How the Medicare Bridge Program Can Reshape Pharmacy, GLP-1 Access

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program launched on July 1 and pharmacists are already being called upon to help Medicare beneficiaries make sense of a rapidly shifting access and pricing landscape that even the most informed health care professionals are still catching up on.

In this week’s episode of the Over the Counter podcast, Jay Bregman, founder and CEO of Andel, breaks down core competencies pharmacists need to understand about the Bridge Program, its implications for patients, and what the future of Medicare GLP-1 coverage may look like when the initiative expires at the end of 2027.

He maps out the current GLP-1 access ecosystem, from employer-sponsored plans and direct-to-consumer purchasing to direct-to-employer programs, explaining why a large and persistent unmet need among Medicare beneficiaries made a program like this necessary in the first place.

For pharmacists, the conversation gets especially relevant when Bregman discusses the trusted, frontline role pharmacists now play in helping patients navigate pricing confusion, compounding questions, and program eligibility. He also offers a frank assessment of why GLP-1 economics remain challenging for independent pharmacies and what the program's success or failure could mean for long-term Medicare drug coverage policy.

This is a conversation worth listening to in full because the questions your patients are about to start asking are ones every pharmacist should be prepared to answer, especially as GLP-1s continue to rise alongside government initiatives like the GLP-1 Bridge Program.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics. Check out our most recent episode with Esmé Grewal, JD, president and CEO of the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition. She discussed the unrecognized importance of long-term care pharmacy practice and its role in caring for senior populations.