Strategies to Drive Pharmacy Sustainability in a Changing Landscape

In today's volatile market, independent pharmacies must transition from viewing their software as a simple dispensing tool to treating it as a comprehensive profit engine. During the keynote at the Total Pharmacy Solutions Summit, Ketan Mehta, CEO and president of PrimeRx, argued that the traditional modular approach to pharmacy technology is outdated. Instead, he advocated for a unified ecosystem model where purchasing, patient engagement, and clinical care are deeply interconnected to drive financial sustainability.

Intelligent Purchasing and Transparent Pricing

One of the most immediate ways to boost margins is by looking beyond primary wholesaler contracts. Mehta highlighted that although primary contracts offer advantages, daily ordering workflows often hide significant savings. By utilizing platforms such as PrimeRx Market, pharmacies can access transparent, real-time pricing from secondary suppliers directly within their workflow.

Mehta noted that automated savings reports can show owners exactly how much they could have saved by shopping the market, helping to overcome the tedium that often leads staff to default to higher-priced primary orders. This strategy improves cash flow by ensuring the lowest cost of goods at the point of purchase.

Real-Time Prescription Benefit Tools

To reduce administrative friction and improve the patient experience, Mehta recommended real-time benefits investigation. This tool allows a pharmacy to run a benefits inquiry—not a test claim—the moment an electronic script arrives.

• Pharmacies can see formulary status, 30/60/90-day copays, and prior authorization requirements before the patient even arrives at the counter.
• If a copay is too high, the system allows the pharmacist to request an electronic change to a more affordable alternative, improving adherence.

Maximizing Clinical Care and Medical Billing

As reimbursement shifts from script volume to health outcomes, clinical services are becoming the primary driver of profitability. Mehta emphasized that pharmacists should leverage their systems for medical billing (eg, for vaccinations or 15-minute counseling sessions) rather than just standard pharmacy benefit manager claims. Modern platforms can now generate the necessary 837P files for medical billing directly, capturing revenue that many pharmacies currently leave on the table.

Strategic OTC Suggestive Selling

Front-end sales often offer higher margins than dispensed drugs, yet suggestive selling is frequently overlooked by busy staff. Mehta proposed linking therapeutic categories to specific OTC supplements within the point-of-sale system.

For example, if a patient is picking up a medication that causes bone density loss, the system can automatically prompt the cashier to recommend a calcium supplement. This linked approach turns every prescription into a potential high-margin front-end sale.

These technologies are designed to transform the pharmacy from a cluttered retail space into a wellness hub. Mehta envisions a future when pharmacies look more like Apple stores—clean, organized, and focused on the patient relationship. By automating the tedious aspects of ordering and billing, pharmacists can find the zen required to focus on their clinical expertise.