The U.S. retail pharmacy de-identified health data market size was estimated at USD 2.90 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.88% from 2025 to 2030. This growth is primarily driven by the rising demand for real-world evidence (RWE) and real-world data (RWD), alongside the continued expansion of value-based care (VBC) and outcome-based reimbursement models. Additionally, favorable regulatory initiatives, such as compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), are further fueling market expansion. The rapid adoption of VBC models is reshaping the U.S. healthcare landscape by redefining how care outcomes are evaluated, priced, and incentivized.
De-identified health data is essential for clinical research as it allows researchers to analyze large datasets while protecting patient privacy. This data identifies trends, evaluates treatment effectiveness, and supports population health studies without compromising individual identities. By leveraging de-identified data, researchers can enhance the quality of their findings and facilitate advancements in medical knowledge and practice.
For instance, in April 2023, Philips and MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) collaborated to develop an enhanced critical care dataset to advance clinical research and AI applications in healthcare. This dataset includes de-identified data from ICU patients and integrates comprehensive clinical information to support researchers and educators in gaining insights into critical care and improving patient outcomes. The initiative fosters innovation in AI-driven healthcare solutions, contributing to more accurate diagnostics and personalized treatments.
The volume and urgency of treatment approvals related to COVID-19 drove significant demand for de-identified data. Payers and providers utilized these datasets to streamline access pathways, automate administrative workflows, and support rapid decision-making. These developments also informed the evolution of policies to reduce friction in care delivery during public health emergencies. Widespread drug and medical supply shortages highlighted the need for enhanced visibility into real-time inventory data at the pharmacy level. Stakeholders, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, and health tech companies, invested heavily in predictive analytics and AI-based inventory tracking to proactively manage stockouts and ensure timely access to critical therapies.
Dataset Type |
Key Commercial Driver |
Impact |
Retail Pharmacy as Seller - Insight |
1. DSCSA Data |
DSCSA in demands for full traceability & digital exchange. (Key relatable insights: |
High to Medium |
Pharmacies sell serialized drug movement data to manufacturers/distributors for compliance, recall readiness |
Rise in counterfeit drugs & safety recalls. (Key relatable insights: According to Drugwatch, published insights indicate that approximately 4,500 drugs and devices are recalled every year in the U.S.; real-time DSCSA feeds are emerging. |
High to Medium |
Retailers monetize de-identified transaction records for alert systems and partner audits |
|
2. Market Basket Data |
Hyper-personalized health marketing (Key relatable insights: In 2022, CVS Health integrates Aetna behavioral + POS data |
High to Medium |
Anonymized co-purchase data sold to OTC brands, CPG firms, and health marketers for bundle targeting |
Rx + non-Rx bundling strategies. ealthHUBs)) (Key relatable insights: Kroger Precision Marketing and Walgreens Ad Group sell cart data from their loyalty programs to health brands. |
Medium to Low |
Supports campaign targeting and demand forecasting |
|
3. Inventory Data |
Just-in-time logistics coordination. (Key relatable insights: In September 2022 McKesson extended its distribution partnership with CVS: replenishment-as-a-service using store APIs) |
High to Medium |
Licensed by wholesalers, distributors, and pharma trade teams for RTM efficiency |
4. Prior Authorization Data |
Regulatory push for ePA (Key relatable insights: CoverMyMeds integrates with CVS & Walgreens for PA APIs) |
High to Medium |
Pharmacies monetize de-identified ePA trends for PBMs, pharma access teams, and IT vendors |
Rise of real-time benefit check tools. (Key relatable insights: In 2021, Walgreens and Surescripts: in-pharmacy benefit verification) |
Medium to Low |
Supports benchmarking for ePA and payer comms vendors |
|
5. Episodic Data / Pharmacy Rx Claims Data |
Value-based care and ACO growth (Key relatable insights: CVS HealthHUBs with Aetna: bundled payment tracking) |
High to Medium |
Pharmacies with care capabilities sell anonymized episode-level data to ACOs and outcomes teams |
Pharma’s need for real-world evidence (RWE) (Key relatable insights: In 2022, Walgreens with Pluto Health: Health Corners journey data shared with pharma) |
High to Medium |
Fuels outcomes-based contracting, adherence modeling |
|
Multi-visit care coordination tracking (Key relatable insights: CVS MinuteClinic: chronic care follow-up logs (e.g., diabetes)) |
Medium to Low |
Used by clinical analytics and AI firms for predictive modeling |
The chart below illustrates the relationship between market concentration, industry characteristics, and industry participants. The x-axis represents the level of industry concentration, ranging from low to high. The y-axis represents various industry characteristics, including industry competition, impact of regulations, level of partnerships & collaborations activities, degree of innovation, and regional expansion. For instance, the U.S. retail pharmacy De-identified data market is slightly fragmented, with many product & service providers entering the market. The degree of innovation, the level of partnerships & collaboration activities, and the impact of regulations on the industry are high. However, moderate growth was observed in regional expansion.
