Pharmaca
Pharmaca is a Boulder, Colorado-based retail pharmacy founded in 2000 that combines traditional prescription dispensing with holistic and alternative remedies, serving health-conscious consumer shoppers through physical stores and e-commerce.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1901
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pharmaca does
Pharmaca is a Boulder, Colorado-based for-profit retail pharmacy operator founded in 2000 that combines traditional prescription dispensing with holistic, naturopathic, and alternative remedies under one retail brand. Per its own short description, the company sells over-the-counter medicines alongside alternative remedies, positioning itself at the intersection of conventional pharmacy practice and integrative wellness. Its core offering is therefore a hybrid product mix: regulated pharmaceutical services (prescriptions, pharmacist consultation) plus a curated retail assortment of supplements, herbal products, and natural remedies typically merchandised through physical storefronts and supported by an e-commerce site at pharmaca.com.
Operationally, Pharmaca runs a multi-store physical retail footprint with 501–1,000 employees, suggesting a regional rather than national chain presence. The leadership team reflects the hybrid positioning: a CEO (Richard S. Wills) alongside a Co-founder & Vice President of Integrative Medicine (Don Summerfield), which signals that clinical and naturopathic expertise is built into the operating model rather than layered on as marketing. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, in-house AI/ML, or differentiated digital platform in the input — the technology stack, product launches, integrations, and AI modality fields are all empty for Pharmaca specifically.
The business model is consumer-retail transaction-based across two revenue streams: prescription pharmacy dispensing (insurance-processed) and OTC/holistic product sales. The company has raised approximately $75.7M in cumulative disclosed equity funding across 2003–2017 from investors including Highland Capital Partners, Highland Consumer Partners, Physic Ventures, Great Spirit Ventures, Oracle (Partnership), and Richard L. Scott Investments, with no new financing event disclosed since February 2017. The combination of a static funding cadence, stable headcount band, and absence of disclosed acquisitions, partnerships, or product launches points to a mature, operationally stable retailer rather than a high-growth venture.
Pharmaca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pharmaca
- Legal name
- Walgreen Co.
- Website
- https://pharmaca.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1901
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Pharmaca is a Boulder, Colorado-based retail pharmacy founded in 2000 that combines traditional prescription dispensing with holistic and alternative remedies, serving health-conscious consumer shoppers through physical stores and e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pharmaca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Pharmacy
- NAICS
- Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)
- SIC
- Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail & Community Pharmacies (Chain/Independent) (HLAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Health, Wellness & Pharmacy Marketplaces (CRAFABAF)
Keywords
Where Pharmaca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pharmaca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Prescription Pharmacy: Dispensing prescription medications through retail pharmacies with insurance processing and medication compounding services
- Over-the-Counter Products: Retail sales of OTC medicines, health supplements, personal care, beauty products, household essentials, and groceries
- Photo Services: Photo printing, photo books, canvas prints, cards, calendars, and passport photo services
- Health Services: Vaccinations, COVID-19/Flu testing and treatment, online doctor consultations, weight management programs, and clinical trials
- Financial Services: myWalgreens Credit Card, Scarlet Bank Account, Western Union money transfers, reloadable debit cards
- Contact Lenses: Contact lens sales, solutions, drops, cases, and eye health supplements
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Variable product and service pricing with promotional discounts |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Prescription medications with insurance or cash pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Pharmaca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pharmaca operates retail pharmacy locations that combine traditional prescription dispensing with a broad selection of holistic and alternative remedies, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and natural health products. The company serves individual consumers directly through both physical storefronts and its online channel, supported by licensed pharmacists and integrative medicine practitioners.
Product overview
No information available
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prescription Pharmacy Dispensing Licensed retail pharmacy service that dispenses prescription medications to individual consumers, including insurance processing and counseling by licensed pharmacists.
- Over-the-Counter Medicines Retail sale of conventional over-the-counter medicines for common ailments, sold through Pharmaca's physical stores and e-commerce channel to individual consumers.
- Holistic and Alternative Remedies Curated assortment of holistic, natural, and alternative remedies marketed alongside conventional pharmacy products to health-conscious consumers seeking integrative health options.
- Vitamins and Dietary Supplements Retail sale of vitamins, dietary supplements, and nutritional products through Pharmaca's stores and online channel, targeting consumers pursuing preventive and integrative health regimens.
- Integrative Medicine Consultations In-store consultation service staffed by integrative medicine practitioners that advises individual consumers on combining conventional treatments with holistic and alternative remedies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Trusted since 1901 - over 120 years of pharmacy and retail experience
Companies that use Pharmaca
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Pharmaca technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Pharmaca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Pharmaca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Pharmaca social profiles
Digital presencePharmaca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pharmaca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pharmaca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pharmaca M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pharmaca
What does Pharmaca do?
Pharmaca operates retail pharmacy locations that combine traditional prescription dispensing with a broad selection of holistic and alternative remedies, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and natural health products. The company serves individual consumers directly through both physical storefronts and its online channel, supported by licensed pharmacists and integrative medicine practitioners.
Is Pharmaca a public or private company?
Pharmaca is a public company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Pharmaca founded?
Pharmaca was founded in 1901. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Pharmaca based?
Pharmaca is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pharmaca make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Prescription Pharmacy is the primary driver. The others are over-the-Counter Products, photo Services, health Services, financial Services and contact Lenses.
Does Pharmaca have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pharmaca.
What industry is Pharmaca in?
Pharmaca's product category is Retail Pharmacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFALAA, Retail & Community Pharmacies (Chain/Independent), with a secondary code of CRAFABAF, Health, Wellness & Pharmacy Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 456110 and its SIC code is 5912.