NEW YORK That $4.4 billion opportunity is really only the tip of the iceberg. The real opportunity, especially for pharmacists and their nurse practitioner/physician assistant partners, is in the ancillary services that will accompany the functionality behind wireless diagnostic devices — think a medication therapy management/chronic disease coaching one-two punch.

It’s not a question of if wireless diagnostic devices will realize that full $4.4 billion potential, but when. That’s primarily because cost will be a big driver behind adoption of these devices. The fact is that no matter what shape healthcare reform takes, the system will eventually go bankrupt without an emphasis on disease-management/prevention (a.k.a. MTM/chronic disease coaching).

Another driver behind widespread adoption will be how nicely wireless diagnostic device functionality will dovetail with the currently-developing electronic health records. As is evident with the current meteoric rise in popularity of iPhone and other smart phone applications, not to mention the increasing popularity of such social media sites as Facebook and Twitter, it’s more and more becoming a wired, wired world out there.