1/29/2025 4:04:54 PM
By Lee Ann Stember
Pharmacy interoperability has become a cornerstone of advancing healthcare, giving pharmacists the opportunity to play a more active role in care coordination and patient outcomes. However, achieving full interoperability is no small task. Pharmacies face a variety of challenges, from outdated systems to complex technologies, requiring teamwork and innovation to overcome.
One of the most significant challenges is the use of outdated systems that are incompatible with modern electronic health records (EHRs). These outdated systems limit the seamless exchange of data, hindering efforts to provide connected care. Additionally, concerns about data privacy, security, and the high cost of technology upgrades make it difficult for pharmacies to invest in interoperability. Tight profit margins and a complex business model add to these difficulties.
Despite these hurdles, pharmacy interoperability holds immense potential to transform patient-centered care. When pharmacists have access to real-time clinical data, they can play a pivotal role in improving medication adherence, reducing errors, and supporting chronic disease management. By integrating pharmacists early and more effectively into the healthcare ecosystem, interoperability empowers them to deliver comprehensive, personalized care that improves health outcomes. By integrating pharmacists early and more effectively into the healthcare ecosystem, interoperability empowers them to deliver comprehensive, personalized care that improves health outcomes.
NCPDP has taken a proactive approach to ensure its standards evolve with the rapid pace of healthcare innovation. Through collaboration with stakeholders and initiatives like the Sequoia Project Pharmacy Interoperability Workgroup, NCPDP ensures pharmacy standards remain aligned with technological advancements and emerging needs. In partnership with the HL7® Pharmacy Workgroup, joint-balloted HL7® FHIR® implementation guides are created to support care coordination across the team. By fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders, NCPDP ensures its standards stay dynamic and forward-looking through pilot programs of innovative solutions.
NCPDP recognizes that emerging technologies like AI, including machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are poised to revolutionize pharmacy interoperability. AI-driven tools can enhance data analytics, enabling pharmacists to predict medication adherence and optimize therapy plans. The Patient Experience Identifier Solution (PEI) leverages AI to improve patient matching, ensuring accurate identification across disparate systems. Similarly, blockchain and machine learning promise to enhance data security and real-time exchange, making connected care a reality.
Looking ahead, the future of pharmacy technology is evolving fast! Value-based care is making clinical data-sharing more important than ever, and predictive analytics is helping pharmacists stay ahead of medication issues. Telepharmacy and mobile health tools will make it easier for patients—especially those in remote areas—to get the care they need. AI-driven medication management and real-time monitoring apps will improve pharmacist-driven precision medicine. As digital tools grow, they will also empower patients to take charge of their health, strengthening the pharmacist-patient connection and leading to better overall care.
At its core, the push for pharmacy interoperability is not just about technology—it's about enhancing lives. For nearly five decades, NCPDP has been at the forefront of this mission, working to bring stakeholders together and develop solutions that prioritize patient well-being. By enabling pharmacists to serve as key connectors, interoperability ensures that patients receive the right care at the right time. Every step forward brings us closer to a healthcare system that values collaboration, efficiency, and above all, the health of the people it serves.