The news: CVS is expanding primary care services at its MinuteClinics via partnerships with health systems, per Modern Healthcare. The final word: We don’t see CVS’ MinuteClinic affiliations with healthcare providers as a signal that retail healthcare is making a comeback. CVS is in a different position from other retail clinic operators since it can steer Aetna members to its medical services. But consumers have made it clear that they’re not too interested in getting healthcare at drugstores where unhealthy items like junk food are sold—especially when there are a plethora of other options. Companies that want to stay in the retail clinic space would be wise to position their services around nutritious food items, OTC health supplements, and pharmacist support to show folks they’re serious about being a patient care destination.
European regulators are warning consumers about a recent spike in counterfeit versions of Eli Lilly’s and Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 weight loss drugs. In addition to the physical dangers, illegal GLP-1 drugs create a perception problem, as consumers may not understand the difference between fakes and official products. Drugmakers must continue to educate consumers, disavow the fakes, and double down on anti-counterfeiting measures. In Europe, especially, they need to repeat warnings from regulators and detail the risks to healthcare providers, pharmacies, and consumers.
The trend: US consumers are prioritizing health and wellness more than they did in the past, according to KPMG’s Consumer Pulse Summer 2025 report. Our take: Wellness is a major trend, especially for younger generations who are exposed to health content on social media and are open to trying new products and services. To capitalize on this, brands offering nutrition, sleep, health apps, and fitness products should partner with credible wellness influencers to reach Gen Z and millennials. Brands that are not as well known for health and wellness but operate in tangential markets (e.g., food, beverage, and CPG) can also tap into the wellness boom by incorporating more protein-rich, natural, and plant-based products into their offerings
Despite persistent inequities in the US healthcare system, Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers are more positive about health and wellness. They actively look for and buy healthcare products and information online. To effectively reach Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers, marketers should consider the following: Reflect their positive outlook on health and wellness. Be specific about how your brand can help. Use digital channels and social media to create engaging, educational videos. Partner with health influencers to connect with these younger, culturally aware audiences.
The news: Direct-to-consumer (D2C) telehealth startup Remedy Meds is acquiring competitor Thirty Madison in an all-stock deal valued at over $500 million. Our take: By adding affordable weight-loss drugs to its men's and women's health treatments, the newly combined company will directly compete with Hims and Ro. However, their larger customer base will likely draw the attention of GLP-1 drug manufacturers like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Both pharma companies are actively trying to shut down the market for compounded weight-loss drugs. Transparent marketing and staying on top of potential regulatory changes to compounded GLP-1 allowance will be key to sustaining customer loyalty.
The trend: Nearly one-quarter of patients (24%) who are pleased with the quality of their recent medical care may still change doctors in the next 6 months, according to a new survey from Huron Consulting Group. Our take: People used to have limited options for healthcare and just went with whatever was in their insurance network. But things are changing, and providers can no longer bet on this. To compete with new tech-savvy healthcare companies, traditional clinics and health systems need to adapt. While they may not be able to match them completely, they should at least adopt some of the features that patients want.
The trend: Healthcare executives expect AI adoption to be the leading trend in the next two years and have high expectations for improvements in patient care, per a new survey from Sage Growth Partners. Sage surveyed 101 healthcare system and hospital C-suite executives during the second quarter about AI opportunities and investment plans. AI can help healthcare shift from reactive to proactive care by transforming the vast amount of data from health sensors into actionable insights. However, the key is to integrate this AI as a tool to support, not replace, a provider's judgment. AI predictive assessments and analytics add valuable information, but providers’ experience, critical thinking, and empathy are necessary not only for balanced diagnoses but also to maintain patients’ trust. A recent study in JAMA found that patients think physicians who use AI are less trustworthy, less competent, and less empathetic than those who didn’t. For now at least, AI use in healthcare is a significant perception hurdle requiring transparent disclosure and careful oversight.
The news: Florida state’s surgeon general and Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a ban of required immunizations such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, whooping cough, and polio. Our take: We can no longer rely on childhood immunizations as basic preventative care—as has been the case for the vast majority of people in the US for a long time. = Vaccine makers and healthcare providers need to actively promote vaccines, especially childhood vaccines. Their messaging and marketing will need to highlight the safety and benefits of vaccines. They should also take a page from the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and avoid talking down to people and issuing edicts, but instead adopt a non-judgmental tone and invite questions.
The news: Retail pharmacy chains and some state health agencies are changing how they navigate the upcoming vaccination season amid federal health agency policy and personnel shifts. Our take: Pharmacies have an opportunity to share information at the local level to ensure consumers are kept up-to-date on new vaccine rules in their state. They should create digital FAQs, be responsive to consumer questions on social media and in stores, and provide pharmacists with the latest information on vaccine access and restrictions through frequent one-on-one sessions. Not all consumers will be pleased with their pharmacy’s changes, but transparency and being a source of reliable information will help pharmacies build trust and loyalty in the confusing vaccine climate.
