Pharmacy SIC codes start with 47730, dispensing chemist in specialised stores, which has 8,042 active companies. That is only the high street end of the sector. Manufacturers and wholesalers have separate codes, so a search for pharmaceutical companies can bring back very different businesses.
Results Driven Marketing (RD Marketing) wrote this guide for suppliers who sell to pharmacies and pharmaceutical firms. We sell B2B data, so we have an interest in the subject. To keep it useful, we link our sources and show where a SIC search falls short. For the basics, read what an SIC code is.
Written by Iain Irvin, Director of RD Marketing. Iain worked in telesales, business development and sales management before starting the business, and has more than 15 years of experience in B2B marketing data and lead generation. Codes, counts and sources checked on 7 November 2026.
Contents
- Pharmacy SIC Codes Compared
- Pharmacy SIC Codes Against the Regulator’s Register
- Pharmacy SIC Codes Under SIC 2026
- Where Pharmacy SIC Codes Fall Short
- Using Pharmacy SIC Codes to Build a List
- RD Marketing Services That Can Help
- How We Checked This
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Talk to Us
Pharmacy SIC Codes Compared
Do not add the counts together, because a company can list up to four codes.
| SIC code | Companies House description | Active companies | SIC 2026 code | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47730 | Dispensing chemist in specialised stores | 8,042 | 47.73, 47.92 | Community pharmacies |
| 46460 | Wholesale of pharmaceutical goods | 4,481 | 46.46 | Pharmaceutical wholesalers |
| 21100 | Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products | 1,348 | 21.10 | Basic pharmaceutical makers |
| 21200 | Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations | 849 | 21.20 | Medicine makers |
| 47749 | Retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores (not incl. hearing aids) n.e.c. | 3,167 | 47.74/9, 47.92 | Medical and orthopaedic retail |
Pharmacy SIC Codes Against the Regulator’s Register
A pharmacy must register with its regulator, so that register is a stronger test than a code. In Great Britain, the General Pharmaceutical Council regulates pharmacies and pharmacy professionals. The NHS also publishes pharmaceutical services statistics for England. A company code counts legal entities instead, so one chain with hundreds of branches may appear only once.
Pharmacy SIC Codes Under SIC 2026
The Office for National Statistics finalised UK SIC 2026 in April 2026. The code 47.73 stays and is renamed retail sale of pharmaceutical products, with 47.92 as a second destination for intermediation services. Wholesale at 46.46 widens to pharmaceutical and medical goods, so a filter on it may start to catch medical suppliers. You can read more in our UK SIC 2026 research.
Where Pharmacy SIC Codes Fall Short
- Chains. One company can run many branches, so a company count can understate premises.
- Registered offices. The address may be a head office and not a pharmacy.
- Online pharmacies. They may use other retail codes, so check how a list treats them.
Using Pharmacy SIC Codes to Build a List
- Separate retail from manufacturing. Use the table above.
- Decide on independents or chains. Chains may buy centrally.
- Choose the role. That could be a superintendent pharmacist or an owner.
- Test a sample. Check it against the register.
Our pharmacy data includes 10,371 postal addresses, 7,898 telephone numbers and 4,749 email addresses across pharmaceutical businesses.
RD Marketing Services That Can Help
Once you know which codes and audiences you need, these pages explain how we can help you reach them.
- B2B data lists: who we are and what we supply.
- How to buy database: our main page for buying UK business data.
- Buy telemarketing data: phone data for outbound sales teams.
- Buy email list: business email data for your campaigns.
- Direct mail lists: postal data for letters and mailshots.
- Managed LinkedIn campaigns: managed outreach to decision-makers on LinkedIn.
- B2B email automation: email campaigns run and followed up for you.
How We Checked This
Company counts come from Companies House advanced search, using the active status filter and one code at a time, on 7 November 2026. Descriptions come from the Companies House SIC code list. SIC 2026 codes come from the ONS correspondence table, dated 3 August 2026. A correspondence shows where a code could go. It does not tell you how any one company will be recoded. Our database figures are a separate source, so they will not match company counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SIC code for a pharmacy?
The code is 47730, dispensing chemist in specialised stores. Under SIC 2026 it can map to 47.73 or 47.92.
What is the SIC code for a pharmaceutical company?
Use 21100 or 21200 for makers and 46460 for wholesalers. These are very different audiences from pharmacies.
What is the SIC code for a pharmaceutical wholesaler?
Use 46460, wholesale of pharmaceutical goods.
How can I check a pharmacy is registered?
Use the General Pharmaceutical Council’s register in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own regulator.
Talk to Us
Need to reach pharmacies? Tell us who you want to reach, and we will send you a free audience count and quote within 24 hours, along with a sample.
Contact RD Marketing today to discuss your target market.