Evernorth, the health services division of The Cigna Group and headquartered in Bloomfield, has launched Pharmacy Forward, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered specialty pharmacy program backed by a $100 million investment through 2028, designed to reduce prescription processing timelines and improve care coordination for patients managing chronic and complex conditions.
The program launches initially through Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, which serves patients with complex specialty conditions through condition-specific Therapeutic Resource Centers (TRCs). Pharmacy Forward applies AI across four operational areas: clinical care enablement, patient experience, prescription readiness, and medication fulfillment. On the clinical side, AI-generated summaries and predictive analytics are expected to reduce clinician documentation time by up to 50%, freeing care teams to focus on patient outcomes and proactive intervention. Medication adherence is targeted to exceed the industry standard of 80%.
"Patients navigating complex health conditions need comprehensive, expert support, often during some of the most difficult moments in their lives," said Matt Perlberg, President of the Evernorth Health Services pharmacy and care delivery businesses, including Accredo, and Executive Vice President of Customer Innovation for The Cigna Group. "Pharmacy Forward reflects our commitment to meet patients where they are — delivering an even faster, more seamless experience while ensuring they receive the personalized support and clinical care they deserve."
On the fulfillment side, Accredo is expanding capacity across nearly 40 care facilities to ensure 90% of patients fall within a one-day or same-day ground shipping radius. Prescription processing timelines are targeted to be cut in half from receipt to patient delivery, with AI also used to improve prior authorization submission completeness and identify copay assistance eligibility.
"AI is enabling us to fundamentally reimagine how we support each patient's journey," said Katya Andresen, Chief Data, Digital and AI Officer, The Cigna Group. "By responsibly combining real-time data, advanced analytics and deep clinical expertise, we can deliver more personalized, proactive support - helping people access the care they need faster and achieve better health outcomes."
Pharmacy Forward is projected to generate approximately $400 million in value by the end of 2028. Accredo currently serves more than one million patients annually, with Evernorth expecting to extend program capabilities to its other pharmacy operations in coming years.
