After three years of the pandemic, consumers are returning to health care. But they are not returning to the same health care landscape, nor are they behaving in the same manner. The pent-up post-pandemic demand for health care services has created longer wait times at traditional point-of-care locations like primary care offices, pushing consumers to
Prescription drug discount cards are a fast-growing market. The growing complexity of insurance plans and a system of pharmaceutical discounts and rebates that is not visible to the patient have widened the discrepancy between the cost of drugs and what patients actually pay. Additionally, the price a patient pays can vary widely across insurance plans,
In recent years, the health care industry in the U.S. has accelerated its shift from fee-for-service toward value-based care (VBC) models, focused on holistic, long-term outcomes for patients and lower costs for the system. This shift was spearheaded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) through legislation enacted between 2008 and 2019, notably by
Structural and systemic inequities have long contributed to ongoing health disparities, especially within minority communities in the United States. However, the pandemic and social unrest of the past few years have magnified the issues. For example, Latino and Black people were hospitalized with COVID-19 at a rate 2.8 times higher than white people, according to
We are more than two years into COVID, and the health care industry still has an “edge of your seat” feel — even as the crisis wanes, there’s an uncertainty about what will happen next. This rings especially true for retail pharmacies, which experienced pandemic highs and lows. American consumers applauded as pharmacies elevated the
There is a gap in our nation’s health care system. Pharmacies need to act now if they want to prove they are the right ones to fill it. One of the long-standing gaps in the American health care system is a lack of accessible, efficient and cost-effective services for individuals in need of a routine
Today’s retail pharmacies face increasing pressure from all fronts. Governments are aiming to reduce health care costs, and public sentiment is pushing the industry toward a value-based model. The use of high-cost specialty drugs is increasing dispensing complexity and shifting channel volume — at a time when disruptors like Amazon are poised to impact pricing.
The COVID-19 crisis will eventually move past its peak and everyday life will phase into a new normal. When it does, it’s unlikely that customers or businesses will go back to their pre-pandemic ways. As “essential” businesses, retail pharmacies were some of the first to experience and respond to new changes in customer behaviors and
Pharmacies have long been the front door to the country’s health care system. People choose their favorite pharmacy and make stopping by a habit. They drop in to pick up monthly prescriptions, ask the pharmacist for advice and, of course, snag retail items in the process. But can pharmacies hold on to this coveted position?
In today’s retail landscape filled with intense competition and discouraging news about store closures and challenging sales figures, Global Market Development Center (GMDC)|Retail Tomorrow is focused on designing new strategies for retailers and suppliers to navigate a path forward to evolve and thrive. Even during one of the industry’s most uncertain times, brick-and-mortar still has
The continued digitization of electronic health records (EHRs) and growth in the number of wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are rapidly expanding the volume of patient data. This increased digitalization offers patients more access to their health histories and the ability to track and take active responsibility for their health. EHRs also hold
In recent years, the specialty pharmacy industry has been defined by rapid growth with considerable entry from new participants. Factors driving growth include an increase of therapies introduced into the pharmacy benefit class rather than through the medical benefit, a growing number of patients receiving treatment for a wider range of conditions, price inflation caused
Every year, Canadians, who have access to one of the most advanced health care systems in the world, spend more than $200 billion on health care, $34 billion of which is on pharmaceuticals. Although medical services are socialized, government-supported drug benefits are limited to children, the elderly and the poor. In this regard, drug funding
Personalized medicine is broadly defined as the individual customization of health care — medical decisions, practices or treatment. For the community pharmacy industry, the impact of this trend is an over-the-horizon disruptor that will impact, among other things, the work flow in the retail pharmacy, the expectations of the pharmacists and the industry operating model.
