Becker’s asked pharmacy leaders across the U.S. one question: What innovation are you looking to scale for 2026 — and why? Their answers reveal a sector doubling down on automation, access and operational resilience.
Access at the point of care
AdventHealth, based in Altamonte Springs, Fla., plans to expand take-home dispensing programs in hospital and freestanding emergency departments to speed up therapy initiation and improve throughput in high-acuity settings, said Vice President of Pharmacy Steven Allison, PharmD.
Meanwhile, Lee Health, based in Fort Myers, Fla., plans to grow alternate-site infusion capacity as specialty therapies accelerate beyond hospital outpatient models, according to Vice President of Pharmacy John Armitstead.
AI to reduce administrative drag
Penn Medicine in Philadelphia will launch an AI-driven platform to streamline prior authorizations and accelerate access to specialty therapies, said Chief Pharmacy Officer Nishaminy Kasbekar, PharmD.
Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey Health is targeting high-volume authorization, denial and call center workflows to improve reimbursement and satisfaction, said President and Chief Pharmacy Officer Jess de Jesus, PharmD.
Vice President of Pharmacy Operations Joseph Pinto said New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System is embedding AI into inpatient order verification to surface risk signals and reduce variation.
Automation and infrastructure modernization
Valley Children’s Healthcare of Madera, Calif., is undertaking a major technology refresh across sterile compounding, diversion monitoring and supply chain systems as older platforms reach end-of-life, said Director of Pharmacy Melissa Chase, PharmD.
Administrative Director of Pharmacy Wes Cowell, PharmD, said FirstHealth of the Carolinas in Pinehurst, N.C., will integrate early stages of central distribution into its enterprise purchasing system — a move echoed by Fredericksburg, Va.-based Mary Washington Healthcare, which is scaling its central distribution center to shift pharmacists toward clinical work, said System Director of Pharmacy John Coggins.
Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health is expanding radio frequency identification-enabled consignment for low-use, high-cost medications to optimize both cost and availability, said Executive Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain Derek Imars.
More proactive, scalable clinical care
Emory Healthcare in Atlanta will expand population health-focused pharmacotherapy programs to proactively manage high-risk patients and improve access, said Vice President of Pharmacy Ryan Haumschild.
Renton, Wash.-based Providence is scaling pharmacotherapy clinics and extending transitions-of-care services through audiovisual technology to support high-risk patients without adding workforce, said Senior Director of Pharmacy Don Gruntowicz, PharmD.
Vice President of Pharmacy Services Bonnie Levin, PharmD, said MedStar Health in Columbia, Md., will build out its RxDirect program to improve affordability and adherence for patients on high-cost medications.
Vancouver, Wash.,-based PeaceHealth plans to broaden pharmacist-led value-based care initiatives.
“One of the more important innovations is to expand the use of pharmacists to achieve add-on payments in value-based care,” said Donna Feild, senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer. “Adding more PharmD’s takes a load off of the MDs and allows them to see more new and acutely ill patients. With the physician shortage getting worse, this shift of work from MD to PharmD helps to improve access for patients.”
Precision medicine at scale
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care is expanding its advanced therapeutics model, paired with its Medication Areas clinical framework, to unify pharmacy, clinical operations and revenue cycle around cell and gene therapies, radioligands and other complex treatments, said Chief Pharmacy Officer Elizabeth Oyekan, PharmD.
Drug shortage readiness
Improving intelligence and communication around scarce medications will be a major focus for St. Joseph Health, part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. Market Director Kimberly Feese said the system is automating shortage alerts and mitigation strategy distribution to ensure visibility and faster response across hospitals.
