Amazon and the Future of Pharmacy Services

15 Jul, 2018

There’s no question that healthcare delivery and related services are undergoing a rapid series of changes in the digital age. The speed of these evolutions may be breathtaking, but the arrival of the digital landscape and the resulting state of general upheaval are not new. We’ve seen broad changes coming for many years; but the most important questions are still difficult to answer: What will happen by the end of this week? Or even this day? What new channels of communication and service delivery will open up between the provider and the patient, and how can the pharmaceutical industry retain its footing and its relevance in an unpredictable world?

Developing Pharmaceutical Trends

Pharmacy industry leaders and trendwatchers are now in the process of shaping their predictions, hopes, and warnings for 2018. Among their biggest concerns: uncertainty surrounding the repeal of the ACA individual mandate. Will the withdrawal of healthy payers from insurance pools corrupt the system for those who need it most? Also, trendwatchers are concerned about the appearance of low-cost medications entering the specialty pharmacy channel and the trend of massive consolidations among pharmacy companies and healthcare systems.

But one of the biggest issues facing the industry has yet to result in a clear consensus from pharmacy experts: the rise of e-services and medication delivery systems. How will increasing automation and the participation of players like Amazon impact the patient experience? Because of the internet, consumers now hold increasingly unlimited power over their own healthcare decisions. Not only can patients diagnose themselves and control their own brand relationships, they can also engage with selection and shipping services that allow them to differentiate between pharmacies and providers and payers.

Changes in Pharmacy Distribution

Most experts predict that dominant forces in healthcare, insurance, and pharma manufacturing will need to make room at the table for growing influence of distribution services. Amazon isn’t going anywhere, and over the next few years, its entry into the landscape of patient care and consumer services will change what, where, and how customers receive care. The arrival of Amazon will also change the bar of expectation: If patients can get online and get immediate answers, free shipping and risk-free returns at 3:00 a.m., they may begin to expect the same from offline healthcare and pharmacy services.

How Will These Changes Affect Your Team?

We don’t know what the future will bring, but one thing is certainly clear: that unknowable future is arriving fast. Stay on top and in touch by bringing your questions to the expert pharmaceutical recruiters at Buckman Enochs Coss and Associates.