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News|Articles|September 25, 2026
Why Retail Pharmacy’s Trust Challenge Is Also Its Path Forward
Author(s)Tim Cernohous
As patient expectations continue to evolve, brick-and-mortar pharmacy’s path forward lies in combining trusted, face-to-face care with the efficiency and convenience patients increasingly value.
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Retail pharmacy is at an inflection point. Trust still matters, but it no longer stands on its own as a differentiator. The recent JD Power 2026 U.S. Pharmacy Study underscores that shift, finding that customer satisfaction with brick-and-mortar pharmacies declined seven points year over year, while mail-order satisfaction continued to rise.1 The results point to a widening gap between what patients expect today — convenience, ease, consistency and value — and what many retail pharmacy experiences deliver.
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