IQVIA: GLP-1 Therapies, Health Care Cyber Attacks Among Top Industry Impacts in 2024

Each year, attendees at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo look forward one particular presentation: IQVIA’s overview of pharmacy trends, issues, and forecasts for the current and upcoming year.

This year, Drug Topics was joined by Scott Long, director of supplier services at IQVIA, and Doug Long, vice president of industry relations at IQVIA, ahead of their August 19 presentation.

Perhaps as expected, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications—a category that includes blockbuster therapies semaglutide and tirzepatide (Ozempic and Wegovy, and Mounjaro and Zepbound, respectively)—is one of the biggest areas that pharmacy forecasters are keeping a weathered eye on. “It’s a very large category having some significant impacts on the sales side within [the pharmaceutical industry],” said Biggs. The shortages of these medications, due to heightened consumer interest and expanded access, are also worth watching.

READ MORE: Q&A: Understanding the Role of Tirzepatide, Semaglutide in Cardiovascular Disease

Even as drugmakers pledge millions to step up manufacturing capabilities, challenges around GLP-1s are anticipated to linger into future, particularly around profitability. “Generally, a pharmacy loses money on every GLP-1 prescription they dispense,” explained Long. “That kind of throws the whole business model; you can’t have that situation where they lose money on dispensing prescriptions.”

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