There’s no better time to broaden your pharmacy’s clinical services and improve patient outcomes. If you want your pharmacy to grow, check out the following high-impact clinical services you can start up this year. As patients increasingly seek convenient, accessible healthcare, independent pharmacies are ready to meet that demand. Here are six high-impact services you can realistically implement this year:
Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception
- Pharmacist contraception continues to expand nationwide, allowing patients to access birth control directly through their local pharmacy without scheduling a separate provider visit. This service helps address common barriers to care, including limited appointment availability, transportation challenges, and insurance restrictions. It also provides pharmacists with opportunities to build long-term relationships with patients through ongoing counseling, refills, and follow-up care.
- In addition to meeting an important healthcare need, contraception prescribing can serve as a foundation for broader reproductive health services, including emergency contraception, fertility support, menopause consultations, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and screening.
Menopause and Hormonal Health Support
Today, more patients are seeking guidance on symptom management, hormone therapy, and overall wellness during midlife transitions. Independent pharmacies can offer menopause consultations, medication reviews, and hormone therapy education through collaborative practice agreements or pharmacist-led counseling services. Even when pharmacists are not prescribing therapy directly, their expertise can help patients better understand treatment options before discussing recommendations with their primary care provider.
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing and Treatment Services
Sexual health services represent a growing opportunity for independent pharmacies like yours. Your pharmacy can provide testing for common infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea while offering education, treatment when permitted, and a referral when necessary. These services are particularly valuable in communities where access to sexual health clinics is limited.
Providing STI services not only addresses an important public health need, but also helps establish the pharmacy as a trusted destination for preventive care and health education.
HIV Prevention and Support
Your pharmacy is becoming increasingly importance access points for HIV prevention, testing, and ongoing treatment support. Depending on state regulations, pharmacies might offer the following:
- Rapid HIV testing
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Medication adherence counseling
- Refill synchronization programs
Your pharmacy offers a convenient and stigma-free environment for receiving care and support.
Travel Health Services
Travel health remains one of the most underutilized clinical service opportunities in community pharmacy.
Your pharmacy can provide pre-travel consultations, travel vaccinations, malaria prevention medications, altitude sickness treatments, and destination-specific health recommendations. Many travelers are unaware that these services can be obtained at a local pharmacy. Once they’re in the know however, they’ll appreciate the convenience compared with scheduling appointments at specialty travel clinics.
Travel health services can also help pharmacies. They can attract new patients, particularly through partnerships with travel agencies, universities, and organizations that support international travel.
Weight Management and Metabolic Health Programs
The demand for weight management support continues to grow as patients seek effective solutions for obesity, diabetes prevention, and overall metabolic health.
Your pharmacy can develop structured programs that include lifestyle coaching, nutrition education, goal tracking, medication management, and support for those patients using weight-loss therapies. Programs like these create regular touchpoints with patients, encouraging long-term engagement while supporting meaningful health outcomes.
Weight management services also provide a natural pathway into broader chronic disease management offerings, such as diabetes care, cardiovascular risk reduction, and wellness coaching. When your patients invest in clinical services, they will be better positioned to meet the evolving healthcare needs tomorrow.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
