McKesson reveals five trends for next year's health system pharmacies

As the landscape of the health care industry is ever-changing, the McKesson Pharmacy Optimization team is shedding light on five trends expected to effect health system pharmacies next year. 

The first trend involves the growth of the specialty pharmaceuticals market that is producing lower costs for prescriptions as there will be increased competition due to the availability of more biosimilar drugs.

The second trend is seeing the transformation of health system pharmacies into revenue generators instead of cost centers. Ambulatory, specialty and mail-order pharmacy services can create revenue opportunities with ambulatory pharmacies helping with medication adherence and the continuity of care.

Related to improving patient care is the third trend that uses data analytics. By tracking drug usage and spending, pharmacies and health care providers will be able to improve the quality and safety of patient care. It will also help health systems make more informed decisions with regards to the operational, clinical and financial aspects of its business.

The fourth trend is enhancing the efficiency of pharmacy supply chains as consolidation occurs among various stakeholders in the health industry, including hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers and retail pharmacy chains. An improved supply chain will boost productivity, allow for better management of inventory and streamline workflow.

And finally, the fifth trend entails health systems and pharmacies analyzing the proposed 340B Omnibus Guidance by the Health Resources and Services Administration to see how it would impact their programs. The guidance includes information on outpatient drugs coverage and specialty pharmacy arrangements.

“The growing movement toward value-based reimbursement continues to have tremendous impact on health systems as they increasingly look to pharmacy as a source of revenue growth," McKesson Pharmacy Optimization Senior VP and General Manager Mark Eastham said. "This need for health system pharmacies to identify new initiatives that can increase revenue without compromising patient outcomes or safety is indicative of key trends and opportunities facing health system pharmacies in the coming year."

McKesson is currently providing insight on the trends at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' midyear clinical meeting, currently taking place through Thursday.