The degree of innovation in the industry is high. The market is experiencing significant innovation as numerous players introduce new products. Major players like CVS Health, Walgreens, and Walmart are investing in advanced data platforms that aggregate pharmacy data with clinical, claims, and social determinants of health (SDoH) data, moving beyond basic prescription records toward richer, multi-source datasets.
The level of partnerships & collaboration activities by key players in the industry is high to increase their capabilities, expand product portfolios, and improve competencies. Many retail pharmacies partner with advanced analytics firms, health tech startups, and cloud providers to enhance data warehousing, AI-driven insights, and interoperability capabilities. For instance, in October 2022, Rite Aid partnered with Google Cloud in a multi-year collaboration to modernize its pharmacy operations and enhance the online customer experience. This partnership involves migrating key applications, such as vaccine scheduling tools and customer messaging infrastructure, to Google Cloud's Anthos platform.
The impact of regulations on the market is high. Various regulations significantly influence the U.S. retail pharmacy market. Acts such as HIPAA set the core framework by defining what counts as de-identified data and what safeguards must be applied. As long as data meets HIPAA’s de-identification standards (safe harbor or expert determination), it can generally be shared or sold without individual patient consent. However, companies must still ensure robust compliance practices, which limits how granular or linked datasets can be.
The level of regional expansion in industry is moderate. While most companies operate nationally, there is a growing focus on expanding into specific high-opportunity regions such as California, Texas, Florida, and New York, where large insured populations and advanced Medicaid or value-based care programs exist.
Based on dataset type, the prior authorization data segment held the largest revenue share of 33.12% in 2024. In addition, this segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 8.85% during the forecast period. The segment's dominance is driven by the high volume and frequency of prior authorization requests, growing regulatory and transparency requirements, and the critical.
De-identified Prior Authorization (PA) Data from retail pharmacies consists of anonymized records capturing prescription transactions requiring prior approval, including drug name, denial reasons, time-to-approval, payer requirements, and appeal outcomes, without containing any personally identifiable information (PII).
The market is highly fragmented, with many small and large players operating in this space. This leads to intense competition between smaller players to sustain their position. Strategies such as new product launches and partnerships play a key role in propelling market growth.
In February 2025, CVS Health launched a redesigned CVS Health app. The app integrates services from CVS Pharmacy, Caremark, and CVS Specialty pharmacies, enabling users to manage prescriptions, track health spending, schedule immunizations, and access wellness content.
“With 60 million digital customers, we are excited to continue to innovate and bring best-in-class and first-in-industry capabilities to our customers.”
- Tony Ambrozie, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer, CVS Health Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness.
In April 2024, Walgreens introduced Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, which expands access to care for patients with complex, chronic conditions. The company has also invested in transforming the specialty pharmacy offering, including gene and cell therapy services.
“Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy is the largest independent provider that offers the industry's most robust specialty capabilities not vertically aligned with a pharmacy benefit manager.”
- Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer, Walgreens.
“We are introducing Sincerely Health with a singular intention to improve lives.”
- Omer Gajial, Chief Digital Officer and EVP Health at Albertsons Cos.
“We are excited to open this new advanced fulfillment pharmacy in Arizona that will enable us to serve more communities better and ensure more equitable access to health care.”
-Dr Patrick Conway, CEO of Optum Rx.
Report Attribute |
Details |
Market size for 2025 |
USD 3.12 billion |
Revenue forecast in 2030 |
USD 4.56 billion |
Growth rate |
CAGR of 7.88% from 2025 to 2030 |
Actual data |
2018 - 2024 |
Forecast period |
2025 - 2030 |
Quantitative units |
Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2025 to 2030 |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
Segments covered |
Dataset type |
Key companies profiled |
CVS Health; Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.; Walmart Pharmacy; The Kroger Co.; Albertsons; UnitedHealth Group; Humana; BrightSpring Health Services; Costco Wholesale Corporation; Centene Corporation; Ahold Delhaize; Rite Aid Corp; H E B, LP; Aurora Health Care (a part of Advocate Health); Big Y Foods, Inc.; Brookshire Brothers; Wakefern Food Corp.; Publix; Cub (a subsidiary of United Natural Foods, Inc.). |
Customization scope |
Free report customization (equivalent up to 8 analysts working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope. |
Pricing and purchase options |
Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options |
This report forecasts revenue growth at country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the U.S. Retail Pharmacy de-identified health data market report on the basis of dataset type:
Dataset Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2018 - 2030)
DSCSA Data
By Buyer Type:
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Drug Distributors
Regulatory Tech Vendors (e.g., TraceLink, LSPedia)
Healthcare SaaS Vendors (compliance and recall management tools)
Others (Federal Agencies e.g., FDA, etc.)
Market Basket Data
By Buyer Type:
CPG & Pharma Brands
Marketing & AdTech Firms
Health Insurers & PBMs
Retail Analytics Platforms
Others (Data Aggregators (e.g., NielsenIQ, IRI), etc.)
Prior Authorization Data
By Buyer Type:
Payers & PBMs
Pharma Market Access Teams
Health IT Providers
Consulting & Policy Firms
Others (Advocacy Groups, etc.)
Inventory Data
By Buyer Type:
Pharma Manufacturers
Distributors/Wholesalers
AI/ML Inventory Optimization Vendors
Others (Clinical Supply Vendors, etc.)
Episodic Data / Pharmacy Rx Claims Data
By Buyer Type:
Value-based Payers & ACOs
Pharma Outcomes Teams
Real-world Evidence Vendors
CMS & Government Organizations
Others (AI/ML Healthtech Firms, etc.)
b. The global U.S. retail pharmacy de-identified health data market size was estimated at USD 2.90 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 3.12 billion in 2025.
b. The global U.S. retail pharmacy de-identified health data market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.88% from 2025 to 2030 to reach USD 4.56 billion by 2030.
b. Key factors that are driving the market growth include the rising demand for real-world evidence (RWE) and real-world data (RWD), alongside the continued expansion of value-based care (VBC) and outcome-based reimbursement models. In addition, favorable regulatory initiatives, such as compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), are further fueling market expansion.
b. The prior authorization data segment held the largest revenue share of 33.12% in 2024. The segment's dominance is driven by the high volume and frequency of prior authorization requests, growing regulatory and transparency requirements.
b. Some key players operating in the U.S. retail pharmacy de-identified health data market include CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Walmart Pharmacy, The Kroger Co., Albertsons, UnitedHealth Group, Humana, BrightSpring Health Services, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Centene Corporation, Ahold Delhaize, Rite Aid Corp, H E B, LP, Aurora Health Care (a part of Advocate Health), Big Y Foods, Inc., Brookshire Brothers, Wakefern Food Corp., Publix, and Cub (a subsidiary of United Natural Foods, Inc.).
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