000 prescriptions was the five-year weighted average reported by URAC-accredited specialty pharmacies through 2023.[61]
- 45% of wrong-drug dispensing errors in pharmacist liability-claim data involved look-alike or sound-alike medicines.[84]
- 8 studies applied inter-rater reliability in the systematic review of pharmacy dispensing errors.[85]
- 1.27 dispensing errors per 100,000 prescriptions involved incorrect dosage form in the URAC five-year specialty-pharmacy dataset.[61]
CSR in the pharmacy industry
- 74 countries were represented in Johnson & Johnson’s 2024 Global Activity Challenge.[80]
- $3.2 billion was Merck’s global spending with small and diverse Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in 2022.[81]
- More than 30 million women had been reached by Merck for Mothers through 2023.[81]
- 14 countries had hospitals participating in Johnson & Johnson’s recycling program for single-use medical devices in 2024.[80]
- Approximately 34,000 Johnson & Johnson employees participated in the 2024 Global Activity Challenge.[80]
Circular economy in the pharmacy industry
- 1.1 thousand tonnes of Novartis operational waste went to landfill in 2024 worldwide.[86]
- 19.7 thousand tonnes of Pfizer non-hazardous waste were diverted from disposal in 2024 worldwide.[87]
- 91% of AstraZeneca’s product sales revenue came from brands with a completed lifecycle assessment in 2025.[78]
- 300 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually by the biopharmaceutical industry, according to an industry sustainability assessment.[4]
- 97% of AstraZeneca’s paper-based product packaging materials came from sustainable sources in 2025.[78]
Carbon footprint in the pharmacy industry
- 139,594 tonnes of AstraZeneca gross Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions were recorded in 2024 worldwide.[78]
- 30.9 million cubic metres was Pfizer’s water withdrawal in 2024 worldwide.[87]
- Scope 3 emissions were 6.5 times Scope 1 and 2 emissions combined for private biotech and pharmaceutical companies in 2023.[79]
- 5,897,822 tonnes of AstraZeneca gross Scope 3 greenhouse-gas emissions were recorded in 2024 worldwide.[78]
- 2.58 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per million dollars of revenue was AstraZeneca’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity in 2024.[78]
14 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
Governance and cybersecurity risk are quantified: 97% of healthcare organizations reported experiencing at least one cyberattack during the 12 months covered by the 2026 survey.
Compliance in the pharmacy industry
- 172 suspicious-purchase cases were investigated by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy in fiscal year 2024.[88]
- 141 dispensing-error cases were investigated by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy in fiscal year 2024.[88]
- 2,597 pharmacy-related complaints were closed by the California State Board of Pharmacy in fiscal year 2024-25.[89]
- 976 compliance or routine cases were under investigation by the California State Board of Pharmacy at the end of fiscal year 2024-25.[89]
- 233 days was the California State Board of Pharmacy’s average investigation time in fiscal year 2024-25.[89]
Risk Management in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. community hospitals, 71% of responding CEOs identified managed-care and other commercial-insurance payments as a financial concern in 2024.[90]
- Across U.S. community hospitals, financial challenges and workforce challenges tied as CEOs’ top concerns, each receiving an average rank of 2.8 on an 11-point scale in 2024.[90]
- Across U.S. community hospitals, 65% of responding CEOs identified reducing operating costs as a financial concern in 2024.[90]
- Across U.S. community hospitals, 92% of responding CEOs identified rising staff, supply and other operating costs as a financial concern in 2024.[90]
- Across U.S. community hospitals, 50% of responding CEOs identified insufficient clinical staff for timely care as an access-to-care concern in 2024.[90]
Cybersecurity in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 74% of organizations experiencing the four studied attack types reported disruption to patient care in 2026.[91]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 43% cited insufficient in-house expertise as a barrier to achieving a strong cybersecurity posture in 2025.[92]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 97% experienced at least one cyberattack during the 12 months covered by the 2026 survey.[91]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 54% reported using multi-factor authentication to reduce email and other email-based attacks in 2025.[92]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 63% reported conducting regular cybersecurity training and awareness programs in 2025.[92]
Data Privacy in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. adults, 52% said they were concerned about the privacy of their health information when using an app managed by a hospital or other healthcare provider in 2025.[93]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, employee negligence was identified as the primary root cause of data-loss incidents by 35% of respondents in 2025.[92]
- Across U.S. adults, 64% said they were concerned about the privacy of their health information when using an app managed by a health insurance company in 2025.[93]
- Across U.S. adults, 78% said they were concerned about the privacy of their health information when using an app managed by the government in 2025.[93]
- Across healthcare organizations globally, 96% experienced at least two data-loss or exfiltration incidents involving sensitive healthcare data during the two years covered by the 2025 study.[92]
Crisis Management in the healthcare services sector (sector benchmark)
- 4.58 days was the average duration of declared NHS incidents in the United Kingdom during 2024.[94]
- 41% of surveyed hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals, received emergency-preparedness deficiency citations in United States data covering 2022–2024.[95]
- 27.7% of surveyed healthcare facilities received at least one emergency-preparedness deficiency citation in CMS data covering 2022–2024 in the United States.[95]
- 217 incidents were declared across NHS organizations in the United Kingdom during 2024, including 19 major incidents and 198 critical incidents.[94]
- Across U.S. hospitals surveyed by CMS during 2022–2024, nearly 41% received an emergency-preparedness deficiency citation.[95]
Governance in the pharmacy industry
- 31% of AstraZeneca’s board members identified as belonging to an ethnic minority at December 31, 2024.[20]
- 25% of Pfizer’s directors were ethnically diverse in its 2024 proxy-statement board diversity matrix.[20]
- 6 of Ascentage Pharma’s 9 directors were independent non-executive directors as of March 31, 2025.[20]
- 25.0% of Rohto Pharmaceutical’s audit and supervisory board members were women in fiscal year 2024.[96]
- 35.1% of Bayer’s top-management positions were held by women at year-end 2024.[97]
15 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
International footprint is mapped through trade and country coverage, including €119.7 billion in EU imports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products from non-EU countries in 2024.
