WASHINGTON — New benchmarking data released by the HDA Research Foundation highlight the critical role distributors play in supporting the growing U.S. specialty pharmaceutical market. According to the 2026 edition of Specialty Pharmaceutical Distribution Facts, Figures and Trends, specialty distributors served an average of 31,546 provider accounts and fulfilled nearly 7,000 orders daily while maintaining a 99.5 percent order fill rate.
The publication is based on a survey of HDA-member specialty distributors conducted between January and April 2026; data reflect fiscal year 2025 operations. The report also includes updated IQVIA pharmaceutical sales data and interviews with specialty manufacturers, distributors and packaging technology providers.
“The continued growth of specialty medicines reinforces the critical role distributors play in ensuring patients can access increasingly complex treatments,” said Perry Fri, president of the HDA Research Foundation. “This year's report illustrates the efficiency and reliability of specialty distribution, and it shows the investments and collaboration needed to support the next generation of advanced therapies.”
According to IQVIA research, specialty pharmaceuticals accounted for 53 percent of total U.S. pharmaceutical sales in 2025, surpassing traditional medicines for the fourth consecutive year. Among the distributors surveyed by the Foundation, oncology products represented the largest share of specialty sales at a weighted average of 60.1 percent, exceeding all other therapeutic categories combined. Autoimmune products followed at 8.3 percent, with ophthalmology, central nervous system and hemophilia products rounding out the top five therapeutic categories.
Further, the 2026 Specialty Pharmaceutical Distribution Facts, Figures and Trends report details the following:
- Specialty distributors fulfilled an average of 6,977 provider orders daily, with an average order value of $41,322;
- Companies had an average of 17 hours between courier pickup and delivery to providers;
- Respondents reported a median of 343,750 square feet of specialty warehouse space and an average of 22 days of inventory on hand; and
- Distributors continued expanding services, including reimbursement support, analytics and AI-enabled tools to improve forecasting and ordering.
Conversations with supply chain experts examine how advanced and ultra-specialty therapies are reshaping the movement of medicines, information and services throughout the healthcare supply chain. Interviewees emphasized the importance of continued investment in temperature-controlled infrastructure, specialized transportation and reimbursement support services to accommodate these complex therapies.
The 2026 edition of Specialty Pharmaceutical Distribution Facts, Figures and Trends is available as a complimentary download from HDA.org. The publication was made possible with support from gold sponsors Eisai, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson; silver sponsors Regeneron and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.; and bronze sponsors AeroSafe Global and ThermoSafe.
