The Unique Challenges, Growth in the Business of Health-System Pharmacy

Health-system pharmacy has seen impactful growth in the recent past. However, as market pressures and regulatory framework create barriers in a unique health care landscape, the business of keeping health systems sustainable has become a unique challenge for pharmacists and other health-system providers.

“Health-system pharmacy has grown alongside the rapid growth of specialty pharmacy. Because of the high numbers of specialty medications that are generated out of health systems and the special care that goes into providing those medications, health systems have found that they play an important role in making sure patients get those medications,” said Eric Tichy, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, FCCP, FAST, Mayo Clinic Division Chair and Associate Professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Tichy joined Drug Topics to discuss his role in authoring the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) 2025 Pharmacy Forecast. Tichy contributed to a section titled “The Business of Health Care: Strategic Challenges in Health-System Pharmacy.” He talked to us about growth in health-system pharmacy businesses as well as the challenges impacting reimbursement, access, and costs.

“Even in the provider world, there are differences,” he continued. “A physician's office is different than a hospital infusion area. Some of it is that regulatory framework that I mentioned earlier.”

Discussing the ins and outs of health-system pharmacy business, Tichy provided insights on how these unique players within health care must navigate challenges that many providers elsewhere are not familiar with. Listen to our full conversation with Tichy to learn more about the business side of health-system pharmacies.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes on Over the Counter every Thursday afternoon. Check out our previous episode with Erin Fox, PharmD, MHA, BCPS, FASHP, who also co-authored a section of the ASHP 2025 Pharmacy Forecast. In our ongoing coverage of the forecast, Fox discussed the unique position patients and pharmacists are in when dealing with ultra-high-cost drugs.

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Reference

DiPiro JT, Hoffman JM, Tichy E, et al. ASHP and ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast 2025: Strategic planning guidance for pharmacy departments in hospitals and health systems. AJHP. 2024;82(2). doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxae280