ASHP and ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast 2026: Strategic Planning Guidance for Pharmacy Departments in Hospitals and Health Systems

Abstract

PURPOSE: The ASHP Pharmacy Forecast 2026 is written to identify and contextualize emerging trends that will influence healthcare, health systems, and the pharmacy profession. It provides recommendations to inform strategic planning that should prompt action by pharmacists and health-system leaders. METHODS: Drawing on "the wisdom of crowds" concept, a survey was constructed by an advisory committee with 6 themes, each with 7 focused statements and a seventh theme on preparedness (54 survey items in total). A survey panel of 383 pharmacy leaders was purposefully designed to capture opinions from a wide range of pharmacists across the United States. Panelists were asked to consider the likelihood of the statements occurring in the next 5 years as being likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely. Forecast panelists also assessed health systems' preparedness (from very unprepared to very prepared) for 12 of the statements. RESULTS: The 6 survey themes identified were Policy, Drug Costs, and the Financial Stability of Health Systems; Stabilizing the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain; Patients as Consumers of Health Care; Realizing the Potential of Therapeutic Advances; Environmental Sustainability and Resilience; and Transforming Safety. The survey was completed by 298 respondents, yielding a 78% response rate. Descriptive statistics of the survey results were provided to chapter authors to inform commentary with strategic recommendations for each theme. CONCLUSION: The Pharmacy Forecast provides insights into large-scale, long-term trends that will influence healthcare and the pharmacy profession over the years ahead. Insights from the report can stimulate strategic thinking and provide a starting point to proactively position leaders, their teams, and departments for potential future trends.