CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for pharmacies and drug stores in Hilo, HI
Pharmacies and drug stores in the Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area: 19 establishments in 2023, the local area codes, and what phone service costs a 17-person team.
- Establishments
- 19CBP 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 9.1U.S. 12.3
- Rank
- 288th of 840areas by count
The pharmacy market in Hilo, HI
County Business Patterns counts 19 pharmacies and drug stores (NAICS 446110, Pharmacies and Drug Stores) in the Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area for 2023. That ranks 288th of the 840 metro and micropolitan areas where Census published a count for this industry.
With 210,000 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, that is 9.1 pharmacies and drug stores per 100,000 people, 26.3% below the national rate of 12.3.
| Measure | Hilo, HI | Hawaii | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 19 | 128 | 41,792 |
| Mid-March employees | 294 (high noise) | 2,211 (moderate noise) | 691,152 |
| Annual payroll | $14,681,000 (high noise) | $109,019,000 (moderate noise) | $30,740,561,000 |
| Employees per establishment | — | 17.3 | 16.5 |
| Payroll per employee | — | $49,308 | $44,477 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 9.1 | 8.9 | 12.3 |
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.
How big pharmacies and drug stores in Hilo, HI are
Of the pharmacies and drug stores in Hilo, HI that had employees in March 2023, 16.7% had fewer than five (the U.S. share is 18.4%). 33.3% had fewer than ten. For a business of a few people, phone coverage is a staffing question as much as a technology one: someone has to be free to pick up, or the call needs somewhere sensible to go.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 3 | 16.7% | 18.4% |
| 5–9 employees | 3 | 16.7% | 20.3% |
| 10–19 employees | not published | — | 16.4% |
| 20–49 employees | 12 | 66.7% | 43.4% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 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.
Why the phone matters for pharmacies and drug stores in Hilo, HI
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 Hilo, HI:
- The pharmacy calls a prescriber for a refill authorization.
- A customer calls to ask about vaccine availability.
- A customer calls to ask whether a prescription is ready.
Calls after closing time
After-hours messages are mostly refill requests that staff can process at opening.
Callata transcribes voicemail and triages it for urgency, so the first callback in the morning can go to the caller who needs it most.
What a phone system costs a pharmacy in Hilo, HI
Census did not publish a reliable employee count for pharmacies and drug stores in Hilo, HI, so this comparison uses the U.S. average of 17 people per establishment. 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. On Callata the same 17 people cost $339.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $2,052. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per 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.
How Callata works for pharmacies and drug stores
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Hilo, HI, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 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 there in Hilo, HI?
Census County Business Patterns counted 19 pharmacies and drug stores in the Hilo-Kailua, HI micropolitan area in 2023.
What does a business phone system cost for a 17-person pharmacy?
At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 17 users cost $510.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $424.15 on Ooma Office Pro. On Callata, $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, the same team pays $339.00.
Can an AI receptionist answer calls for a pharmacy?
Yes. Callata's optional AI agents can answer when the team is busy or closed, take a message, text, email or transfer the call. They disclose that they are AI and are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute. 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.