Looking ahead

Retail pharmacy is coming out another rough year. And that’s after a turbulent 2022 and 2023. Brands are closing stores, divesting from business segments and cutting staff.

What’s more, retailers small and large are dealing with similar issues.

But what can the industry expect in the near future? Will a right-sized retail footprint help reverse the course? Will Congress pass PBM reform, and, more importantly, will it help?

Retailers already know and are already seeing some of these changes, but they can expect more, according to a 2025 outlook from Deloitte.

“Consumers appear to be catalyzing change in the life sciences and health care sectors as they look beyond traditional care models and sales channels to meet their needs,” wrote Kulleni Gebreyes, M.D., vice chair and U.S. life sciences & health care industry leader at Deloitte. “About one in four consumers (24%) are willing to switch doctors if virtual visit options are not o ered, according to results from Deloitte’s 2024 Survey of US Health Care Consumers. And nearly all respondents who have tried a virtual visit are willing to have another.”

Gebreyes also writes that “as convenient, affordable, and consumer-focused products and services become more prevalent, incumbent life sciences and health care organizations could lose margin if they are unable to meet consumers where they are. In 2025, incumbent organizations are likely to pay much closer attention to evolving consumer preferences and expectations. This could help drive convergence among life sciences and health care organizations as innovative companies try to fill gaps in care.” 

Only time will tell.