Independent Pharmacy Today

Community pharmacy not only represents a significant portion of the United States’ health care delivery system but independent community pharmacists are also among the most accessible and trusted sources of health care for many patients across the country. As medication experts, independent community pharmacists provide counsel on the treatment of a variety of health related concerns and reduce overall costs by helping to ensure that patients consistently take their medications and by referring them to generic treatment options when they are available.

  Independent pharmacy: $88 billion marketplace

  Independent pharmacy prescription sales: $82 billion

  Independents dispense 1.4 billion prescriptions annually

  Prescription medicines are our business: 93.3% of annual sales are Rx medicines

  Average independent pharmacy sales: $3.8 million

  Average prescription sales: $3.6 million

  Average number of prescriptions per pharmacy: 62,379 annually, 200 per day

  Independent Ownership

Over 25% of independent owners have ownership in two or more pharmacies

Overall, the average independent owns 1.46 pharmacies

  Independent pharmacies offer a wide range of patient services

The top services offered in 2005 were: nutrition (89%), delivery (81%), charge accounts (81%), compounding (67%), and hospice (62%)

  Staffing in independent pharmacies

Average independent employs 2.8 FTE pharmacists (including owner)

Average independent employs 3.8 FTE technicians

  Generic drug utilization

65% of drugs dispensed by independent pharmacies are generics

National Community Pharmacists Association

Independent Pharmacy Today