Continuous glucose monitors and recovery trackers are moving beyond consumer gadgets, creating new opportunities for pharmacists to deliver preventive care and build revenue.
Wearable health technology is moving from novelty to business opportunity for community pharmacists, with advocates arguing that devices once seen as optional extras are becoming practical tools for preventive care. In an interview with Drug Topics ahead of her session at NCPA 2026, Lara Zakaria said pharmacists should view the market not only through the lens of patient support, but also as a growing retail category with commercial potential. She pointed to wearable technology as a fast-expanding industry and argued that pharmacies risk overlooking a major revenue stream if they do not treat health tech as part of their services mix.
The clearest clinical case, Zakaria said, lies in catching metabolic problems before they become established disease. She highlighted three product groups that community pharmacies could incorporate into wellness services: continuous glucose monitors, body-composition scales and recovery-tracking wearables. Unlike body weight or body mass index alone, body-composition devices can help identify visceral fat, which is linked to inflammation and longer-term health risk. Continuous glucose monitors, meanwhile, show how blood sugar responds in real time to food, stress and exercise, giving patients a much fuller picture than an occasional lab test.
That approach is increasingly relevant as consumer health platforms and care providers push wearable data into mainstream metabolic management. Ultrahuman said it is preparing to launch M2 Live in the United States, a subscription service built around Abbott’s Lingo sensor, which was previously prescription-only. The company said the platform will cost $99 a month, with individual sensors priced at $129 and lasting up to 14 days, while its app combines glucose readings with sleep, stress, activity and recovery data. The broader market is also filling out around pharmacy practice, with companies such as Metabolica and SureMediks promoting systems that blend wearables, point-of-care testing and clinical dashboards for ongoing metabolic monitoring.
For pharmacists, that shift could change both the service model and the patient relationship. Wearables can turn a single visit into a longer conversation about habits, trends and outcomes, especially for people trying to improve metabolic health before they are diagnosed with diabetes or cardiovascular disease. They also give pharmacists another way to position themselves as accessible frontline clinicians, helping patients interpret data that would otherwise sit unused on a phone app or wrist device. As the technology matures, the challenge for pharmacies may be less about whether these tools matter and more about how quickly they can be woven into everyday care.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
