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What You Should Know:
– A 2025 report from Bluesight highlights the intense financial, operational, and supply chain challenges confronting hospital pharmacies.
– The 2025 Hospital Pharmacy Drug Purchasing Trends Report analyzes data from sources like the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), revealing that while pressures are mounting, innovative technology offers a path forward.
The Squeeze: Rising Costs vs. Savings Mandates
Hospital pharmacies are caught in a difficult position. The report reveals:
- Prescription drug spending is projected to climb by up to 4% in 2025, outpacing many other hospital expenses. Despite this, reducing drug spending remains the primary goal for pharmacy leaders.
- The report reveals a significant push for savings, with 77% of hospital pharmacy teams actively working to cut costs. Furthermore, 65% of these teams have been assigned specific savings targets for 2025. This mandate comes as operational complexity is also on the rise, forcing teams to adopt more strategic procurement methods.
A Tangled and Strained Supply Chain
The drug supply chain’s fragmentation adds another layer of difficulty.
- Half of all pharmacy purchasing teams source medications from four to six different suppliers, while nearly a third manage relationships with as many as 12. This decentralization makes it difficult to compare prices and track compliance effectively.
- Compounding this issue is a nationwide shortage of experienced pharmacy technicians. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) reports that 88% of hospitals are facing technician staffing shortages. This limits the ability of teams to manually analyze purchasing options and execute cost-saving strategies.
The Crippling Effect of Drug Shortages
Persistent drug shortages present a major disruption to both budgets and patient care. According to a recent survey,
- 75% of hospital pharmacy leaders cited drug shortages as one of their most significant procurement challenges. These shortages carry a hefty price tag, costing hospitals nearly $900 million annually in labor expenses alone.
- Beyond the financial strain, shortages introduce serious clinical risks. The report notes that 43% of hospital pharmacy leaders reported medication errors related to drug shortages, an increase from 38% in 2019.
Technology Offers a Strategic Advantage
To combat these pressures, leading health systems are adopting innovative technologies to streamline operations and enhance visibility.
- Purchasing Optimization: Software like Bluesight’s CostCheck is driving major savings. By providing visibility into all available drug options and making tailored recommendations, the tool has helped nearly 500 hospitals save
more than $100 million as of July 2025. The software automates contract monitoring and ensures compliance with GPO and 340B programs, potentially
eliminating up to 4% of a hospital’s annual drug spending. - Predictive Analytics: New predictive tools are helping hospitals get ahead of supply disruptions. Bluesight’s ShortageCheck solution can provide
up to 90 days of advance notice of potential shortages by monitoring nationwide market signals like demand spikes and fulfillment delays. In one real-world example, the tool predicted a shortage of Acetaminophen IV bags 64 days before it was officially announced, giving teams over two months to prepare a response.
To learn more about the report, visit https://bluesight.com/resource/2025-pharmacy-purchasing-trends-report/
