In October, Rite Aid announced it would close all remaining stores, following a multi-year trend of major pharmacy chains like Walgreens and CVS eliminating thousands of locations.
When the only nearby pharmacy shutters, where can patients go instead? For a growing number of communities, the answer is: nowhere close.
Nearly 16 million people in the United States live in a pharmacy desert, traveling a significant distance to reach the nearest pharmacy. This limited access to
Read More
Pharmacy | Medication Adherence Technology Services and Solutions | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Retail Pharmacy 2026 Forecast: From “Hard Truths” to AI-Driven Innovation
2025 has been a year of hard truths for retail pharmacy.
Persistent reimbursement pressures, escalating fees, workforce shortages and policy whiplash have forced many operators to rethink how they serve patients and sustain their businesses. Expanding into clinical services and stepping into the role of frontline healthcare providers is becoming an expectation, not an option. Direct-to-payer contracting is no longer experimental.
But perhaps the most palpable change for
Read More
Why Independent Pharmacies are the Future of Personalized Care
Consumers today can get everything on demand and online, from groceries, to streaming content, to their prescriptions. Pharmacy digital capabilities, along with the ability to obtain prescriptions by mail, have grown in response. Yet more than 15 million people still rely solely on their local, independently-owned pharmacy as a trusted resource in their community —not just for medicine, but for personalized care including vaccines, testing services and more. As healthcare goes digital,
Read More
GoodRx and Kroger Partner to Deliver Instant Brand Medication Savings
What You Should Know:
- GoodRx, a platform for medication savings in the U.S., has announced the availability of its brand medication savings solution, RxSmartSaver powered by GoodRx, at Kroger pharmacies nationwide.
- The collaboration brings medication affordability directly to the pharmacy counter, aiming to improve the patient experience and deliver stronger economics for the retail partner.
Unlocking Instant Savings at 2,200 Kroger Pharmacies
RxSmartSaver is now
Read More
Pfizer and Trump Administration Announce Landmark Agreement to Lower Drug Costs
What You Should Know:
- Pfizer Inc. has announced a historic agreement with the Trump Administration that is designed to ensure U.S. patients pay lower prices for their prescription medicines while strengthening America’s role as the global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.
- The voluntary agreement, made in response to a presidential letter, aims to implement measures that ensure Americans receive drug prices comparable to those available in other developed
Read More
4 Steps to Safely Implement AI in Healthcare and Pharmacy Operations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming healthcare, including pharmacy operations, clinical workflows, and business processes. As adoption accelerates, it's essential to ensure that AI is implemented responsibly—especially given the sensitive nature of patient data and the complexities of care delivery. Success in this space requires a balance of high tech and high touch: robust human oversight and ethical governance. Here are four key steps to help healthcare and pharmacy
Read More
Walgreens Earns First Gene and Cell Services Accreditation
What You Should Know:
- Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy has received its first Gene and Cell Services accreditation from ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care).
- The new accreditation, along with others, demonstrates the company's commitment to providing quality care to its patients.
Expanding Services and Accreditations
In addition to the new Gene and Cell Services accreditation, Walgreens Central Specialty Pharmacy has achieved a number of other recognitions. It
Read More
Asepha Secures $4M Seed for AI-Powered Pharmacy Operations
What You Should Know:
- Asepha, a fast-growing startup leveraging AI agents for pharmacy automation, today announced the close of its $4 million Seed round, led by Glasswing Ventures and Core Innovation Capital.
- Panache, RedBud, and MGV also participated, with follow-on support from Ripple Ventures and Front Row Ventures.
Asepha Raises the Bar on AI-Driven Pharmacy Automation, Expands Nationwide Footprint
Asepha is redefining pharmacy operations with
Read More
PQS Launches EQUIPP Copilot™: AI-Powered Intelligence for Pharmacies
What You Should Know:
- Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS), an Innovaccer company and leader in pharmacy-payer performance technology, today announced the launch of EQUIPP Copilot™, the industry’s first workflow-integrated intelligence platform designed to help pharmacies expand clinical services, boost productivity, and connect seamlessly with the broader healthcare ecosystem.
- By embedding real-time insights and automation directly into daily pharmacy operations, EQUIPP
Read More
GoodRx Launches E-commerce Experience for Retail Pharmacies
What You Should Know:
- GoodRx, a platform for medication savings in the U.S., today announced a new e-commerce experience for retail pharmacies, designed to improve how consumers obtain their medications through the GoodRx platform. The company is initially launching this experience with the Midwest-based retailer Hy-Vee.
- GoodRx's e-commerce capability bridges online consumer engagement with prescription fulfillment, demonstrating the company's commitment to reducing
Read More
