As costs rise, pharmacy savings become a new loyalty lever for grocers

As consumers continue to juggle rising grocery and health care costs, grocers have an opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty through pharmacy savings programs, according to Alexandra Robertson, chief growth officer at Visory Health. Robertson, whose company works with major retailers including Kroger, Publix, Albertsons and Walgreens, says affordable prescription options and digital savings tools can help grocery pharmacies attract budget-conscious shoppers, increase pharmacy traffic and make medications more accessible without adding friction at the pharmacy counter. Grocery editor Bill Schiffner recently spoke with Robertson about what grocery pharmacies need to do to offer more pharmacy services to their customers.

Visory Health focuses on helping consumers save on prescriptions — what gaps in the market is the company addressing?

ROBERTSON: The Rx discount card market has grown crowded enough that consumers now face a new problem: too many options, but not enough clarity. Meanwhile, high deductible insurance plans, medications that aren’t covered, and expensive copays still push patients to abandon prescriptions at the counter, creating health risks for patients and real costs for pharmacies.

Visory Health is built to close that gap for both sides. For consumers, it’s a simple, transparent way to access lower prices with no complicated sign-up. It’s one card that covers the whole family. For pharmacies, the experience is equally straightforward: no extra steps at the counter, less friction and more shoppers leaving with the medications they came in for.

In a landscape where the underlying savings infrastructure is largely commoditized, execution and simplicity are where the real difference lives, and that’s what we’re focused on at Visory Health.

How significant is cost sensitivity among consumers when it comes to medications today?

ROBERTSON: Cost sensitivity is incredibly high, and most consumers still don’t realize they have options when a prescription feels unaffordable. Too often, patients hear the price at the pharmacy counter and assume that’s the only price available, leading them to delay a refill, skip doses or walk away without the medication altogether. The data backs this up: Recent KFF research found that 59% of U.S. adults are worried about affording prescription medications, and 43% report not taking medication as prescribed because of cost. Affordability is directly shaping adherence and, by extension, health outcomes.

That dynamic creates a real opening for pharmacy teams. Pharmacy teams are often the last line of defense before a patient walks away without their medication, and not all discount card programs are created equal, which means the card sometimes recommended might not be the one that can save the most. Visory is built around the opposite approach: a straightforward experience that’s easy for the pharmacy staff to offer and gives better options for the patient.

How does Visory Health work with major retailers like Kroger, Publix, Albertsons and Walgreens to drive adoption and engagement?

ROBERTSON: We work with major retail pharmacy chains across the country, and what those partnerships have in common is a shared commitment to reducing friction for patients at the counter. The specifics of how we structure each relationship vary, but the outcome is consistent: a simpler experience for pharmacy teams and better access to savings for consumers.

What we hear consistently from partners is that they value how quickly we move and how invested we stay after the program is live. That responsiveness, combined with deep knowledge of pharmacy economics, tends to distinguish us from other programs out there.

Looking ahead, what innovations or trends are likely to shape the future of grocery pharmacy services?

ROBERTSON: A few shifts are already under way that will define the next chapter for pharmacy. Consumers are becoming more engaged in their own health care decisions, including taking more time to understand their medication options and the prices available to them before they ever reach the counter. That’s a meaningful change from even a few years ago, and it rewards programs built around transparency and simplicity. More broadly, pharmacy’s role inside the grocery ecosystem is expanding. As a recurring touchpoint for health-related decisions, it can become a more active part of how consumers manage their well-being, not just where they pick up prescriptions.