Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of biological and medical products; botanical drugs and herbs; and pharmaceutical products intended for internal and/or external consumption in such forms as ampoules, tablets, capsules, vials, ointments, powders, solutions, and suspensions. Illustrative Examples: Antibiotics merchant wholesalers Endocrine substances merchant wholesalers Blood derivatives merchant wholesalers In-vitro and in-vivo diagnostics merchant wholesalers Drugs merchant wholesalers Botanicals merchant wholesalers Vaccines merchant wholesalers Cosmetics merchant wholesalers Vitamins merchant wholesalers Veterinarians' medicines merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 424 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods subsector sell nondurable goods to other businesses. Nondurable goods are items generally with a normal life expectancy of less than three years. Nondurable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as paper and paper products, chemicals and chemical products, drugs, textiles and textile products, apparel, footwear, groceries, farm products, petroleum and petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, books, magazines, newspapers, flowers and nursery stock, and tobacco products. The detailed industries within the subsector are organized in the classification structure based on the products sold. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling nondurable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4242 | Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods subsector sell nondurable goods to other businesses. Nondurable goods are items generally with a normal life expectancy of less than three years. Nondurable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as paper and paper products, chemicals and chemical products, drugs, textiles and textile products, apparel, footwear, groceries, farm products, petroleum and petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, books, magazines, newspapers, flowers and nursery stock, and tobacco products. The detailed industries within the subsector are organized in the classification structure based on the products sold. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling nondurable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 42421 | Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 424210. |
| 424210 | Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of biological and medical products; botanical drugs and herbs; and pharmaceutical products intended for internal and/or external consumption in such forms as ampoules, tablets, capsules, vials, ointments, powders, solutions, and suspensions. Illustrative Examples: Antibiotics merchant wholesalers Endocrine substances merchant wholesalers Blood derivatives merchant wholesalers In-vitro and in-vivo diagnostics merchant wholesalers Drugs merchant wholesalers Botanicals merchant wholesalers Vaccines merchant wholesalers Cosmetics merchant wholesalers Vitamins merchant wholesalers Veterinarians' medicines merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of surgical, dental, and hospital equipment are classified in Industry 423450, Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Antibiotics merchant wholesalers
Antiseptics merchant wholesalers
Bacteriological medicines merchant wholesalers
Bandages (except surgical) merchant wholesalers
Beauty preparations merchant wholesalers
Beauty supplies merchant wholesalers
Biologicals and allied products merchant wholesalers
Blades, razor, merchant wholesalers
Blood derivatives merchant wholesalers
Blood plasma merchant wholesalers
Botanical drugs and herbs merchant wholesalers
Botanicals merchant wholesalers
Colognes merchant wholesalers
Cosmetics merchant wholesalers
Dental care preparations merchant wholesalers
Dentifrices merchant wholesalers
Deodorants, personal, merchant wholesalers
Dermatological medicines merchant wholesalers
Diagnostic reagents merchant wholesalers
Diagnostics, in-vitro and in-vivo, merchant wholesalers
Dietary supplements merchant wholesalers
Drug proprietaries merchant wholesalers
Druggists' sundries merchant wholesalers
Drugs merchant wholesalers
Endocrine substances merchant wholesalers
First-aid kits, household, merchant wholesalers
First-aid supplies, household, merchant wholesalers
Gauze merchant wholesalers
General-line drugs merchant wholesalers
Hair care products merchant wholesalers
Hair preparations (except professional) merchant wholesalers
Hand sanitizers merchant wholesalers
Herbal supplements merchant wholesalers
Hygiene products, oral, merchant wholesalers
Medical sundries, rubber, merchant wholesalers
Nonprescription drugs merchant wholesalers
Perfumes merchant wholesalers
Pharmaceuticals merchant wholesalers
Plasmas, blood, merchant wholesalers
Prescription drugs merchant wholesalers
Radioactive pharmaceutical isotopes merchant wholesalers
Radiopharmaceuticals merchant wholesalers
Razor blades merchant wholesalers
Razors (except electric) merchant wholesalers
Rubber goods, medical, merchant wholesalers
Salts, bath, merchant wholesalers
Shaving preparations merchant wholesalers
Skin care preparations merchant wholesalers
Specialty-line pharmaceuticals merchant wholesalers
Toilet preparations merchant wholesalers
Toilet soaps merchant wholesalers
Toiletries merchant wholesalers
Toothbrushes (except electric) merchant wholesalers
Toothpastes merchant wholesalers
Vaccines merchant wholesalers
Veterinarians' medicines merchant wholesalers
Vitamins merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
Predictive analytics identify demand patterns for seasonal health trends and supply chain disruptions, enabling proactive inventory positioning and reduced stockouts for perishable medical sundries.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 424210.
American Pharmaceutical Association
A leading professional association for pharmacists and pharmaceutical wholesalers.
FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
The US government agency responsible for regulating and overseeing drug marketing and wholesaling.
Wholesale Drug Distributors Association
A non-profit trade association dedicated to wholesale drug distributors and manufacturers.
