In hospital pharmacies across the country, some of the most persistent obstacles are not tied to drug shortages or clinical breakthroughs. They are buried in workflows: authorization requests that stall at the payer, verification screens that require endless toggling and communication gaps that slow care.
When asked what parts of pharmacy practice are most overdue for digital or operational innovation, leaders pointed to these everyday friction points — and outlined where smarter tools could make a meaningful difference.
For Kavish Choudhary, PharmD, chief pharmacy officer at Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health, one of the biggest opportunities is medication authorizations and benefits review. Even as some progress has been made, the lack of standardization across payer platforms continues to delay treatment and add administrative burden.
“The administrative burden and subsequent delays in care due to the time lags in medication authorizations and benefits investigation are frustrating for patients and pharmacy staff,” he said. He said he hopes the next wave of innovation will push payers to align their systems and data requests.
Communication between pharmacists and other clinicians is another weak spot. Robert Coram, who spent more than three decades as a director of pharmacy at two West Virginia hospitals, said better tools for direct communication with nurses and providers could streamline coordination and reduce downstream delays.
For Antony Gobin, assistant vice president of pharmacy services at Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center, two priorities stand out: the revenue cycle and waste reduction.
“Health systems should invest in pharmacy personnel that work with the finance teams and software to navigate the complexities of pharmaceutical billing,” he said. He also sees reductions in waste, both pharmaceutical and packaging, as key to addressing supply chain challenges while cutting down on the environmental footprint of hospitals.
“Drug packaging and plastic used in pharmacy practice contributes to the large amount of healthcare waste coming from hospitals,” he added.
Other leaders emphasized innovation that would improve patients’ experience accessing medications. Jonathan Meli, director of pharmacy at Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health, said digital tools could make out-of-pocket costs clearer and help patients start treatments sooner. He sees artificial intelligence playing a role in streamlining prior authorizations and enabling virtual connections with pharmacy services for ongoing management.
At the point of verification, technology remains a particular sticking point. Bilal Naved, PhD, chief product officer and co-founder of Clearstep, described pharmacists navigating siloed systems with limited access to clinical data. A smarter, connected platform, he argued, could turn verification into “a moment of clinical insight rather than administrative burden.”
Medication adherence also remains a stubborn challenge. Nilesh Desai, CPO at Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health System, said utilizing digital tools could help.
“Despite all that has happened in healthcare, ensuring patients consistently follow their prescribed treatment plans remains a significant challenge,” he said. “Leveraging digital tools to monitor and support adherence could greatly enhance patient outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare providers.”
