Becker's Healthcare March 28, 2025
To improve care access, Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System will unveil self-serve, automated prescription kiosks across its footprint March 31.
As more consumers opt for mail-order pharmacies and low reimbursement rates hurt profitability, retail chain and independent drugstores are shuttering nationwide. In January, 30.3% of 8,000 independent pharmacy owners said they are considering closing their business in 2025, according to a National Community Pharmacists Association survey.
MultiCare began exploring how to increase after-hours pharmacy access a few years ago, according to Teresa Harberg, PharmD, assistant vice president of ambulatory pharmacy services.
One challenge to that goal? Pharmacies that operate 24/7 are not usually profitable from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., she said.
“It’s expensive to...
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