CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for pharmacies and drug stores in Montana
112 pharmacies and drug stores operated in Montana in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 112CBP 2023
- Employees
- 1,553mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 9.8U.S. 12.3
- State rank
- 48th of 51by count
The pharmacy industry in Montana
County Business Patterns counts 112 establishments in Montana classified as Pharmacies and Drug Stores (NAICS 446110) for 2023. They employed 1,553 people in mid-March and reported $73.1 million in annual payroll. That is the 48th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Pharmacies and drug stores make up 0.26% of the 42,566 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Montana has 9.8 pharmacies and drug stores, 19.9% below the national rate of 12.3. The average establishment has 13.9 employees against 16.5 nationally. Payroll per employee is $47,066, 5.8% above the U.S. figure of $44,477.
| Measure | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 112 | 41,792 |
| Mid-March employees | 1,553 | 691,152 |
| Annual payroll | $73,093,000 | $30,740,561,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 13.9 | 16.5 |
| Payroll per employee | $47,066 | $44,477 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 9.8 | 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.
Montana's largest markets for pharmacies and drug stores
Census published pharmacy counts for 6 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Montana. The largest is Billings, MT, with 17 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 51% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | 17 | 355 | 8.8 |
| Missoula, MT | 13 | 223 | 10.2 |
| Great Falls, MT | 9 | 119 | 10.6 |
| Kalispell, MT | 7 | 118 | 6.1 |
| Bozeman, MT | 6 | 73 | 4.7 |
| Helena, MT | 5 | 117 | 5.2 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at pharmacies and drug stores in Montana
20.9% of Montana'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 | 23 | 20.9% | 18.4% |
| 5–9 employees | 31 | 28.2% | 20.3% |
| 10–19 employees | 26 | 23.6% | 16.4% |
| 20–49 employees | 30 | 27.3% | 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.
What pharmacies and drug stores in Montana 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 Montana:
- A prescriber's office calls to clarify a prescription.
- A customer calls to ask whether a prescription is ready.
- The pharmacy calls a prescriber for a refill authorization.
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.
Callata vs. per-seat pricing for pharmacies and drug stores in Montana
Pharmacies and drug stores in Montana average 13.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 14-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $349.30 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $420.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 14 people cost $279.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,692. 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 | $279.00 | $3,348.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $266.00 | $3,192.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $322.00 | $3,864.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $349.30 | $4,191.60 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $378.00 | $4,536.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $420.00 | $5,040.00 |
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 Montana
Montana has 1 geographic area code 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 406 | 754 | Mountain | 1947 | none |
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 Montana
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 Montana, 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 Montana?
112 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 1,553 people in mid-March.
Which Montana metro area has the most pharmacies and drug stores?
Billings, MT, with 17 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 14-person pharmacy?
$420.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $349.30 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $279.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Montana 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.