Greg Samios, President and CEO of Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, leading customer-led innovation and a transformed workforce.
The retail pharmacy landscape is undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by several complex challenges and shifts. In an effort to carve out a bigger role in patient care, pharmacies (and pharmacists) have acknowledged the need to expand their scope of services, such as administering a higher volume of vaccinations, all while contending with significant staffing shortages.
Consolidations and closures have raised concerns about accessibility for patients, especially amid pharmacy deserts. Since retailers have announced roughly 2,600 store closures, 59% of Americans worry about obtaining medications close to home. Online retailers and nontraditional pharmacy models continue to challenge brick-and-mortar establishments, offering competition in the marketplace. However, they have yet to match the value and impact of in-person pharmacy experiences.
Adding to these pressures, rising prescription costs and declining reimbursement rates continue to strain the industry, creating financial and operational hurdles that demand innovative solutions. But for all of these challenges, many retail pharmacies are also working to capitalize on a huge opportunity to play a critical role in patient care beyond prescribing and dispensing medication.
The Sentiment Of Today’s Healthcare Consumer
Today’s healthcare consumers have increasing expectations regarding their care. More than 70% of Americans feel our healthcare system fails to meet their needs, and a study found that two-thirds of Americans still have unanswered questions after healthcare visits.
Meanwhile, patients’ growing preference for digital interactions with healthcare providers underscores the importance of leveraging technology to address these challenges effectively. Consumer trust in providers in nontraditional primary care settings is high, with nearly 60% of patients likely to visit a pharmacy for a non-emergency condition.
This highlights a strong opportunity for pharmacies to continue to focus on patients’ needs with consumer-centric and technology-enabled experiences. Patients increasingly turn to pharmacists for guidance and information on their healthcare needs, presenting an opportunity to foster stronger connections with the community. By stepping into this advisory role, pharmacists can not only enhance trust but also reinforce their integral position within the broader care team. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can enhance your pharmacists’ visibility as advisors for patients in the health care pipeline.
A Focus On Patient Education
Not only do more of today’s patients want to be a partner in their own care as well as be seen and heard, but I also believe that a more educated, informed and insightful patient can lead to better outcomes. Consider offering interactive, comprehensive education programs around specific conditions to help drive patient engagement and adherence. Providing these resources through trusted technology and publicly available digital outlets can also give patients access to the most current information about their medications and care.
The Value Of Alignment
While working with healthcare organizations and pharmacies, I have observed how problematic a siloed patient journey can be. Patients need touchpoints, but while many patients are comfortable receiving care across a variety of traditional and nontraditional settings, I believe retail pharmacies should seek to provide a consistent experience comparable to what patients expect to receive from their doctor’s office. Providing vague—or worse, contradictory—information can quickly erode the trust you hold.
Consider adopting a single source of truth by standardizing evidence-based content, from patient education to medication information materials. In my experience, this can help reduce patient confusion, friction and variation, as well as drive better adherence and experience.
Free Up Pharmacists To Focus On Patient Experience
In order to solidify your pharmacists’ roles as an integral part of the care team, it’s important to adapt pharmacy operations to support this evolution. Strategic digital and delivery investments could help free up your pharmacists to spend more of their time educating and building relationships with patients rather than solely focusing on filling and dispensing medications.
For example, some pharmacies are experimenting with paperless options by offering patients digital QR codes to access their medication or education information. In my experience, this approach can help improve medication adherence, reduce the need for follow-up appointments and address the common issue of patients discarding their paper leaflets shortly after receiving them. This simple change can lay the foundation for continued digital interaction and help you layer on education and other services in support of your pharmacists.
As we look to 2025 and the months ahead, I believe we’ll continue to see a reinvention in the retail pharmacy experience. These bright spots indicate that while retail pharmacies face challenges, there are also considerable opportunities for growth and innovation in the industry. Pharmacists can now access the tools needed to deliver effective care, stay informed about the latest medical advancements and tailor educational resources to meet each patient’s needs.
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