Healthcare Third-Party Logistics Market Report 2025

The healthcare third-party logistics market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $236.32 billion in 2024 to $258.69 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to the expanding outsourcing of logistics functions, the increasing use of automated storage systems, the rising prevalence of biologics and vaccines, the growing complexity of healthcare supply chains, and escalating healthcare expenses.

The healthcare third-party logistics market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $367.88 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2%. The growth projected for the forecast period can be attributed to the rising demand for efficient supply chain management, an increasing need for temperature-controlled logistics, expanding distribution networks of biopharmaceutical companies, greater emphasis on regulatory compliance, and growing demand for direct-to-patient deliveries. Key trends expected during this period include advancements in cold chain logistics, the integration of digital tracking systems, technology-driven inventory management, improvements in real-time monitoring, and innovations in digital technologies.

The growing demand for vaccines is expected to drive the expansion of the healthcare third-party logistics market in the future. Vaccines are biological preparations that stimulate the immune system to recognize and combat specific diseases by mimicking infections without causing illness. This increasing demand arises from the rising incidence of infectious diseases, leading to a greater need for protection against widespread health risks. Healthcare third-party logistics plays a vital role in vaccines by providing safe, timely, and temperature-controlled transportation and storage throughout the supply chain. For example, in July 2024, the World Health Organization, an intergovernmental organization based in Switzerland, reported that global coverage of the first dose of the HPV vaccine among girls rose from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023, with a goal of reaching 90% by 2030. Consequently, this growing demand for vaccines is propelling the growth of the healthcare third-party logistics market.

Leading companies in the healthcare third-party logistics market are concentrating on creating innovative solutions, such as specialized logistics platforms for cell and gene therapies, to guarantee the safe, time-sensitive, and temperature-controlled delivery of advanced treatments. These platforms are sophisticated systems designed to manage the delicate, time-critical, and temperature-regulated transportation and storage of fragile biological therapies used in personalized medicine. For instance, in October 2024, McKesson Corporation, a healthcare company based in the US, launched Inspirogene, a specialized division dedicated to supporting the commercialization of cell and gene therapies through advanced third-party logistics and specialty distribution services. This innovative platform combines advanced supply chain management, temperature-controlled storage, and real-time tracking to maintain product integrity, ensure timely delivery, and facilitate efficient distribution of critical vaccines and therapies. Inspirogene provides a flexible system tailored to the unique logistical needs of cell and gene therapies, streamlining their delivery and aiding their market introduction with accuracy and reliability.

In April 2025, Morris & Dickson Inc., a US-based pharmaceutical wholesale distributor, acquired Presa Solutions for an undisclosed sum. Through this acquisition, Morris & Dickson Inc. seeks to offer an integrated supply chain solution to pharmaceutical and biotech partners by enhancing its third-party logistics (3PL) capabilities and providing an alternative to the traditional “Big 3” distributors. Presa Solutions Inc. is a US-based company specializing in healthcare third-party logistics (3PL) services.

Major players in the healthcare third-party logistics market are McKesson Corporation, Cencora Inc, Cardinal Health Inc, Federal Express Corporation, A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S, Kuhne + Nagel International AG, Schenker AG, CEVA Logistics India Private Limited, GEODIS SA, Rhenus SE And Co. KG, XPO Inc., Agility Logistics Private Limited, Allcargo Logistics Limited, Noatum Logistics India Private Limited, Barrett Distribution Centers Inc., UPS Supply Chain Solutions Inc., Buske Logistics Inc., Falcon International LLC, DHL Supply Chain India Private Limited, and Coldman Logistics Private Limited.

North America was the largest region in the healthcare third-party logistics market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in healthcare third-party logistics report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the healthcare third-party logistics market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The healthcare third-party logistics market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as managing the storage, handling, and delivery of healthcare products, ensuring regulatory compliance, temperature control, secure distribution, and timely delivery to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and other healthcare institutions. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sudden escalation of U.S. tariffs and the consequent trade frictions in spring 2025 are severely impacting the healthcare sector, particularly in the supply of critical medical devices, diagnostic equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Hospitals and healthcare providers are facing higher costs for imported surgical instruments, imaging equipment, and consumables such as syringes and catheters, many of which have limited domestic alternatives. These increased costs are straining healthcare budgets, leading some providers to delay equipment upgrades or pass on expenses to patients. Additionally, tariffs on raw materials and components are disrupting the production of essential drugs and devices, causing supply chain bottlenecks. In response, the industry is diversifying sourcing strategies, boosting local manufacturing where possible, and advocating for tariff exemptions on life-saving medical products.

The healthcare third-party logistics market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides healthcare third-party logistics market statistics, including healthcare third-party logistics global market size, regional shares, competitors with healthcare third-party logistics market share, detailed healthcare third-party logistics market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the healthcare third-party logistics industry. The healthcare third-party logistics market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Healthcare third-party logistics (3PL) involves the delegation of logistics and supply chain management tasks by healthcare organizations to specialized external service providers. These providers manage essential operations such as transportation, warehousing, inventory control, and regulatory compliance. In addition, they deliver value-added services like cold chain management, real-time tracking, serialization, and reverse logistics to ensure the secure, efficient, and compliant delivery of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices throughout the supply chain.

The primary categories of healthcare third-party logistics are cold chain logistics and non-cold chain logistics. Cold chain logistics pertains to the storage and transportation of temperature-sensitive items under controlled environments to preserve their integrity, safety, and effectiveness across the supply chain. This service employs multiple transportation modes, including ground, air, and sea freight. It also incorporates advanced technologies such as automated storage and retrieval systems, warehouse and transportation management systems, blockchain, IoT, AI and machine learning, and robotics. Temperature control options range from ambient and controlled to refrigerated, frozen, and cryogenic. These logistics solutions support a broad range of end users, including pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical firms, hospitals and clinics, medical device manufacturers, research laboratories, healthcare providers, and others.

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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