Pharmacies as the Cornerstone of a Digitally Transformed Healthcare System

The healthcare sector is evolving faster than ever, driven by the acceleration of digital technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and smart, connected devices are redefining the way health systems operate, transforming data into decisions, and decisions into better care. Yet, amid this transformation, the community pharmacy is emerging as the most tangible and accessible front line of healthcare delivery.

The pharmacy is no longer a simple point of medication supply. It is rapidly becoming a strategic health node, a digital, data-enabled interface between citizens, professionals, and the national healthcare system. By integrating technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), wearable IoT devices, and AI-driven analytics, pharmacies can actively contribute to disease prevention, chronic disease management, and personalized therapeutic guidance.

In Greece, the digital transition of the health sector has intensified, with the pandemic acting as a catalyst for systemic modernization. According to the World Health Organization, digital health services now play a crucial role in reshaping Public and Primary Healthcare by increasing transparency, accessibility, and efficiency. Projects such as the National Electronic Health Record, Health Monitoring, and the Health Advisor platform are enabling real-time, interoperable health data exchange between citizens, professionals, and public health authorities.

Research published by BioMed Central demonstrates that digital health technologies like e-Prescription have significantly improved service access and reduced administrative burden. Still, reports by IHE-Europe emphasize that Greece must advance further in digital maturity, interoperability, and holistic integration of electronic health systems. Meanwhile, economic studies from ICS-FORTH show that investing in a digital health ecosystem can boost GDP, create high-value jobs, and reinforce the long-term sustainability of the healthcare sector.

Within this context, pharmacies can, and must, become the foundation of modern Primary Healthcare. By combining digital intelligence with their unique community reach, they are ideally positioned to deliver preventive services, patient monitoring, medication adherence support, and public health education. Using AI and IoT technologies, pharmacists can identify early risk patterns, intervene before complications arise, and optimize therapeutic outcomes, improving both patient wellbeing and the efficiency of public spending.

However, technology alone is not enough. To realize this vision, strong public–private collaboration is essential. Integrating pharmacies into national health data infrastructures, expanding digital training for healthcare professionals, and building interoperable platforms that connect pharmacies with physicians and patients are key priorities. As the implementation arm of the healthcare transformation, institutions such as IDIKA S.A. play a vital role in enabling this unified ecosystem.

Ultimately, the pharmacy of tomorrow represents the intersection of technology, prevention, and human connection. Empowered by data and guided by science, the pharmacist becomes not only a dispenser of treatment but a proactive partner in health.
In a truly digital health system, the path to sustainability and citizen wellbeing begins, and continues, at the pharmacy.