Independent pharmacies in the U.S. saw nearly equivalent numbers of openings and closures, indicating a stable and healthy rate of market churn, according to a study published Aug. 1 in JAMA Health Forum.
The research analyzed more than 60,000 community pharmacies from 2010 to 2023 and found that independent and franchise pharmacies had a much higher turnover rate than pharmacy chains, with 10.9% per year compared to 3.6%.
Although chain pharmacies saw consistent net losses after 2015, their total numbers largely held steady mainly due to new openings offsetting closures. Areas with a higher turnover rate also saw an increase in total pharmacies due to more independent pharmacy openings.
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