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ICYMI: Highlights From Asembia’s AXS25 Summit
AI revolutionizes pharmacy by automating workloads, enhancing patient care, and navigating drug pricing challenges amid evolving federal policies.
Key sessions at Asembia's AXS25 Summit centered on policy shifts and the use of new technology to advance care. | Image credit: Karanov images - stock.adobe.com
This is a pivotal era for pharmacy, which is defined by rapid technological evolution and significant federal policy shifts. Key discussions at the Asembia AXS25 Summit centered on artificial intelligence’s (AI) potential to automate the majority of pharmacy workloads, alongside the rise of direct-to-consumer specialty models.
Below, read the top content out of AXS25, or read all of our coverage from the conference here.
5. AI Could Cut Pharmacy Workloads by 75%, Says Harry Travis
Harry Travis of The Travis Group projected that AI could soon automate up to 75% of pharmacy workloads by creating a 24/7 "digital workforce" to handle routine prescription processing. Drawing on efficiency gains seen at companies like Amazon and IKEA, Travis outlined a transition toward bot-to-bot handoffs that will drastically reduce manual labor and operational costs. He emphasized that this shift is not just about savings but about redeploying human potential, urging pharmacy leaders to upskill staff and advocate for broader regulatory frameworks that allow pharmacists to focus on higher-level clinical services.
“Imagine a world where your pharmacy team gets X amount of work done in 8 hours, and now they can get it done in 3 or 4,” said Travis. “What are you going to do with that extra 4 hours? Are you ready? Are you planning for upskilling, for redeploying that workforce? Because this isn't a 5% improvement. This is a massive shift—and it’s happening faster than most people think.”
4. Pharmacy Leaders Discuss Innovation and Patient-Centered Care at Asembia’s AXS25 Summit
A panel featuring executives from CVS Health, Amazon Pharmacy, and Humana explored how the industry is evolving to manage the rising complexity of specialty therapies and patient demands for affordability. The discussion highlighted innovative direct-to-consumer models, such as the Novo Nordisk and CenterWell partnership for reduced-cost semaglutide, which streamlines access to medication by bypassing traditional pharmacy benefit structures. Although panelists emphasized that AI and telehealth are critical to reducing administrative burdens, they cautioned that fragmented state regulations and compliance hurdles remain significant barriers to fully empowering pharmacists in their clinical roles.
3. AXS25: Health Policy, Drug Costs, and AI Highlights From the Conference
The AXS25 Summit provided a comprehensive overview of the pharmaceutical industry's future, balancing federal health policy shifts with the rapid integration of AI. This recap article from the conference covered some of the top sessions.
Experts analyzed the Trump administration’s first 100 days, highlighting a focus on regulatory rollbacks, significant HHS workforce reductions, and executive orders aimed at Medicare drug price negotiations. Concurrently, AI emerged as a central solution for the "patient-as-payer" era, offering the potential to automate enrollment processes and reduce pharmacy workloads. By streamlining workflows and personalizing affordability support, these developments aim to help patients better navigate rising costs and remain adherent to their treatments.
2. Trump’s First 100 Days: Workforce Cuts, Drug Pricing, and Medicaid Reform
The first 100 days of the Trump administration brought a dramatic reorientation of federal health policy, according to experts at the AXS25 Summit. Moving away from the "repeal and replace" focus of his first term, President Donald Trump was prioritizing regulatory rollbacks, massive workforce reductions (including 20,000 layoffs at HHS), and budget reconciliation to drive deep Medicaid reforms.
Key pillars of this strategy include an executive order on drug pricing aimed at transparency and Medicare negotiations and a new approach to pharmaceutical tariffs that one panelist called “risky.” Additionally, the administration is set to heavily influence Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) implementation, with goals to secure even lower drug prices for the 2027 and 2028 cohorts.
Less than 2 weeks after this review of the administration’s first 100 days at AXS25, Trump signed his executive order to establish most favored nation pricing, which has remained a focus throughout the rest of 2025.
1. NCODA Outlines New Patient-Centered Oncology Distribution Models
Oncology experts introduced guideline definitions for a more collaborative approach to cancer care. Placing the patient at the center of a multidisciplinary team ensures that in-house specialty pharmacies have direct access to electronic health records and lab results for real-time clinical decision-making. The experts also highlighted various drug distribution models and the critical role they play in oncology care. They also reviewed updates for standards for medically integrated dispensing from the Network for Collaborative Oncology Development & Advancement.
