Employer health plan costs will climb another 9% in 2027, according to new PwC projections, marking the highest increase in 17 years.
As costs rise faster than most employer budgets can absorb, the options on the table often feel like a lose-lose: cut benefits that your team needs, or pass costs along to employees when they're already stretched.
Today's newsletter is about a solution that's likely missing from your shortlist: community pharmacies. Read on for:
❤️ How pharmacists can deliver frontline care
🤑 Why pharmacy partnerships are good for your bottom line
📃 New resources to help you get started
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DID YOU KNOW?
Your Pharmacist Can Do a Lot More Than Fill Prescriptions
You already know pharmacies dispense medications and give vaccines. But pharmacists are also trained to provide many of the services employees would normally see a doctor for, including:
🫀 Heart Health and Chronic Disease Management Blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, and ongoing medication therapy management.
🎗️ Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Risk counseling, HPV vaccination, FIT kit distribution and counseling, screening navigation, and referral when symptoms warrant further care.
🩺 Common Condition Care Testing and treatment for common conditions like flu, strep throat, COVID-19, and urinary tract infections.
🧠 Behavioral Health and Lifestyle Support Smoking cessation counseling, medication adherence support, and nutrition education for disease management and metabolic health.
QUICK FACTS
The Business Case for Pharmacy Partnerships
Pharmacy partnerships can help employers boost both employee health and the bottom line by:
Closing Access Gaps
One-third of Americans live in areas with inadequate access to primary care.
96.5% of Americans live within 10 miles of a pharmacy.
57% of employees visit at least once a month.
Improving Health Outcomes
Pharmacist-led chronic disease management programs can reduce ER visits and hospitalizations by 33%.
Pharmacist-led interventions for high blood pressure could save 30.2 million life-years over 30 years.
In one study, 71% of patients receiving pharmacist-led care achieved blood pressure control, compared to only 33% under traditional care.
Reducing Healthcare Costs
Pharmacy-based care for minor illnesses costs about $278 less per episode of care than traditional settings.
Pharmacist-led diabetes management programs yield about $1,000 in net savings per employee per year.
Overall ROI for pharmacist-led healthcare services ranges from $1.29 to $18.50 for every $1 invested.
Introducing a New Employer Guide To Help You Get Started
We're pleased to share three new resources designed to help employers partner directly with pharmacies to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for their teams.
Beyond the Script: An Employer's Guide to Unlocking the Value of Pharmacy-Based Services
A step-by-step playbook for HR and benefits leaders to implement pharmacy-based healthcare services that lower costs, expand access to care, and improve employee health.
Working With Your Carrier To Cover Pharmacy-Based Health Services
How to talk to your health plan partner about adding or expanding pharmacy-based services, including what to prepare, what to ask, and how to align on metrics and payment.
Building Your Employer-Pharmacy Partnership Agreement
These resources, which build on HAA's 2025 research report, were developed in partnership with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).
We'd love to hear how these resources are working for you. Reach out to hello@healthaction.org to share feedback, request more information, or explore partnership opportunities.
INSIGHT SPOTLIGHT
What Pharmacy Leaders Want Employers To Know
Two leaders share how community pharmacies can improve employee health and strengthen your benefits strategy.
Cassie Doyle
Vice President of Clinical and Business Transformation
Thrifty White Pharmacy
"Early detection is powerful when it’s accessible. Community care pharmacy models bring screening into the daily rhythm of patients’ lives, identifying risks months — sometimes years — before they escalate into costly medical events."
Andrea Brookhart, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA
Director of Population Health & Clinical Operations
Kroger Health
"There are things pharmacists can provide uniquely: medication expertise and access. The access part can be things like, 'I think I have strep throat, let me go to the pharmacy. They can assess me, prescribe, and fill the medication all in one. Get me in and out on my lunch break.'"
Editorial Note: The Health Action Alliance is solely responsible for the content of this email and maintains full editorial control of its resources.
The Health Action Alliance is the nation's largest employer network advancing public health. We help companies navigate evolving health challenges, strengthen workforce well-being, and partner with public health organizations to build stronger, healthier communities. Founded in 2021 by the Ad Council, Business Roundtable, CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HAA’s network has grown to more than 11,000 employers nationwide, collectively reaching over 50 million workers and their families. We believe good health is good business, and we equip employers with the tools, partnerships, and strategies to deliver on that promise.
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