The Evolution of DTP Pharmacy Models and the Future of Digital Health

Amid new government initiatives and a myriad of drug supply chain stakeholders changing their business models, the pharmacy workforce is experiencing one of the most notable inflection points in the history of the profession. While the traditional flow of medications is being reimagined, the industry is looking at digital health tools and approaches to prepare for this inevitable transformation.

“For us in the pharmacy space, pharma sells drugs, generally goes to a wholesale distributor that then the pharmacy gets and we work through our distributors, get them, and then we sell and dispense them,” Timothy Aungst, PharmD, founder of the Digital Apothecary and professor of pharmacy practice at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), told Drug Topics. “Now, pharma wants to help be the initiator for this pipeline in some way. I think that's really the change in dynamic is now a pharmaceutical company wants to advertise themselves; ‘Come to us, and you can get your medication from us too.’”

On this week’s episode of Over the Counter, along with Aungst, we were joined by Ravi Patel, PharmD, MBA, MS, innovation lead at the Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and practicing pharmacist at Blueberry Pharmacy, as well as Smit Patel, PharmD, professor at Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health.

They joined us to break down the evolving world of direct-to-patient (DTP) pharmacy models and how digital health tools are reimagining, for better or for worse, how patients receive their medications. “How this looks, as we've been saying, is what has to be envisioned and addressed, because we don't have the recipe for it yet,” said Aungst. “It's still to be written.”

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics. Check out our most recent episode withJesse Dresser, Esq, who discussed the most recent PBM reform legislation and how its ground-breaking signing is set to shake up the distribution of prescription drugs across the US.

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