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 future of pharmacy is clinical, connected, and built around medication adherence. The industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Once defined by dispensing and retail convenience, today’s pharmacies are becoming digitally enabled care hubs. They integrate clinical services, personalized engagement, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) to drive better outcomes and value-based performance.
This change is overdue. It’s also essential.
Chronic conditions account for 90% of the nation’s $4.9 trillion in annual health care spending, according to the CDC. Medication non-adherence remains close to 50% for patients with chronic disease, as research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings has shown. Pharmacies sit right in the middle of that gap. They are uniquely positioned to close it and extend clinical oversight beyond the four walls of traditional practice.
New Pharmacy Mandate: From Transactional to Transformational
Retail and community pharmacies face mounting pressure. Staffing is tight. Consumer expectations keep rising. Yet these same challenges are catalysts for innovation, and they are shaping the future of pharmacy care. As McKinsey notes, pharmacies that embrace omnichannel care, personalized services, and clinical adjacencies are poised to lead the next era of growth.
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.” That trust opens the door for deeper engagement, especially through technology-enabled services like RPM and RTM.
Trust matters most where access is thin. In many rural and underserved communities, the pharmacist is the most accessible clinician a patient sees all month. That relationship is the foundation for everything that follows.
Remote Monitoring: A Strategic Lever for Medication Adherence
RPM offers a practical answer to one of healthcare’s most persistent problems: medication adherence. Cellular-connected smart pillboxes, blood pressure monitors, and scales track real-time behavior. They can also trigger timely interventions when something looks off.
For polychronic patients juggling multiple therapies, this data becomes a lifeline. It helps clinicians adjust regimens, prevent adverse events, and reinforce behavioral change.
Community pharmacists are ideally positioned to lead these efforts and advance the future of pharmacy services. Their relationships with patients, combined with their expertise in medication management, make them natural RPM champions. Working with providers, pharmacists can triage incoming data, escalate concerns, and support care coordination. The result is measurable improvement in adherence and outcomes.
The evidence keeps building. A 2026 systematic review of 33 studies in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy looked at pharmacist-delivered RPM services. Blood pressure monitoring was the most common use. Reported outcomes included better blood pressure control, improved HbA1c in diabetes, higher medication adherence, and fewer hospitalizations. The authors noted that more research is needed. Still, the direction is
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.
Cellular connectivity is a big part of why this works. Patients don’t need Wi-Fi, a smartphone, or an app. They take their medication, and the data moves on its own. That simplicity matters for patients in their later years and for anyone who is less comfortable with technology.
For pharmacies operating under value-based contracts, the impact is measurable:
- Reduced hospitalizations and readmissions
- Improved HEDIS and Medicare Star Ratings performance on adherence measures
- 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 pharmacy is a care delivery engine, not a retail destination. By embracing remote monitoring and digital health tools, pharmacies can redefine their role in the healthcare ecosystem, improve lives, and build sustainable growth.
The last point is new, and it deserves attention this year. Pharmacies that build compliant, clinically grounded programs now will be ready regardless of how the final rule lands. Tenovi’s pharmacy medication adherence programs page offers a closer look at how these programs come together.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Future of Pharmacy
This section answers common questions about the future of pharmacy, including how pharmacists support medication adherence with remote monitoring and how recent Medicare changes may affect pharmacy programs.
1) What is the future of pharmacy?
The future of pharmacy centers on clinical services rather than dispensing alone. Pharmacies are adding medication management, chronic disease support, and remote monitoring. These services help pharmacists improve medication adherence and patient outcomes.
2) How does remote patient monitoring improve medication adherence?
Connected devices like smart pillboxes record when a patient takes a dose. If a dose is missed, the care team can follow up quickly. Blood pressure cuffs and scales add context about how a therapy is working.
3) Can pharmacists provide remote patient monitoring?
Pharmacists often support RPM and RTM programs in collaboration with physicians and other billing practitioners. They review data, counsel patients, and escalate concerns. Billing rules depend on payer, state scope of practice, and supervision and employment requirements.
4) What is the difference between RPM and RTM for pharmacies?
RPM tracks physiologic data such as blood pressure, weight, or blood glucose. RTM tracks non-physiologic data, including medication adherence and therapy response. Many pharmacy adherence programs use both.
5) How could the CY 2027 Medicare proposed rule affect pharmacies?
The proposal would limit Medicare payment for RPM and RTM to services delivered by staff employed by the billing practice. Pharmacies working under contracted arrangements could be affected if the provision is finalized. The final rule is expected later in 2026.
Reimbursement information is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal, compliance, billing, coding, or reimbursement advice. Coding, coverage, and payment vary by payer and locality and are subject to change. Coverage or payment is not guaranteed; consult applicable payer guidance and qualified advisors. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.
6) Why does cellular connectivity matter for pharmacy RPM?
Cellular devices work out of the box without Wi-Fi, Bluetooth pairing, or smartphone apps. This removes common barriers for patients in rural areas and patients who are less comfortable with technology. Simpler setup supports more consistent data and better adherence.
Understanding the Future of Pharmacy
The future of pharmacy is being built today, one patient relationship at a time. Chronic disease drives most U.S. health care spending, and medication adherence remains a stubborn challenge. Pharmacists have the trust, access, and medication expertise to help. Remote monitoring gives them the data to act on it. Medicare policy is shifting, with new codes in 2026 and proposed changes for 2027. Pharmacies that focus on clinical quality and patient engagement will be well positioned for whatever comes next.
Tenovi provides cellular-connected remote patient monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring devices, including the Smart Pillbox, blood pressure monitors, scales, and the Tenovi Gateway. We help pharmacies, providers, and care teams launch and scale monitoring programs that put patients first. Contact us for a free demo and consultation.
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.
