Business phone system for pharmacies and drug stores in Michigan
1,630 pharmacies and drug stores operated in Michigan in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 1,630CBP 2023
- Employees
- 21,734mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 16.1U.S. 12.3
- State rank
- 7th of 51by count
How many pharmacies and drug stores operate in Michigan
County Business Patterns counts 1,630 establishments in Michigan classified as Pharmacies and Drug Stores (NAICS 446110) for 2023. They employed 21,734 people in mid-March and reported $928.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 7th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Pharmacies and drug stores make up 0.71% of the 229,564 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Michigan has 16.1 pharmacies and drug stores, 30.8% above the national rate of 12.3. The average establishment has 13.3 employees against 16.5 nationally. Payroll per employee is $42,739, 3.9% below the U.S. figure of $44,477.
| Measure | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 1,630 | 41,792 |
| Mid-March employees | 21,734 | 691,152 |
| Annual payroll | $928,900,000 | $30,740,561,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 13.3 | 16.5 |
| Payroll per employee | $42,739 | $44,477 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 16.1 | 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.
Pharmacies and drug stores by metro area in Michigan
Census published pharmacy counts for 32 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Michigan. The largest is Detroit, MI, with 924 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 92% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | 924 | 11,535 | 21.0 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 93 | 1,794 | 7.9 |
| Flint, MI | 76 | 882 | 18.9 |
| Lansing, MI | 58 | 733 | 12.1 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 49 | 691 | 13.1 |
| South Bend, IN-MI | 36 | 672 | 11.1 |
| Saginaw, MI | 35 | 353 | 18.6 |
| Traverse City, MI | 26 | 320 | 16.6 |
| Kalamazoo, MI | 24 | 455 | 9.1 |
| Muskegon, MI | 20 | 417 | 11.3 |
| Niles, MI | 20 | 323 | 13.1 |
| Bay City, MI | 20 | 217 | 19.5 |
| Monroe, MI | 18 | 305 | 11.5 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 18 | 235 | 13.5 |
| Jackson, MI | 15 | 225 | 9.4 |
| Holland, MI | 13 | 164 | 10.6 |
| Adrian, MI | 12 | 169 | 12.3 |
| Marquette, MI | 12 | 191 | 17.7 |
| Marinette, WI-MI | 10 | 133 | 15.3 |
| Midland, MI | 9 | 135 | 10.7 |
| Owosso, MI | 9 | 106 | 13.2 |
| Mount Pleasant, MI | 7 | 145 | 10.8 |
| Sturgis, MI | 7 | 114 | 11.4 |
| Cadillac, MI | 6 | 80 | 12.1 |
| Coldwater, MI | 4 | 54 | 8.7 |
Top 25 of 32 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.
Team sizes at pharmacies and drug stores in Michigan
27.4% of Michigan's pharmacies and drug stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 18.4% nationally. 49.1% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 446 | 27.4% | 18.4% |
| 5–9 employees | 354 | 21.7% | 20.3% |
| 10–19 employees | 264 | 16.2% | 16.4% |
| 20–49 employees | 556 | 34.1% | 43.4% |
| 50 or more employees | 10 | 0.6% | 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.
What pharmacies and drug stores in Michigan use the phone for
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.
Typical inbound and outbound calls for pharmacies and drug stores in Michigan:
- A customer calls to ask whether a prescription is ready.
- A prescriber's office calls to clarify a prescription.
- A customer calls to request a refill.
Calls after closing time
After-hours messages are mostly refill requests that staff can process at opening.
Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.
Phone system pricing for a 13-person pharmacy
Pharmacies and drug stores in Michigan average 13.3 employees, so the comparison uses a 13-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 13 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $390.00 a month and 13 on Ooma Office Pro cost $324.35. On Callata the same 13 people cost $259.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,572. 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 | $259.00 | $3,108.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $247.00 | $2,964.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $299.00 | $3,588.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $324.35 | $3,892.20 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $351.00 | $4,212.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $390.00 | $4,680.00 |
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 Michigan
Michigan has 13 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your customers know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 248 | 784 | Eastern | 1997 | 947 |
| 313 | 769 | Eastern | 1947 | 679 |
| 989 | 724 | Eastern | 2001 | none |
| 734 | 701 | Eastern | 1997 | 679 |
| 517 | 616 | Eastern | 1947 | none |
| 231 | 572 | Eastern | 1999 | none |
| 586 | 546 | Eastern | 2001 | none |
| 269 | 545 | Eastern | 2002 | none |
| 616 | 545 | Eastern | 1947 | none |
| 810 | 509 | Eastern | 1993 | none |
| 906 | 360 | Eastern and Central | 1961 | none |
| 947 | 211 | Eastern | 2002 | 248 |
| 679 | 0 | Eastern | 2025 | 313 |
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 Michigan
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.
If you already have a number in Michigan, 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 in Michigan?
1,630 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 21,734 people in mid-March.
Which Michigan metro area has the most pharmacies and drug stores?
Detroit, MI, with 924 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 13-person pharmacy?
$390.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $324.35 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $259.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Michigan 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.