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Several of our industry experts recently attended the Becker's 15th Annual Meeting and Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO) Summit, where they networked and engaged with C-suite executives from health systems around the country. The event, held from April 28 to May 1, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL, brought together over 3,000 executives and 750 industry leaders to discuss key topics such as executive strategy, finance, clinical leadership, supply chain, inventory management, specialty pharmacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and others.
While it may have been posed slightly differently from one attendee to the next, it was clear that a single question stood out as the spring summit’s hottest topic: “What does the future of health system pharmacy look like?” The answers – while also somewhat varied – looked largely toward the growth of outpatient service lines specifically. Specialty, retail, and ambulatory strategies took center stage in conversations about growth, with thoughts on AI-powered innovation and optimization woven throughout.
“Across the board, these health system leaders are boldly confident in their belief that pharmacy should be, and will be, the ‘go-to’ for strategic growth initiatives going forward – and I couldn’t agree more.” – Chris Naughton, AVP Health Systems, McKesson
Three key takeaways from the roundtable include:
- Overall, health systems are looking toward pharmacy to play a significant role in future growth and revenue strategies.
- With many or even most health systems already at or near the tail end of optimizing the efficiency of their inpatient operations, their focus is shifting heavily to growing the footprint of their specialty, retail, and ambulatory service lines.
- Technology- and AI-driven solutions for challenges like inventory management and others will be essential tools in the modernization of pharmacy service lines going forward.
The energy and enthusiasm among the CPOs and other attendees regarding the importance of the business of pharmacy in supporting the health of the system and patients alike was unequivocal. As Chris Naughton, AVP Health Systems, McKesson observed, “Across the board, these health system leaders are boldly confident in their belief that pharmacy should be, and will be, the ‘go-to’ for strategic growth initiatives going forward – and I couldn’t agree more.”
To learn more about partnering with McKesson to help your health system achieve more both now and in the future, contact us today.
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