Martha Kirkpatrick

Image Credit: Adobe Stock Images/AMuhSakaria.com

As large pharmacy retailers scale back operations, community pharmacies—particularly those embedded within grocery stores—are stepping into expanded roles as accessible healthcare touchpoints. This shift reflects a broader trend toward integrating healthcare services into everyday consumer environments, enhancing patient engagement and access to care.

“Pharmacies today are more than just places to pick up prescriptions,” says Ian Stone, senior vice president at Mesmerize,

 which specializes in patient education at the point of care. “They’ve become healthcare hubs for vaccines, health consultations, and everyday care.”

The evolving role of pharmacists is central to this transformation. Beyond dispensing medications, pharmacists are increasingly providing clinical services such as point-of-care testing, immunizations, and chronic disease management. This expansion is particularly significant in underserved areas where access to primary care providers may be limited.

Recent research shows that more than 40% of counties in the US qualify as pharmacy deserts, disproportionately affecting rural communities, urban neighborhoods, and racially and economically marginalized populations.

 Such communities often face long travel times to the nearest pharmacy, compounding existing barriers to care.

“They’re practicing at the top of their license,” Stone notes of pharmacists. “They’re seeing patients more frequently than physicians and filling in real gaps in care.”

Integrating nutrition and preventive care

The grocery store setting also offers unique opportunities to integrate nutrition counseling and preventive care into the pharmacy experience. This aligns with the growing emphasis on food-as-medicine initiatives, enabling pharmacists to provide guidance on diet and lifestyle as part of a holistic approach to health.

“Food-as-medicine is a huge theme,” Stone explains. “We’re seeing more pharmacists talking with patients about how nutrition ties into chronic disease. And when you can have that dialogue next to the produce aisle, it sticks.”

Media-based companies have embraced this approach through partnership endeavors; for example, Mesmerize’s pact with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Such efforts involve producing media and educational content focused on food-as-medicine principles. This includes messaging that helps patients understand the link between nutrition, prevention, and chronic condition management, particularly in communities where access to healthy food options may be limited.

Mesmerize is also developing recipe-based content and practical food guidance designed for display on in-store screens, aiming to empower patients to make informed choices in real time.

Enhancing health literacy through digital tools

To support these expanded roles, pharmacies are leveraging digital tools to boost health literacy and patient engagement.

Mesmerize, for example, provides in-store digital screens that deliver tailored health education content, helping to counter misinformation and encourage informed health decisions.

“It’s about equipping people to ask questions and seek guidance in real time,” Stone says.

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a role in this effort as well. Grocery-based pharmacies can leverage content that uses AI to assist with creating visuals for custom video content and to validate the quality and accuracy of educational messaging. Tools of this nature support both creative development and content integrity, ensuring that pharmacy-based education meets high standards for clarity and relevance.

Such digital platforms are often customizable to reflect the specific services and needs of each pharmacy. For instance, when a Utah pharmacy chain began offering point-of-care strep testing and prescriptions, Mesmerize supported the rollout with locally targeted messaging to increase awareness.

“We’re not just plugging in generic content,” Stone adds.

Implementing these digital solutions should be designed to be seamless for pharmacies. It is important to provide comprehensive support, including screen installation, IT coordination, and content management, allowing pharmacy staff to focus on patient care.

“We handle the screen installation, IT coordination, even electrical if needed,” Stone notes.

Notably, this model is cost-free to pharmacies, and is a potential “win-win,” according to Stone, with funding provided by health-focused advertisers. This approach, in addition, aligns with the growing trend of retail media networks, where physical retail locations serve as platforms for targeted health communications.

“Pharmacies get high-quality health education tools and community support, while sponsors reach an engaged, healthcare-focused audience,” Stone says.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, and various players navigate the resulting opportunity and disruption, grocery-based pharmacies are poised to play a critical role in delivering accessible, community-centered care. By integrating clinical services, nutrition counseling, and health education into familiar retail environments, such pharmacies are uniquely positioned to help redefine the patient experience—not just through traditional care, but by supporting whole-body wellness and everyday preventative care at the community level.

2. Catalano, G.; Muntazir Mehdi Khan, M.; Muhammad, Chatzipanagiotou, O.P.; Pawlik, T.M. Pharmacy Accessibility and Social Vulnerability. 

. 2024. 7 (8):e2429755-e2429755. Accessed July 14, 2025. 

https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.29755

3. Wittenauer, R.; Shah, P.D.; Bacci, J.L.; Stergachis, A. Locations and Characteristics of Pharmacy Deserts in the United States: A Geospatial Study. 

Martha Kirkpatrick is a copywriter with MJH Life Sciences®, parent company of Pharmaceutical Commerce. She works closely with such MJH media brands as Mesmerize.

Articles

Community pharmacies, especially those within grocery stores, are increasingly serving as accessible healthcare hubs, offering services like immunizations and chronic disease management. This shift is crucial in underserved areas, where access to primary care is limited. The integration of nutrition counseling aligns with food-as-medicine initiatives, enhancing holistic health approaches. Digital tools and AI are being utilized to improve health literacy and patient engagement. These efforts are supported by health-focused advertisers, providing pharmacies with high-quality educational tools at no cost, fostering community-centered care and whole-body wellness.

Amid the growing crisis of pharmacy deserts, these entities are tapping new avenues in care delivery, including the integration of clinical services, nutrition counseling, and real-time patient education.