The news: OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT mental health safeguards for people in crisis and boosting protection specifically for teens with added Parental Controls. Our take: Additional AI guardrails are a positive mental health development, but tech companies should continue to develop more. Healthcare is an important emerging use case for AI, but when it comes to mental health, caution and vigilance needs to trump speed to market.
The news: Walgreens Boots Alliance will be spun out into five standalone companies following its official sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The final word: Walgreens tried to become a vertically integrated healthcare conglomerate, but it picked the wrong markets to invest in. Its rival CVS bought a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and a health insurer, both of which have contributed tremendous value to the parent company. However, Walgreens could find newfound success in retail pharmacy by positioning itself as a neighborhood drugstore destination that isn’t affiliated with unpopular PBMs and insurers while leaning into its pharmacists as highly trusted and accessible healthcare professionals.
The news: President Trump is insisting that pharma companies publicly demonstrate the success of their COVID-19 vaccines. Our take: Trump's demand should not worry vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna. In fact, it’s an opportunity for these companies to share evidence-based data on their products (which the FDA has likely already seen) through public channels that could force the Trump administration to acknowledge the shots’ effectiveness. At the very least, drugmakers can show consumers that they have nothing to hide when it comes to providing real-world data on COVID-19 vaccines.
The trend: Neurologists don’t recall specific brand names of drugs. They think of medication in broader terms, like the type of conditions they treat (e.g., autoimmune disease drugs), or which class of drug category they belong to (e.g., anticonvulsants), according to a July 2025 survey of 57 US neurologists. The big takeaway: Marketing that leads with the product’s name works well for some drug categories. That’s the case for blockbuster cancer drugs such as Merck’s Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo—both of which have strong unaided recall rates with oncologists, per previous ZoomRx research. Neurology is a broad category that treats a diverse range of conditions, however. Most HCP marketing strategies in this space should detail how their product tops others in the same drug category or for a particular indication (e.g., “a leading anti-seizure drug), supplemented with peer-reviewed efficacy and safety data, as well as physician prescribing patterns and patient testimonials.
The news: Pharma commercialization company Eversana bought digital health tech Waltz Health and is creating direct-to-consumer (D2C) and direct-to-payer models that cut out rebate negotiators, or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Our take: D2C sales are the most palatable of the Trump administration’s drug pricing policies for pharma companies. But with limited in-house tech expertise, drugmakers need to partner with service providers. Health tech companies that offer D2C end-to-end solutions can create new revenue streams, while helping pharmas cater to Trump and patients’ demand for affordability and convenience.
The news: President Trump fired the head of the CDC less than a month after she was approved by the Senate. At least four other senior leaders at the agency also resigned. Director Susan Monarez accused HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk” per a statement from her lawyers. Our take: Healthcare brands and pharma marketers need to take the lead and create science-based messaging about vaccines to counter misinformation. They can partner with influencer physicians on social media (where misinformation abounds) with engaging edutainment, and lean into local efforts with community partners like sponsored health screenings or free vaccine days.
Eli Lilly plans to file for global regulatory approval of its first weight loss pill following positive results in a second key trial. People with both obesity and type 2 diabetes lost an average 10.5% of their weight and significantly improved blood sugar levels. Oral GLP-1s faced investor disappointment over weight loss results that fall short of the injectables. However, with around 100 million US adults with obesity, the next gen pills are an opportunity for marketers to rethink how the more convenient, no-needle oral options can fit patients’ needs.
The news: Almost 6 in 10 physicians (58%) are skeptical that the US physician shortage will improve significantly in the next decade, per a Medscape report last week. While we expect the shortage—and physicians’ skepticism—to persist, generative AI could help with both. AI-assisted administrative work can save physicians hours of work, while AI tools for clinical support and diagnostics can boost accuracy, improving job satisfaction and adding appeal for the next generation of medical students.
The trend: US consumers are losing faith in most components of the healthcare system, including federal health agencies and their leaders, drugmakers, insurers, and hospitals. Our take: Marketers at healthcare and pharma organizations (including providers, insurers, public health agencies, and drugmakers) must develop strategies to rebuild trust and guide patients to reliable information during a time of great uncertainty. Vaccine makers should partner with trusted medical groups, local physicians, and pharmacists to develop educational materials with clinical data that counter vaccine hesitancy among consumers. Pharma companies and insurers should address consumer frustrations through open public dialogue and provide transparent explanations for controversial pricing decisions. Drugmakers should additionally monitor condition-specific forums and social platforms like Reddit, where consumers share treatment experiences, and use these spaces to offer cost-saving tools for pricey medications.