6 trends driving pharmacy’s future

Where is the pharmacy industry heading as it focuses on creating enhanced patient experiences?

At the DSN Industry Issues Summit Chris Dimos, president of retail solutions at McKesson, outlined six key trends, including:

1. Product Mix Shift: “Brands dominated, then a generic wave came in, and now the wave of specialty and biosimilars are taking off. This evolution changes the patient’s experiences with those products.”


2. Government Repositioning: “We're seeing changes in how we’re going to think about government involvement, and as more people age into Medicaid and Medicare, how that will influence our patients’ experiences and our practices.”


3. Pricing Pressures: “These have been around forever. I don’t think anybody comes in and says, ‘I’d like to pay you more for prescription reimbursement.’ For those retailers in the room, if you do, I’d love to know who that is, because I haven’t seen it in my 30-plus years in the industry. But, there is a willingness to reimburse services that lead to an enhanced patient experience.”


4. Industry Consolidation: “We’re seeing consolidation both vertically and horizontally. These consolidations create both threats and opportunities, but most of the time there’s an opportunity to have new and creative solutions come about.”


5. New Entrants: “Nontraditional health care new entrants are changing and shaping the way that health care will be provided in the future.”


6. Digital Impact: “One of the most impactful trends is consumerism. Patients are saying, ‘I want to take more control of my own journey, and I want to have the tools associated to be able to create that journey.’”