Pharmacy’s Year of Progress

As we close out 2025, it’s impossible not to reflect on just how transformative this year has been for pharmacy. Across every practice setting—community, health system, specialty, managed care, industry, academia—pharmacists continued to reaffirm their essential role in a health care system undergoing rapid change. The momentum we saw in 2025 was not accidental; it was the product of years of advocacy, innovation, and resilience from professionals who never stopped pushing for what patients need.

This year brought meaningful expansion of pharmacists’ scope and recognition. States continued to advance provider status–aligned legislation, broadening pharmacists’ ability to prescribe, manage chronic conditions, and deliver critical public health services. Health systems integrated pharmacists more deeply into multidisciplinary care teams, particularly in complex disease areas such as oncology, transplant, and cardiometabolic health. Community pharmacies accelerated their transition into true health access hubs, delivering point-of-care testing, immunizations, and comprehensive medication management at unprecedented scale.

Technology also reshaped the landscape. Artificial intelligence, clinical decision support tools, and advanced analytics moved from theoretical add-ons to practical, daily partners in care. Throughout all this, pharmacists remained the steady, trusted professionals whom patients turn to when health care feels overwhelming.

But the year was not without challenges. Workforce strain, reimbursement pressure, and increasing operational complexity continued to test the profession. Yet pharmacists answered with solutions: new models of care, strengthened collaboration, and a renewed focus on professional well-being.

As we look ahead to 2026, the road is filled with both opportunity and responsibility. The coming year will demand continued advocacy for sustainable reimbursement, thoughtful integration of emerging technologies, and bold leadership as pharmacies evolve their service models. It will call for unity across the profession to ensure that every pharmacist, regardless of setting, is empowered to practice at the top of their training.

Pharmacy Times will continue to be here for it all: elevating your work, spotlighting innovation, and providing the clinical, operational, and policy insights that help you navigate a changing landscape.

Thank you for your commitment, your expertise, and your unwavering dedication to patient care. Your work is shaping the future of health care, and the future looks bright.

As always, thank you for reading.