Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine is building a pharmacy model centered on patient access, clinical integration and technology-enabled care, according to Chief Pharmacy Officer Nishaminy Kasbekar, PharmD.
Speaking on Becker’s “Pharmacy Leadership Podcast,” Dr. Kasbekar said pharmacy is shifting away from location-based services toward a more patient-centered, digitally integrated approach.
She outlined three key pillars driving that transformation:
1. Moving beyond location-based care
Pharmacy services are evolving from site-based models to ones focused on convenience and accessibility, including home-based care and digital touchpoints.
“It’s really about meeting patients where they are,” Dr. Kasbekar said.
That shift is especially critical as patients continue to face common barriers around medication access, affordability and understanding treatment plans. At Penn Medicine, pharmacy teams are focused on reducing those friction points through faster prior authorizations, improved coordination and greater transparency at the point of prescribing. Those efforts are designed to shorten time to therapy, improve adherence and reduce the risk of complications or readmissions.
2. Embedding pharmacy across the care continuum
Another major shift is the deeper integration of pharmacists into clinical teams.
“In the past, pharmacists sat more on the periphery of care,” Dr. Kasbekar said. “Now we’re looking at pharmacists being embedded across the entire continuum.”
That includes inpatient care, ambulatory clinics and specialty services, where pharmacists are increasingly rounding with providers, interpreting lab results and adjusting therapies. At the same time, pharmacy technicians are taking on expanded operational responsibilities, supporting automation systems and managing functions such as prior authorizations and care coordination.
“We’re not just seeing pharmacists advance, we’re seeing the entire pharmacy department move forward,” she said.
Those decisions are closely tied to workforce sustainability. As pharmacy roles expand, health systems must ensure staff are equipped with the skills needed to operate in a more complex, technology-enabled environment.
Dr. Kasbekar said future pharmacists will need fluency in areas such as pharmacogenomics, precision medicine and digital health, alongside stronger communication and collaboration skills as they take on more direct patient care responsibilities. Technicians, meanwhile, are becoming key operators of automation systems and care coordination workflows.
3. Using AI and automation to reduce friction
Technology is playing a central role in enabling that transformation, particularly by reducing administrative burden and enabling pharmacy teams to focus on clinical care.
At Penn Medicine, one example is an AI-powered platform that uses EHR data to streamline prior authorizations, an often time-consuming process for pharmacy staff.
“What used to take our technicians a significant amount of time has now been really streamlined,” Dr. Kasbekar said.
The result is not only improved efficiency, but the ability to redirect staff toward patient support and clinical problem-solving.
As health systems face mounting cost pressures, Dr. Kasbekar said leaders are prioritizing innovations that reduce waste and free up capacity, while also investing in areas that directly impact revenue or prevent financial loss.
Still, Dr. Kasbekar emphasized that the biggest investment is not just in technology; it’s in preparing the workforce to adapt to change.
“Change isn’t coming, it’s actually here,” she said.
Looking ahead, she expects leading pharmacy programs to become more agile, clinically integrated and responsive to consumer expectations for convenience and personalized care.
“I think the pharmacy future is really bright,” she said.
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