The State of Retail Pharmacy: Independent Pharmacy Economics Stabilize-Dropping, Owner Salaries Are

Time for Drug Channels’ exclusive look at independent pharmacy owners’ business economics. For Episode XI of our annual review, we again draw upon the latest data from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Digest, Sponsored by Cardinal Health. Here's the press release for the recently released 2019 edition.

Below, I update our estimates of pharmacy economics and margins. Our analysis reveals that profits per prescription in 2018 were unchanged from the 2017 figures. However, the average pharmacy in the NCPA sample filled fewer prescriptions, causing the average pharmacy owner’s salary to decline for the fifth consecutive year. 

Read on for our look at pharmacy profits and my comments on the competitive dynamics of retail pharmacy. How many independents will survive? Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.