Unlocking Hidden Profits: How Medicare Advantage OTC Cards Help Your Pharmacy

With Medicare Advantage beneficiaries accounting for a large portion of pharmacy patients—and that number expecting to grow—this patient pool creates a myriad of opportunities for community pharmacies to reach their patients where they are and provide evidence-based care. Now, with Medicare Advantage over-the-counter (OTC) benefits, both patients and pharmacies have increased opportunities for improving care.

“As we all know, the pharmacy landscape continues to change,” said Saeed Aboelzahab, director of consumer health at Cardinal Health. “The environment is very dynamic and reimbursement pressures continue to get tougher and tougher. Pharmacies have to really look at different ways in which they look at profits within their pharmacy.”

During the Total Pharmacy Solutions Summit Fall 2025 event, Aboelzahab hosted a session that focused in on one particular avenue for pharmacy businesses to explore. Titled “Unlocking Hidden Profits: How Medicare Advantage OTC Cards Help Your Pharmacy,” his presentation introduced Solutions Summit attendees to the increasingly prominent OTC benefits and how they can be used to benefit pharmacies’ bottom line.

More specifically, he explored the ways in which pharmacies can begin establishing these benefits in their stores and the best practices for doing so. He also explained how the increasing prominence of Medicare beneficiaries can lead to increased pharmacy foot traffic and revenue, which is why Medicare Advantage OTC benefits can be such a game-changer.

Explore more of our coverage from the Total Pharmacy Solutions Summit Fall 2025: Patient Access and Education.