09/30/2025
Most people don’t realize how razor-thin independent pharmacy margins really are.
According to the 2024 NCPA Digest, the average independent fills about 60,000 prescriptions per year with revenues around $3.5 million annually. Yet after cost of goods and operating expenses, owners often net only 2–3%.
That means the average pharmacy owner is taking home less than $100K a year on a $3.5M business. For perspective, specialty drugs make up less than 1% of prescriptions but over 50% of total spend, while generics drive the majority of volume but very little profit.
This is why every script, every patient relationship, and every innovative service matters. Independent pharmacies aren’t just businesses, they’re community healthcare anchors running on the thinnest margins in all of healthcare.
Sources:
• NCPA Digest 2024
• Drug Topics – NCPA 2024 Highlights
• PBA Health – Is Owning a Pharmacy
Post taken from Josh Pirestani
