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Cigna Unit Launches Pharmacy Forward With $100 Million AI Push

Evernorth says AI tools will cut clinician paperwork to speed deliveries, shorten patient wait times, scale across its pharmacy network.

Overview

  • Evernorth announced Pharmacy Forward on July 1, 2026, and said it will roll out the program first through its Accredo specialty pharmacy with a $100 million investment committed through 2028.
  • The company says the program uses AI to create clinical summaries and predictive analytics that can cut clinician documentation time by up to 50% and reduce prior-authorization delays so patients get medications faster.
  • Accredo will add capacity at nearly 40 care facilities and use AI to pick optimal dispensing sites and shipping routes so about 90% of patients fall inside a same‑ or next‑day ground shipping radius.
  • Evernorth projects roughly $400 million in value from Pharmacy Forward by the end of 2028 and plans to extend the platform’s scheduling, digital patient pathways, and analytics to other Evernorth pharmacies.
  • For patients and clinicians the change aims to shorten wait times, reduce administrative work that can delay care, and increase use of digital support; broader effects could include lower specialty drug handling costs as insurers adopt similar automation.