Healthcare leaders are betting on digital and virtual technologies powered by AI to improve patient engagement, satisfaction, and health outcomes.

While online pharmacy is booming, access to an in-person pharmacist remains important. Expect chains to focus on smaller, health-focused stores and expand their digital services in 2026.

As more Americans take weight loss drugs, eating, shopping, and healthcare expectations are all evolving

Health systems and health insurers are at risk of losing business due to the new law, but have an opportunity to proactively support patients through upcoming changes to Medicaid coverage.

Pharma’s intangible value drops as others climb: While other sectors gained ground, pharma lost value, driven by individual company setbacks and policy pressures.

Gen Z worries, AI search shake-ups, and social media trust issues are driving major marketing shifts across all fronts.

Patients want medication clarity and cost help earlier—pharma brands can step up with timely info, not just ads.

Pharma, startups, and the federal government piled into virtual care with new platforms and partnerships.

Wegovy pill offers a needle-free, lower-cost option that could broaden patient access.

Regulatory crackdowns, digital dominance, and AI adoption forced marketers to rethink strategy, spend, and compliance across the year.

But pharma companies are missing the mark with their digital UX—doctor’s satisfaction ratings are dropping as they use digital to reach pharma more.

Pharma companies see pricing concessions as the lesser of two evils, as the price cuts grant exemption from Trump’s tariffs on US drug imports.

As AI moves into decision-making support, the next challenge is helping patients trust how it fits into their care.

23% now say it’s in crisis—the highest share in 30 years—with affordability fears at the core.

Lilly and Novo gear up to market oral obesity drugs, expected to reshape the growing market with a less-invasive way to meet weight loss demand in pharma.

35 state attorneys general are pushing Meta for tighter enforcement of its advertising policies amid a “surge of misleading marketing for weight loss products” on Facebook and Instagram. The state AGs’ letter will surely get the attention of the FDA, meaning telehealth marketers must ensure they aren’t specifically promoting GLP-1s to people who don’t meet the clinical criteria or using messaging that body shames. Meanwhile, social media companies and advertising platforms need to strictly enforce transparency disclosures on AI-generated ads while closely reviewing all weight loss drug promotions, given the risks of misleading claims and unrealistic expectations.

Nearly half of US adults say TV and streaming drug commercials feel out of touch and downplay serious side effects.

Over one-third of Gen Z (39%) and millennials (34%) who have used genAI tools to check symptoms report that they would put off seeing a doctor if the AI told them their issue was low-risk, according to an October 2025 poll from The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com conducted by SurveyMonkey. Overrelying on AI for medical guidance carries real risk, especially as models are still maturing and sometimes produce faulty information. AI companies should add explicit in-chat disclaimers against being used as a replacement for medical care and strengthen guardrails to block unvetted or potentially harmful health advice.

Prominent clinicians and healthcare experts report a growing trend of bad actors using AI to impersonate them online and push unsafe products or unreliable medical information, according to a recent New York Times article. AI deepfakes may further discourage doctors from having their images and voices online. Social platforms must reassure healthcare creators about how they detect AI-driven scammers, enforce impersonation policies, and respond swiftly to deepfake reports.

Digital health company Noom is rolling out a new program that will combine microdoses of GLP-1 medications with at-home testing. With brand-name GLP-1 prices dropping, telehealth players in the weight loss drug space need a new strategy to attract and retain members. The GLP-1 microdosing wave gives them that opportunity, opening access to far more patients beyond those who are overweight and obese. With similar capabilities now offered by D2C healthcare companies like Hims, Noom, Ro, and WeightWatchers, differentiation will hinge on cost and accessible coaching/support—especially guidance through untested areas like microdosing weight loss drugs.