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First-of-its-kind research shows Canada’s community pharmacy sector supports more than 273,000 jobs and nearly $23 billion in economic activity while providing accessible healthcare in communities across the country
LANGLEY, B.C. – August 31, 2026 – Canadians know their local pharmacy as the place to fill a prescription, receive a vaccine or seek advice from a trusted healthcare professional. Less visible is the significant role community pharmacies play in strengthening local economies and the communities they serve.
For the first time, the economic impact of Canada’s community pharmacy sector has been quantified. New research commissioned by the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (NPAC) found community pharmacies contribute nearly $23 billion annually to Canada’s economy while supporting more than 273,000 jobs, generating $6.3 billion in tax revenues and strengthening healthcare access in communities across the country.[i]
“The findings confirm what Canadians experience every day: community pharmacies are essential to both the health of our communities and the health of our economy,” Billy Cheung, Head of Pharmacy at Pharmasave. “For years, we’ve known pharmacies play a vital role in helping Canadians stay healthy. Now, for the first time, we have the data to demonstrate their broader economic and social impact.”
Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s pharmacy locations are independently owned or banner pharmacies, representing one of the country’s largest networks of locally owned healthcare businesses. Independent pharmacist owners have the autonomy to expand services, improve access to care and strengthen the communities they serve.
For Pharmasave, Canada’s largest member-owned independent pharmacy cooperative, the findings reinforce what pharmacist owners have long understood: giving pharmacists the freedom to make decisions close to home supports enhanced care for patients, communities and the healthcare system.
“The value of independent ownership is that it allows pharmacist owners to build services around the needs of their own communities,” said Cheung. “That means pharmacists have the ability to focus where they can expand clinical services and spend time building long-term relationships with patients and responding as local healthcare needs change.”
The NPAC report also underscores the close relationship between healthcare access and economic prosperity, particularly as community pharmacies continue to take on a growing role in delivering frontline care.
That role has never been more important. National data released in June found nearly one in five Canadian adults does not have access to a regular family doctor, nurse practitioner or other primary care provider.[ii] Across Canada, pharmacists are increasingly helping bridge that gap by assessing and treating common ailments, prescribing medications where authorized, administering vaccines and supporting patients living with chronic conditions.
Local care, tailored to community needs
The impact of community pharmacy is especially evident in rural Canada, where pharmacies are often among the most accessible healthcare providers and important local employers. While rural communities account for a relatively small share of Canada’s population, they rely heavily on community pharmacies for both access to care and economic stability. According to the report, more than one in every 100 rural residents works in the pharmacy sector.
In many rural communities, pharmacists are among the most frequently accessed healthcare professionals. Research shows they often see patients between 1.5 and 10 times more frequently than family physicians and remain in rural practice longer—an average of 15 years compared with 11 years for family physicians. That continuity gives pharmacists a firsthand understanding of changing healthcare needs and opportunities to help expand or adapt care within their communities.
Across Canada, community pharmacies are responding to local healthcare needs in different ways, from developing new services to participating in collaborative models of care.
At Cumberland Pharmasave in B.C., owner-pharmacist and women’s hormone consultant Kerri Moskal developed an innovative hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) clinic for women that has drawn patients from across Vancouver Island. As demand grew, she adapted the model by introducing after-hours group education sessions, followed by the option of a one-on-one call for personalized recommendations. Her work was recently recognized with the BC Pharmacy Association’s 2026 Excellence in Patient Care Award.
In Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Pharmasave is helping expand access to mental health care through the province’s Mental Health Medication Management Pharmacy Pilot Project. Working under a collaborative practice agreement with a local psychiatrist, participating pharmacists can initiate medications, adjust medications or dosages to optimize therapy, and discontinue medications when appropriate. The model makes greater use of pharmacists’ expertise to provide patients with more timely, ongoing medication management in their community, while allowing the psychiatrist to focus more time on patients with complex needs and see more patients overall.
Across Nova Scotia, seven Pharmasave pharmacies are helping support broader health needs in their communities by running Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics as part of a provincial program. Through the clinics, pharmacists provide an extended range of primary care services, including assessment and prescribing for conditions such as strep throat, pink eye and urinary tract infections, as well as chronic disease management for conditions including diabetes, asthma and COPD.
These are just a few examples of many which demonstrate how independent pharmacist owners and community pharmacy teams can identify gaps in care and help improve access close to home.
This year, Pharmasave reached a significant milestone by growing its network to more than 900 pharmacies nationwide. Across the network, pharmacists completed more than 80,000 common ailment assessments and provided health and medication support for nearly 88,000 new patients, reflecting the increasingly important role community pharmacies play in improving access to primary care.
“Pharmasave pharmacies benefit from the support, programs, technology and collective strength of a national organization, while giving local pharmacy teams flexibility to respond to the needs of the communities they serve. That means services and community investments can reflect local healthcare needs, helping build stronger patient relationships, deliver more personalized care and evolve as those needs change,” says Cheung.
Key Facts
- Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s pharmacy locations are independently owned or banner pharmacies.[iii]
- Approximately 60 per cent of Canadians live within a one-kilometre walk of a pharmacy.[iv]
- Across Canada, pharmacists continue to practice to an expanding scope, including assessing and prescribing for common ailments, administering vaccines and injections, renewing and adapting prescriptions, and, in many jurisdictions, ordering laboratory tests.[v]
- Nearly one in five Canadian adults does not have access to a regular family doctor, nurse practitioner or other primary care provider, increasing the important role pharmacists play in improving timely access to care.[vi]
- In many rural communities, pharmacists are among the most frequently accessed healthcare professionals. Research shows they often see patients between 1.5 and 10 times more frequently than family physicians and remain in rural practice longer. More than one in every 100 rural residents works in the pharmacy sector.[vii]
- Canada’s community pharmacy sector contributes nearly $23 billion annually to the national economy. [viii] The sector supports more than 273,000 jobs and generates approximately $6.3 billion in annual tax revenues. [ix]
About Pharmasave
Pharmasave is one of Canada’s leading independently owned and operated community pharmacies, with over 900 stores across the country. Since its founding in 1981, Pharmasave has been committed to building genuine connections while delivering exceptional patient-centered healthcare, expert medication advice, quality drugstore products, and outstanding customer service. As a Canadian, member-owned and governed cooperative, Pharmasave empowers independent pharmacy owners while maintaining deep roots in local communities nationwide. For over four decades, the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence, compassion, and the well-being of every customer has guided its mission—because Pharmasave believes that connection and care makes all the difference.
To learn more about Pharmasave visit pharmasave.com.
