Mid-Year Check-In: The Top 10 Forces Shaping Health System Pharmacy

Halfway through 2026, one trend has become impossible to ignore: health systems are beginning to split into two very different camps.

Some are playing defense—focused on reimbursement pressures, Medicaid shifts, workforce challenges, and tightening margins. Others are taking an opportunistic approach, using these same market forces to expand specialty pharmacy, strengthen infusion services, optimize 340B, and position pharmacy as a strategic growth engine.

In this mid-year check-in, host Jim Jorgenson is joined by Alex Varkey, Vice President of Client Success, and Dave Hager, Senior Vice President of Client Success at Visante, to revisit Visante’s Top 10 Forces Shaping Health System Pharmacy in 2026 and discuss what they’re seeing across the country.

The message is clear: organizations making bold, strategic decisions today are positioning themselves for long-term success. In today’s market, victory favors the brave—and with the right strategy and the right partner, today’s challenges can become tomorrow’s competitive advantage.