Digital Pharmacies Embrace Tech Innovation for Enhanced Patient Reach
In an effort to improve healthcare access and efficiency, several pharmacy chains are integrating technology into their services. One such initiative is Rx Express, developed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which aims to lower readmissions by integrating pharmacy support directly into the discharge process for patients.
UPMC, operating 14 retail pharmacies, many of which are attached to its hospitals, has developed an AI-powered virtual assistant and customer relationship management platform called Rx Express. The platform serves approximately 60,000 patients across 12 pharmacies. Kathryn Heffernan, the director of product management at UPMC Enterprises, oversees this project.
Meanwhile, CVS Health is leveraging robotics, automation, machine learning, and AI for dynamic workload sharing across its more than 9,000 stores. This new workshare model allows certain parts of pharmacy workflow to be completed virtually and by a team in a neighboring store or centrally, varying by state. CVS's licensed pharmacists perform tasks remotely, while state-licensed, board-certified pharmacy technicians operate the physical pharmacy, ensuring and increasing patients' access to local, convenient pharmacy care.
Community pharmacies in underserved rural areas are also adopting technology to enhance patient-centered care, medication adherence, and workflow automation. Pharmacy staff use communication, resource mapping, and referral tech platforms to integrate social care into daily workflow effectively, even in rural settings. Technologies like point-of-care testing (POCT) and embedding community health workers (CHWs) cross-trained with digital tools for screening, referrals, and follow-up address health-related social needs such as food insecurity and housing instability.
Pharmacies are also implementing technologies such as MedSync programs, which coordinate medication refill schedules to improve adherence and reduce gaps in therapy. Automation tools like vial-filling robots streamline dispensing, improve accuracy, and free staff time for patient counseling and clinical services. These features help overcome challenges related to limited staff and resources, especially in rural pharmacies facing shrinking reimbursements and rising labor costs.
Automation technologies—including robotics for medication packaging and advanced analytics platforms—enhance pharmacy operational efficiency. These tools accelerate prescription processing, reduce errors, and enable pharmacies to reclaim workflow time. The additional capacity supports expanding clinical services, patient engagement initiatives, and partnerships with health plans, crucial for sustaining pharmacy viability in rural areas.
Given the scarcity of healthcare providers in many rural communities, pharmacies offer frequent patient touchpoints (average 33 visits per year vs. 3 for physicians). Technologies facilitating electronic health record integration, telehealth, and digital communication help pharmacies bridge care gaps and deliver personalized care despite geographic challenges.
However, challenges such as pharmacy closures in rural "pharmacy deserts" and digital infrastructure gaps complicate technology adoption. Studies show that areas with limited broadband access and socioeconomic barriers have reduced pharmacy access, highlighting the need for tailored digital solutions and investments to close these gaps for rural pharmacies.
CVS is also offering a digital solution called Spoken Rx, which allows visually impaired patients to hear prescription information spoken aloud via RFID technology. Furthermore, telepharmacy, where allowed by state law, is being explored by CVS to ensure convenient access to pharmacy care in areas where it is scarce. AI and chat functionality are being used to personalize the patient experience and streamline navigation. The platform could be further developed to offer services like chatbot-enabled appointment scheduling.
In summary, community pharmacies utilize a combination of digital tools for social needs integration, automated dispensing and MedSync for adherence, and clinical technology like POCT and health IT integration, enabling them to deliver patient-centered care efficiently in underserved rural areas while overcoming workforce and access barriers. Pharmacies, a mainstay of communities, provide a wide range of healthcare services and wellness needs, and the integration of technology into these services is set to revolutionize healthcare in rural areas.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being utilized in the development of Rx Express, an AI-powered virtual assistant and customer relationship management platform, aimed at improving healthcare access and efficiency, particularly in rural areas, by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).
- Pharmacies, such as CVS Health, are leveraging AI and chat functionality to personalize the patient experience, streamline navigation, and offer services like chatbot-enabled appointment scheduling, as part of their digital solutions, thereby revolutionizing healthcare in rural areas.
