The role of pharmacies has changed over the years, but especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. Although pharmacies’ retail health push has made it easier for adults to get vaccines and other forms of primary care, they are also transforming the consumer experience in other ways. In emailed responses to questions, Adriana Ramirez, Abarca President and COO, talked about the shifting role of pharmacies, which has accelerated since the height of Covid-19, to transform the consumer experience.
Ramirez’s vision, shaped by a background rooted in healthcare and a forward-thinking PBM model, challenges the industry to focus on the members’ experience in every transaction. A pharmacy isn’t just the last mile of care; it’s the first impression.
Pharmacies are uniquely positioned to improve access, medication adherence, and patient outcomes, according to Ramirez. As physician shortages continue, pharmacists are stepping into expanded roles, from administering vaccines to managing chronic conditions through collaborative agreements—all in service of creating better health experiences for members.
Rethinking the Pharmacy Touchpoint
“On average, a patient visits a pharmacy three times more than their doctor in a year. That’s not just a statistic. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to ignore,” Ramirez observed.
The physician shortage has led to pharmacies taking on a broader role that crosses over to primary care, as they seek to improve access and adherence. They address consumer questions about prescription drug side effects, vaccine delivery, and advise consumers on managing chronic conditions. This is not limited to brick-and-mortar pharmacies; digital-first pharmacies are also redefining the member experience. Through app-based ordering and same-day delivery, they reduce barriers to adherence, while proactive notifications and virtual pharmacist consults provide ongoing support beyond the counter. Many are layering in telehealth visits, cost-transparency tools, and AI-driven nudges that anticipate member needs and encourage healthier behaviors. By blending convenience with personalization, these digital touchpoints extend the reach of pharmacy care.
Ramirez cited one example where Abarca, a pharmacy benefit manager, helped a regional health plan increase the proportion of days covered by 3% within a year of launching Abarca’s RxTarget medication adherence program.
“By utilizing predictive analytics and targeted interventions through our Darwin proprietary platform, the plan made tangible improvements in adherence for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. These interventions, designed in collaboration with network pharmacies and monitored in real time, ultimately helped the plan better serve its members through improved health outcomes,” Ramirez said.
“Based on literature estimates of how improved adherence can reduce medical costs, the health plan secured a return on investment of 1.77 times, after accounting for all program fees and pharmacy incentives.”
The Generation Gaps and How Pharmacies Can Address Them
Healthcare must account for generational diversity.
- Gen Z and Millennials expect frictionless, app-based pharmacy access.
- Middle-aged adults want smart tools for managing chronic conditions.
- Older adults prioritize trust and communication—but are adopting digital faster than many assume.
When the consumer base needs differ so much, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be as effective.
“In one state rollout, our home delivery app had a higher adoption rate among older adults than the commercial population because we paired it with pharmacist phone support,” Ramirez said, adding that this combined support builds trust and makes all the difference.
In rural areas, pharmacies take on an even more critical role because they may be the only accessible point of care. Amplifying the role of telepharmacy, mobile health units, and home delivery extends access and strengthens trust, all with the goal of improving member care.
Reclaiming the Patient Experience: The Human Factor in Digital Health
Medication nonadherence continues to be a critical issue, playing a role in more than 30% of avoidable hospitalizations. By combining AI, using nudges to effect behavior change, and transparency tools to proactively identify and address risks, Abarca hopes to improve outcomes. Although medication adherence isn’t an issue most people would expect pharmacies to have the capacity to address, Abarca sees the issue differently.
“Patients need more than tools. They need to understand why their health decisions matter,” Ramírez said. She also believes AI has a role to play in healthcare delivery by enhancing it.
“If used intentionally and intelligently, technology can bridge gaps in care and bring brick-and-mortar pharmacies into the digital future, integrating AI to create experiences that are more personalized, more accessible, and ultimately, better for members.”
Ramírez views the pharmacy as the gateway for the patient experience, providing consumers with key interactions with healthcare, whether it is to get a vaccine, purchase a medical device or buy band-aids. The ultimate goal, she emphasized, is not just innovation for its own sake, but to empower pharmacies, PBMs, and providers to serve members with more clarity, compassion, and efficiency.
“Coming from a family of physicians, I know the power of clinical expertise. But the real revolution in healthcare will come from how we design experiences that feel human, even as we scale and digitize,” she added.
PBM Model Shift: Modular PBMs
Across the industry, we’re seeing a shift toward a more modular approach to pharmacy benefit management where health plans have the flexibility to configure the pharmacy solutions they deem more aligned with their long-term goals. This approach gives clients the ability to have more control over their network and specialty strategy, as well as the selection of tech platforms and partners that work best for them in the pursuit of delivering a more personalized and responsive experience to their members.
In response, we should expect a market push for PBM offerings to continue evolving to support greater customization and integration of solutions, enabling health plans to deliver more favorable integrated member experiences. This shift from the “traditional bundled model” will undoubtedly continue opening the door to additional transformations in the role of pharmacy, such as innovations in real-time pricing tools, an increase in digital-first pharmacy experiences, telepharmacy, and personalized adherence programs, meeting members where they are and how they prefer to engage.
Pharmacies, whether digital or brick-and-mortar, will continue to be at the forefront of the healthcare experience. They are where most people interact with the system most often, and where trust, accessibility, and adherence are won or lost.
Photo: Twenty47studio, Getty Images