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Business phone system for pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii

128 pharmacies and drug stores operated in Hawaii in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
128CBP 2023
Employees
2,211mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
8.9U.S. 12.3
State rank
45th of 51by count

Pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii by the numbers

Hawaii had 128 pharmacies and drug stores in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 446110, Pharmacies and Drug Stores). They employed 2,211 people in mid-March and reported $109.0 million in annual payroll. That is the 45th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Pharmacies and drug stores make up 0.39% of the 32,911 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Hawaii has 8.9 pharmacies and drug stores, 28.0% below the national rate of 12.3. The average establishment has 17.3 employees against 16.5 nationally. Payroll per employee is $49,308, 10.9% above the U.S. figure of $44,477.

Pharmacies and drug stores: Hawaii compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureHawaiiUnited States
Establishments12841,792
Mid-March employees2,211 (moderate noise)691,152
Annual payroll$109,019,000 (moderate noise)$30,740,561,000
Employees per establishment17.316.5
Payroll per employee$49,308$44,477
Establishments per 100,000 residents8.912.3

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Hawaii's largest markets for pharmacies and drug stores

Census published pharmacy counts for 4 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Hawaii. The largest is Urban Honolulu, HI, with 76 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 100% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Pharmacies and drug stores by metro or micropolitan area, Hawaii, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Urban Honolulu, HI761,4247.6
Kahului, HI2033912.2
Hilo, HI19—9.1
Kapaa, HI1315417.6

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii

17.3% of Hawaii's pharmacies and drug stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 18.4% nationally. 29.9% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees2217.3%18.4%
5–9 employees1612.6%20.3%
10–19 employees107.9%16.4%
20–49 employees7962.2%43.4%
50 or more employees00.0%1.6%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Calls a pharmacy in Hawaii has to catch

Independent pharmacies take refill requests, prescriber calls and insurance questions throughout the day, often while pharmacists are filling prescriptions. Sorting calls by purpose keeps prescribers and patients from waiting in the same queue.

A few of the calls that come in to pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii:

Business texting for pharmacies and drug stores

Independent pharmacies text customers when a prescription is ready for pickup and when a refill needs attention.

Texting from a local number in Hawaii requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii

Pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii average 17.3 employees, so the comparison uses a 17-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 17 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $510.00 a month and 17 on Ooma Office Pro cost $424.15. Callata comes to $339.00 a month for 17 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $2,052 less than RingCentral for a pharmacy in Hawaii of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Monthly list price for a 17-person pharmacy
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$339.00$4,068.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$323.00$3,876.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$391.00$4,692.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$424.15$5,089.80
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$459.00$5,508.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$510.00$6,120.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Hawaii

Hawaii has 1 geographic area code in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a pharmacy can hold a number in more than one of them.

Area codes in Hawaii by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
808693—1957none

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for pharmacies and drug stores in Hawaii

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Hawaii is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.

Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.

Frequently asked questions

How many pharmacies and drug stores are in Hawaii?

128 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 2,211 people in mid-March.

Which Hawaii metro area has the most pharmacies and drug stores?

Urban Honolulu, HI, with 76 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 17-person pharmacy?

$510.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $424.15 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $339.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Hawaii number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.