HDMA distributor sales are up 4.6%, to $274.5 billion through 2010

The effects of the pharma patent cliff are just beginning to be felt by full-line wholesalers, according to data published in the latest edition of the HDMA Factbook, from HDMA’s Center for Healthcare Supply Chain Research (Arlington, VA). Among branded, generic and specialty pharmaceutical sales, the proportions of each are down for branded (from 77 to 76%), about even for specialty (13.49% to 13.5%) and up for generics (7.7 to 8.3%). (Nonprescription product sales make up the rest.) Overall, however, the proportion of all pharmaceutical sales handled by HDMA members increased from 85.5 to 87%. (This figure does not include sales to other distributors.)

Other figures from the report: Average daily orders being processed is 1,965, and the volume of product types are more than 95,000, while net profit margin is 1.1%. The number of daily orders is up by about 200, while the number of product types is up by about 4,000—both indicating that the wholesalers are running faster to stay in place. However, all these numbers need to be balanced with the effects of mergers in the industry; in 2010, Kinray was acquired by Cardinal Health, and US Oncology by McKesson. Membership in HDMA declined by two to 34.

The new edition is available for purchase at the HDMA website.