Globalization in the pharmacy industry
- €193.6 billion was the EU’s trade surplus in medicinal and pharmaceutical products in 2024.[98]
- €119.7 billion was the value of EU imports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products from non-EU countries in 2024.[98]
- 13.2% of EU extra-EU medicinal and pharmaceutical exports came from Belgium in 2024.[98]
- 16.4% of EU extra-EU pharmaceutical exports went to Switzerland in 2024, worth €51.3 billion.[98]
- 80 countries and regions were covered by Takeda’s operations in 2024.[20]
Cultural adaptation in the pharmacy industry
- 43 countries of origin were represented at AstraZeneca’s executive levels in 2025.[99]
- 42.1% of Bayer employees were women in 2024.[100]
- 4.8% of Recordati employees were based in the United States at December 31, 2024.[101]
- 8.6% of Recordati employees were based in France at December 31, 2024.[101]
- 12 of 24 members of the Novo Nordisk Board of Directors were women at December 31, 2024, indicating equal gender representation in the company’s governing body.[97]
Supplier management in the pharmacy industry
- 26 Prestige Consumer Healthcare manufacturers had long-term contracts at March 31, 2024.[20]
- 913 suppliers served Lepu Biopharma in 2024.[97]
- 36% of Cardinal Health’s fiscal-2024 revenue came from products obtained from its five largest suppliers.[20]
- 81 Lepu Biopharma suppliers held ISO certifications in 2024.[97]
- 38% of U.S. healthcare distributors’ prescription-drug sales were branded specialty medicines in 2023.[58]
Stakeholder management in the pharmacy industry
- 14 FDA and European Medicines Agency approvals were received by Pfizer in 2024.[102]
- 61% was Lundbeck’s Time to Access Indicator in 2025, compared with 56% in 2024.[103]
- 7.2 million patient-years were estimated to have been reached by Lundbeck’s medicines worldwide in 2024.[97]
- 414 million patients were reached with Pfizer medicines and vaccines in 2024.[102]
- 65 million patients in low- and middle-income countries were served by Merck KGaA’s healthcare portfolio in 2024.[104]
Distribution channels in the pharmacy industry
- 231 million central-nervous-system prescription items were dispensed by English community pharmacies in 2023/24.[105]
- 88% of respondents in the Philippines reported shopping at physical pharmacies in 2026.[105]
- 89% of respondents in Indonesia reported shopping at physical pharmacies in 2026.[105]
- 87% of respondents in Finland, Spain and Italy reported shopping at physical pharmacies in 2026.[105]
- 17% of U.S. respondents reported using an online pharmacy in 2026.[105]
16 Statistics
Regional markets
Access and processing infrastructure vary by geography: in England, 96% of prescription items dispensed by community pharmacies in 2023/24 were processed through the Electronic Prescription Service.
The pharmacy industry in Japan
- 197,437 pharmacists worked in pharmacies in Japan on December 31, 2024, representing 60.0% of all registered pharmacists.[106]
- 51.1 pharmacies per 100,000 people were recorded nationally in Japan at the end of fiscal 2024.[106]
- 65.1 pharmacies per 100,000 people made Saga the Japanese prefecture with the highest pharmacy density at the end of fiscal 2024.[106]
- 329,045 pharmacists were registered in Japan on December 31, 2024, including pharmacists working in pharmacies, hospitals and other settings.[106]
- 63,203 pharmacies operated in Japan at the end of fiscal 2024, up 0.6% from fiscal 2023.[106]
The pharmacy industry in United Kingdom
- 1,929 pharmacists worked in Scottish community pharmacies in 2024, equivalent to 1,496.93 whole-time-equivalent staff.[28]
- 12,996 community pharmacies operated across the United Kingdom in 2024: 10,450 in England, 1,346 in Scotland, 689 in Wales and 511 in Northern Ireland.[107]
- 12,009 active community pharmacies operated in England in 2023/24.[76]
- 96% of prescription items dispensed by community pharmacies in England in 2023/24 were processed through the Electronic Prescription Service.[76]
- 1.1 billion prescription items were dispensed by community pharmacies in England in 2023/24, 3% more than in 2022/23.[76]
Key questions about the Pharmacy Industry
What is the current size of the global prescription pharmaceutical market?
How fast is pharmacy spending expected to grow through 2030?
Which companies lead the pharmacy industry?
What technology changes are showing up in pharmacy workflows?
How concentrated is the U.S. pharmacy market structurally?
Why is retail pharmacy access tightening in the U.S.?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Pharmacy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pharmacy-industry-statistics
Elena Vasquez. "Pharmacy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pharmacy-industry-statistics.
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Pharmacy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pharmacy-industry-statistics.
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Social media in the pharmacy industry