Pharmacy customers are growing happier with mail order service and less satisfied with the store counter, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Pharmacy Study. Mail order satisfaction climbed 2 points from last year to 699 on a 1,000-point scale, while brick-and-mortar pharmacies slipped 7 points to 669.
For supermarket operators, the news is better than the topline suggests. Grocery pharmacies continue to outperform the brick-and-mortar average, with H-E-B leading the supermarket segment at 773, followed by Wegmans at 749 and Publix at 741.
JD Power attributed the broader brick-and-mortar decline to eroding customer trust and weaker perceptions of value, while mail order’s gains came from live agent support and digital convenience. The firm said both channels ultimately face the same test: pairing person-to-person service with digital tools that work.
“In today’s pharmacy environment, the direct human interaction and effortless convenience are non-negotiable when it comes to customer satisfaction,” said Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power.
“Whether customers are interacting with a pharmacist over the phone for a mail-order prescription or picking up medication at a brick-and-mortar location, they value empathetic, knowledgeable staff and easy access to services,” she added. “Digital tools, when integrated effectively, enhance this experience. Pharmacies that successfully deliver personal touches and digital efficiency will build lasting loyalty.”
Hafner noted that mail order pharmacies are showing a declining ability to resolve customer problems, a risk to the segment’s momentum, while brick-and-mortar operators need to rebuild trust and demonstrate value even as their digital offerings gain traction.
Key findings
- Mail order pharmacy satisfaction rose year over year while brick-and-mortar satisfaction fell.
- Improved satisfaction with human support drove mail order pharmacies’ gains.
- Digital channels emerged as a bright spot for brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
How other segments ranked
Sam’s Club took the top spot among mass merchandiser pharmacies for the 11th consecutive year with a score of 786, ahead of Costco at 770.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy edged Health Mart by a single point, 748 to 747, to lead chain drug store pharmacies. CVS Pharmacy ranked third at 653.
In the mail order segment, Amazon Pharmacy ranked highest at 745, followed by Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy at 733 and Walmart Pharmacy Mail Services at 714.
Now in its 18th year, the study measures customer satisfaction with brick-and-mortar and mail order pharmacies. The 2026 edition drew responses from 14,144 customers who filled a prescription in the previous 12 months and was fielded from May 2025 through May 2026.
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