The year is nearly done, and it’s been a busy one for the pharma world.

Healthcare Brew asked leaders from across the pharmacy industry to reflect on what trends defined 2024. They mentioned emerging obesity treatments, increased scrutiny on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and changing consumer habits.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Rick Gates, SVP and chief pharmacy officer, Walgreens

There’s no doubt that 2024 was a pivotal year for pharmacy and the healthcare industry as a whole. I believe the unprecedented spotlight on reimbursement and how once-hidden practices of the largest PBMs (“the middlemen”) will start to lead to positive change. Americans are asking the right questions about who sets the cost of their medication and how it creates barriers for them to access the pharmacy of their choice, and I believe with some new, creative programs that we’ll be able to break away from the status quo. As a whole, we’re also seeing trends in how pharmacy services and medications can be delivered across channels. Whether in a store, drive-thru, delivery, or digitally, the consumer wants better access to health services when and where they need it.

Keep reading here.—MA

We’re not ashamed to admit that we can sometimes get jealous of what other publications publish. If anything, it inspires us to see what other reporters are digging into on the same topics we’re exploring, and gives us ideas for how we might want to approach similar stories in the future.

Here are some of our favorite pieces that other outlets published this year.

“Not medically necessary”: Inside the company helping America’s biggest health insurers deny coverage for care by T. Christian Miller, Patrick Rucker, and David Armstrong, ProPublica and the Capitol Forum

I felt a deep personal connection to this story, as it came out right after my own mom’s chemotherapy treatment was denied by insurance, delaying her access to critical treatment for weeks. As a healthcare reporter, I already had a basic understanding of how insurance denials work, but the depth of reporting in this story really illuminates what happens behind the scenes. I empathized deeply with the Cupp family’s experience, which is a great example of humanizing a story.—MA

Keep reading here.—NO