Cardinal Health distributes pharmaceuticals and medical products to hospitals, pharmacies and physician offices, operating as one of the largest pharmaceutical and medical supply distributors in the United States alongside McKesson and Cencora. Pharmaceutical distribution is a high-volume, low-margin business where earning even a small percentage on each drug distributed requires enormous scale and logistics efficiency to be profitable. Beyond drug distribution, Cardinal Health also manufactures and distributes medical, surgical and laboratory products used directly in patient care, giving it a second business line beyond pure pharmaceutical logistics. The company's revenue is closely tied to overall prescription drug volumes and healthcare utilization, and the distribution industry has consolidated into a small number of large national players that handle the vast majority of pharmaceutical distribution.