Our history

Cardinal Health got its start in 1971 when founder Robert D. Walter opened a small distribution center in Columbus, Ohio. In less than a decade, the then-named Cardinal Foods became a prominent regional food distributor until branching into pharmaceutical distribution in 1979. That was the year the company purchased a Zanesville, Ohio drug distributor and became known as Cardinal Distribution.

In 1983, Cardinal went public and over the next decade expanded its fast-growing pharmaceutical distribution business with the acquisition of more than a dozen U.S. drug distributors. By 1987, a year before selling its food distribution segment, Cardinal Health's pharmaceutical distribution business had become nearly twice the size of its food distribution business.

Over the next few years, Cardinal Health grew rapidly and revenues exceeded $1 billion in 1991. By 1994, Cardinal Health had established itself as a leader in the drug distribution business with a nationwide presence and annual revenues of approximately $6 billion.

Since then, Cardinal Health has evolved further, serving healthcare manufacturers and patient care providers around the world. The company's acquisitions include Pyxis Corporation in automated supply and pharmaceutical dispensing; Owen Healthcare in hospital pharmacymanagement; Medicine Shoppe International in pharmacy franchising; R.P. Scherer Corporation and Automated Liquid Packaging in drug delivery formulation and contract manufacturing; PCI Services, Inc. in pharmaceutical packaging; Allegiance Corporation in medical-surgical product manufacturing and distribution; Bergen Brunswig in medical-surgical distribution to hospitals and care continuum; and Bindley Western in pharmaceutical distribution.

Our company timeline offers a more complete look at Cardinal Health's acquisition and growth milestones for becoming an industry-leading manufacturer and distributor.

Today, Cardinal Health provides an integrated offering of innovative products & services to help hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare providers meet the growing challenges of a dynamic industry. Cardinal Health is a multinational healthcare industry services provider that applies vast resources, knowledge and expertise to help healthcare manufacturers and patient care providers meet their most pressing challenges, while providing better, safer delivery of care.