United States Healthcare Parcel Last-mile Delivery - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The united states healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market size was valued at USD 14.63 billion in 2025 and is estimated to grow from USD 15.83 billion in 2026 to USD 23.09 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 7.84% during the forecast period 2026-2031. Growth in the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market is being supported by a steady shift toward specialty pharmaceuticals, more care delivered at home, and stronger patient demand for faster, more reliable prescription fulfillment. This report is Segmented by Delivery Type (Standard, Same-Day, Next-Day), by Temperature Type (Temperature Type, Non-Temperature), by Product Type (Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and More), by Delivery Model (B2C, B2B), by End User (E-Pharmacies, Diagnostic Labs, and More), and by Geography (Northeast, Southeast, West, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

United States Healthcare Parcel Last-mile Delivery Market Trends and Insights

Expansion of Direct-to-Patient Specialty Pharmacy Fulfillment

Direct-to-patient fulfillment is changing the shipment profile of the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market, as more prescriptions now move directly to patients' homes rather than through older channel steps. That shift raises demand for parcel routing that can support the handling of protected health information, delivery confirmation, and better integration with provider and pharmacy systems. It also creates a larger need for networks that can manage patient scheduling and failed delivery recovery with fewer service breaks. Operators with stronger links to health systems and pharmacy workflows are therefore gaining an advantage by reducing friction in handoffs that matter in specialty drug delivery.

Rising Same-Day and Next-Day Expectations for Prescription Refills

Patient expectations in the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market are moving closer to broader e-commerce service standards, especially for refill and urgent therapy needs. Same-day and next-day demand is strongest where treatment delays can interrupt care, including oncology support, injectables, and other therapies that must reach the patient quickly. This also increases the need for denser local dispatch capacity, as some healthcare shipments cannot tolerate multi-day delivery windows. The service challenge is greater for time-sensitive products such as radiopharmaceuticals and certain patient-specific medications because their clinical value can decline within hours.

Tight HIPAA, Chain-of-Custody, and Controlled-Substance Compliance Burden

Compliance remains a major restraint in the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market because operators must handle patient data, documented custody, and controlled substances under stricter rules than standard parcel providers. These requirements raise operating costs through agreements, tamper controls, tracking logs, retention practices, and delivery verification. The burden also becomes harder to manage at the national scale because controlled-substance courier requirements vary by state, creating uneven operating conditions across networks. A single weak process can expose an operator to severe legal and financial consequences, which increases the barrier to entry for smaller carriers.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Growth in Home-Based Care and Hospital-at-Home Programs
• Temperature Integrity Requirements for Biologics and Vaccines
• High Cost of Qualified Cold-Chain Packaging and Re-Ice Management

Segment Analysis

Next-day delivery accounted for 41.44% of the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market share in 2025, making it the largest delivery type by value. Its leadership reflects the existing prescription fulfillment backbone that serves retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, and outpatient hospital dispensaries. This segment fits recurring refill programs where service reliability matters, but an urgent clinical response is not always required. It also benefits from established route density and a lower operating burden than most time-critical healthcare deliveries.

Same-day delivery is projected to expand at a 11.92% CAGR through 2031, making it the fastest-growing segment of the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market. Radiopharmaceuticals are driving demand for urgent oncology support therapies and home health resupply, where timing can influence care continuity. Standard delivery still holds a role for non-urgent products such as home healthcare consumables, over-the-counter medications, and diagnostic kit replenishment. The segment is also shaped by compliance, as scheduled substances and sensitive products reduce the pool of couriers who can legally and operationally serve same-day demand. Over time, this creates a bifurcated structure where next-day remains the volume anchor, while same-day becomes the premium layer where service differentiation and pricing power concentrate.

Non-temperature-controlled shipments accounted for 52.86% of the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market size in 2025, giving them the largest share among temperature types. Ambient deliveries account for the current volume because they include many standard pharmaceuticals, diagnostic kits, home healthcare supplies, and routine medical devices. This makes the segment operationally important for scale and network utilization. It also reflects the large installed base of healthcare products that do not require specialized thermal controls during the final handoff.

Temperature-controlled shipments are forecast to grow at a 8.70% CAGR through 2031, suggesting the share gap is likely to narrow in the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market. Cencora indicated that half of all pharmaceutical products launched globally through 2027 will require cold-chain storage, compared with 37% for the 2013-2017 cohort. The need for temperature control is also becoming more demanding, as cell and gene therapies may require cryogenic conditions beyond the conventional 2 °C to 8 °C range. That shift turns certifications and validated processes into baseline requirements rather than optional advantages. It also makes temperature control a strategic requirement for carriers seeking a larger role in the United States healthcare parcel last-mile delivery market.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Delivery Type
  • Standard Delivery
  • Same-Day Delivery
  • Next-Day Delivery
• By Temperature Type
  • Temperature Controlled
  • Non-Temperature Controlled
• By Product Type
  • Pharmaceuticals
    • Prescription and Specialty Drugs
    • OTC Drugs
  • Biopharmaceuticals (Biologics and Biosimilars)
  • Vaccines
  • Clinical Trial Materials
  • Cell and Gene Therapies
  • Medical Devices
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Blood, Plasma and Blood Components
  • Diagnostic and Laboratory Products
  • Home Healthcare Supplies
  • Others
• By Delivery Model
  • B2C
  • B2B
• By End User
  • Hospitals and Clinics
  • E-Pharmacies and Pharmacies
  • Diagnostic Laboratories
  • Home Healthcare Providers
  • Direct-to-Patient Deliveries
  • Others
• By Region
  • Northeast
  • Southeast
  • Midwest
  • Southwest
  • West

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• FedEx
• UPS
• DHL Group
• Cencora, Inc.
• McKesson Corporation
• Cardinal Health
• MedSpeed
• USPack
• Medical Couriers Inc. (MCI)
• Dropoff
• Life Couriers
• Priority Dispatch, Inc.
• MedZoomer
• Stat Experts, Inc.
• Lab Logistics
• OnWay
• Airspace
• Kuehne+Nagel (Including QuickSTAT)
• LifeScience Logistics
• National Courier Express
• ScriptDrop
• Courier Express

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support