By Brandon Haag — In this article, Brandon Haag, VP of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) Solutions at Tenovi, explores how remote monitoring is being used by community pharmacies. The article explains why pharmacists are uniquely positioned to guide chronic care patients in managing their health and offers insight into what the future may hold for pharmacy-led remote monitoring.
What is the Future of Pharmacy?
The pharmacy industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Once defined by dispensing and retail convenience, today’s pharmacies are evolving into digitally enabled care hubs that integrate clinical services, personalized engagement, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) to drive better outcomes and value-based performance.
This transformation isn’t just overdue. It’s essential. With chronic conditions accounting for over 90% of U.S. healthcare spending and medication non-adherence hovering around 50%, pharmacies are uniquely positioned to close care gaps and extend clinical oversight beyond the four walls of traditional practice.
New Pharmacy Mandate: From Transactional to Transformational
Retail and community pharmacies are facing mounting pressures: declining reimbursement, staffing shortages, and rising consumer expectations. Yet these challenges are also catalysts for innovation. As McKinsey notes, pharmacies that embrace omnichannel care, personalized services, and clinical adjacencies are poised to lead the next era of growth and expand the he future of pharmacy care.
Pharmacists are no longer just product stewards—they’re becoming frontline care navigators. According to Wolters Kluwer, 58% of Americans now turn to their local pharmacy first for non-emergent health issues. This trust opens the door for deeper engagement, especially through technology-enabled services like RPM.
Remote Monitoring: A Strategic Lever for Medication Adherence
RPM offers a powerful solution to one of healthcare’s most persistent problems: medication adherence. Cellular-connected smart pillboxes, blood pressure monitors, and scales can track real-time behavior and trigger timely interventions. For polychronic patients juggling multiple therapies, this data becomes a lifeline—helping clinicians adjust regimens, prevent adverse events, and reinforce behavioral change.
Community pharmacists are ideally positioned to lead these efforts and and advance the future of pharmacy services. Their relationships with patients, combined with their expertise in medication management, make them natural RPM champions. When pharmacists collaborate with providers under general supervision, they can triage incoming data, escalate concerns, and support care coordination—all while driving measurable improvements in adherence and outcomes.
Technology That Works for Patients, and the Bottom Line
Solutions like Tenovi’s Smart Pillbox can simplify access, increase adherence, and personalize the medication experience. When paired with RPM, these technologies create a closed-loop system that supports adherence from prescription to refill.
For pharmacies operating under value-based contracts, the impact is measurable:
- Reduced hospitalizations and readmissions
- Improved HEDIS and STAR performance
- Enhanced patient satisfaction and retention
Building the future of pharmacy, Now
To fully realize this vision, pharmacies must invest in:
- Scalable RPM infrastructure with cellular connectivity
- Workflow integration that supports pharmacist-led interventions
- Patient education and engagement tools tailored to digital natives
- Strategic partnerships with payers, providers, and technology vendors
The future of pharmacies isn’t just a retail destination—it’s a care delivery engine. By embracing remote monitoring and digital health tools, pharmacies can redefine their role in the healthcare ecosystem, improve lives, and unlock sustainable growth.
About the Author: Brandon Haag is the Vice President of RTM Solutions at Tenovi, where he helps healthcare organizations implement scalable, patient-centered remote therapeutic monitoring programs.
