State Market Insights
By Category
All Pharmacies
1,195
Retail
923
Specialty
43
Hospital
31
LTC
141
MailOrder
20
Wholesale
31
Remote
6
Market Scale
Population
6,984,205
Density (all) /10k
1.71
Density (retail) /10k
1.32
Pharmacy Desert Counties
1
Avg. VigilScale™
56/100
Avg. Enrollment Age
15 yrs
Chain Mix
Solo (1)
192
Small Group (2–9)
92
Mid Chain (10–49)
53
Large Chain (50+)
129
Mega Chain
729
Special Designations
Independent
192
Sterile Compounding
24
Tele-Pharmacy
6
Government Owned
16
Non-Profit
43
Top Chains
CVS
32%
WALGREENS
24%
STOP SHOP
5%
Massachusetts Pharmacy Landscape
🔒 Browse New Pharmacy Openings in Massachusetts
Search recently enrolled pharmacies and filter by category
MA Board of Registration in Pharmacy
State Regulator
Visit official state pharmacy board website
MassPAT
Official Program Information
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program requirements and information
MassPAT
Clinical Login
Look up patient prescription history before dispensing controlled substances
MassPAT
Data Submission Portal
Submit prescription dispensing data to state monitoring database
Quick Facts
Key regulatory requirements and practice standards
Pharmacist-Technician Ratio
State regulations require a pharmacist-to-technician ratio of 1:4 (Certified) to maintain safe pharmacy operations.
Continuing Education
Pharmacists must complete 20 hrs annually (5 live, 2 law) of continuing education to maintain active licensure.
Technician Requirements
Pharmacy technicians in this state must meet the following requirement: Registration + certification required.
Intern Supervision
Pharmacy intern supervision follows this standard: 1:1.
Remote Pharmacy
Remote pharmacy work and telepharmacy services are governed by these rules: Limited to data entry.
Vaccine Authority
Pharmacist authority to administer vaccines: Independent (ages 3+).
Regulatory Warnings
Compliance requirements and monitoring obligations
Pharmacist in Charge Notification
When a Pharmacist in Charge (PIC) changes, the pharmacy must notify the state board within the following timeframe: Immediately.
Prescription Monitoring Reporting
Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) reporting requirements: Within 24 hours (MassPAT).
PMP Query Requirements
Before dispensing controlled substances, pharmacists must check the Prescription Monitoring Program: Mandatory for Sch II-V.
Board Inspection Focus
State pharmacy board inspections frequently focus on: MA has strict rules regarding the 'Professional Continuity' of the PIC..
Top Cities by Pharmacy Count
Largest pharmacy markets in Massachusetts
Browse by County
All counties sorted by pharmacy count
Middlesex County
1,623,109 pop · 186 retail · 1.15 density
Suffolk County
785,443 pop · 112 retail · 1.43 density
Worcester County
858,898 pop · 101 retail · 1.18 density
Essex County
806,103 pop · 96 retail · 1.19 density
Norfolk County
722,112 pop · 91 retail · 1.26 density
Bristol County
576,699 pop · 96 retail · 1.66 density
Hampden County
464,575 pop · 69 retail · 1.49 density
Plymouth County
529,548 pop · 75 retail · 1.42 density
Barnstable County
229,436 pop · 45 retail · 1.96 density
Hampshire County
153,931 pop · 20 retail · 1.30 density
Berkshire County
128,763 pop · 19 retail · 1.48 density
Franklin County
70,980 pop · 9 retail · 1.27 density
Nantucket CountyPharmacy Desert
14,065 pop · 1 retail · 0.71 density
Dukes County
20,543 pop · 3 retail · 1.46 density
* Pharmacy Desert: fewer than 1 retail pharmacy per 10,000 residents, based on 2026 NPI and ROPA billing data.