Evernorth announces a new specialty pharmacy program powered by AI to support a better experience for patients with complex conditions.
The program, called Pharmacy Forward, aims to leverage technology to drive more coordinated, connected care and provide personalized support in real-time. Evernorth will begin the program with Acredo specialty pharmacy customers and will invest $100 million in the project through 2028.
The goal is to speed prescription processing and service response while allowing medical teams to spend more time on clinical and patient care, the company said in a statement.
“Patients navigating complex health conditions often require comprehensive expert support during the most difficult times in their lives,” Matt Perlberg, president of Evernorth Health Services’ care delivery business, which includes Pharmacy and Acredo, and executive vice president of customer innovation for Cigna Group, said in the announcement.
“Pharmacy Forward reflects our commitment to meeting patients where they are and providing a faster, more seamless experience while ensuring they receive the personalized support and clinical care they deserve,” Perlberg said.
The platform combines key clinical data and insights with AI-powered summaries and analytics to help healthcare teams provide connected and informed support. For example, the risk of a patient dropping out of treatment or experiencing an adverse event can be identified sooner.
The company said in a statement that it expects this initiative to improve medication adherence above the current industry standard of 80%. The use of AI will also likely reduce the required clinical documentation by 40%, Evernorth said, freeing up clinical teams to focus on delivering care.
Additionally, AI makes it easier for clinical teams to reach upstream in the patient process and proactively intervene before risks escalate into serious problems. Accredo has already implemented a program that uses AI-powered scheduling to contact patients at their preferred time.
Through Pharmacy Forward, Accredo expects to see a 25% increase in the use of personalized digital patient pathways.
Beyond its impact on patient care, the program is expected to reduce the time it takes for individuals to access their prescriptions. Accredo estimates that this will cut the time it takes for patients to receive their prescriptions in half.
Part of that equation is relying on AI to make prior authorization requests more complete and identify copay assistance. Additionally, Pharmacy Forward will enhance Accredo’s ability to deliver complex specialty medicines to patients at home.
Evernorth expects the program to generate $400 million in value by the end of 2028 and plans to expand many of its components to other pharmacy operations in the future.
“AI allows us to fundamentally rethink how we support each patient’s care,” Katya Andresen, chief data, digital and AI officer at Cigna Group, Evernorth’s parent company, said in the announcement. “By responsibly combining real-time data, advanced analytics, and deep clinical expertise, we can provide more personalized and proactive support, helping people get the care they need faster and achieve better health outcomes.”
