Beyond the Labs State of the Industry Report: Functional Pharmacy & Medicine 2025

Fellow Pharmacist:

Welcome to the State of the Functional Pharmacy Industry Looking Ahead to 2025 Report.

If you are a practitioner in, or interested in functional medicine, or stepping outside of the traditional pharmacy role that you have been conditioned and delivered into, this will be your year- if you allow it to be, and you take the needed steps to make it happen.

If you don’t know me, I am Robert Kress, and I have been in the functional medicine space for over 20 years, and what I have experienced is a slow pulling the vail back on the lack of sustainability of conventional medicine and pharmacy, as well as integration into sustainable functional and holistic health care models- until now. Please use this report how you seem fit, in my heart of hearts, my gut of gut’s, I do believe this will be the year to set yourself up in the direction that is authentic to you for personal and professional success and rewards.

• Robert B Kress 12/29/2024

The Great Awakening: A Year of Transformation and Truth

As we enter 2025, the functional medicine industry stands at the epicenter of a massive healthcare transformation. This year marks not just a shift in medical practices, but a fundamental reimagining of what it means to be healthy in modern society.

The Year of the Snake: Shedding Old Systems

Symbolically aligned with the Year of the Chinese Wood Snake, 2025 represents a powerful period of shedding old patterns and embracing transformation. The snake's wisdom and intuition mirror the industry's movement toward deeper, more authentic healing approaches.

Major Industry Shifts

1. The Collapse of Traditional Pharmacy Models

A seismic shift is occurring in healthcare delivery as major pharmacy chains announce unprecedented closures:

• CVS closing 900 stores
• Walgreens closing 1,200 locations
• Rite-Aid closing 500 stores

This disruption is creating space for functional medicine practitioners to step into the void with more holistic, personalized care models.

As community pharmacy has been hoping and lobbying for some PBM relief, will it be empty promises?  Will real reform happen? Whether it does or it doesn’t, it won’t save the traditional pharmacy model, it might put it on life support for a bit, kind of like vaccines, but all in all, the model is not sustainable, just like any of the bone’s thrown the way of pharmacy by the industry.

2. The Make America Healthy Again Movement

The MAHA Movement is gaining unprecedented momentum, uniting health-conscious Americans across political lines to advance:

• Regenerative agriculture initiatives
• Natural resource protection
• Independent health choices
• Root-cause medicine approaches

Please understand, the MAHA won’t do it for you. This is more about the consciousness of health in our society and bringing it to the forefront. This is not about handing a system in your lap reengineered to pay you the way the current system does. Remember, the current system is broken, from healing to the independence. What lies ahead is something much better, something that will be rewarding and sustainable, but not handed to you. You have to do the work.

People are waking up; people finally feel like they have a voice- be there for them. Will our society immediately go back to the healthy society we were in the 70’s and before- no, of course not, there will be a lot of work to do, its not automatic, and health care will need clinicians and coaches to navigate the waters of both functional, allopathic and lifestyle medicine.

3. The Great Awakening in Healthcare

Major revelations about conventional medical practices are pushing people toward functional medicine:

• Increased scrutiny of pharmaceutical interventions
• Truths about the science behind vaccinations and the benefit -vs- health risks
• Growing demand for natural immunity support
• Rising interest in root-cause approaches
• Emphasis on preventative care

Key Themes for 2025

1. Refusing to Settle for Less

The dominant theme of 2025 is the widespread refusal to accept suboptimal health. This manifests in:

• Rejection of symptom-management approaches
• Demand for root-cause solutions
• Emphasis on optimal rather than average health markers
• Integration of emotional and physical healing
• Practitioners stepping up to carve their way and make a true presence for themselves

2. The Breakdown of Protector Personas

Healthcare practitioners are witnessing patients:

• Shedding defensive health behaviors
• Embracing vulnerability in healing
• Seeking authentic wellness solutions
• Demanding more personal connection in care
• Demanding more of their practitioners, and practitioners demanding more of their patients

3. Community-Based Healing

The industry is shifting toward:

• Group healing programs
• Community support networks
• Collaborative care models
• Social healing initiatives
• Practitioners on the cutting edge and leading the growth will be leading their communities

Market Evolution

Traditional Medicine's Crisis

• Pharmacy deserts emerging across the US
• Increased skepticism of conventional (allopathic) approaches
• Growing demand for alternative solutions
• Rise of independent health practitioners- bridging the gap between clinicians, coaches, and trusted advisors
• AI gradually replacing traditional practitioner roles

Functional Medicine's Opportunity

The industry is positioned to:

• Fill the void left by closing pharmacies
• Provide more personalized care, lead and guide
• Address root causes of chronic conditions
• Lead the healthcare transformation- As AI popularity grows, there will be increasing demand for the human element

Future Implications

1. Practice Models

• Integration of virtual and in-person care
• Emphasis on community healing spaces
• Focus on preventative protocols
• Development of support networks

2. Treatment Approaches

• Increased emphasis on emotional healing
• Integration of traditional wisdom
• Focus on environmental factors
• Personalized protocol development
• Recognizing the movement is medicine
• Collaboration with other practitioners

3. Industry Growth

• Expansion of training programs in functional medicine and growth and implementation of practices
• Development of new certification pathways
• Integration with conventional healthcare
• Increasing collaborations amongst different disciplines

The Path Forward

2025 represents a critical juncture for functional medicine. The industry must:

• Maintain authenticity while scaling
• Balance growth with quality care
• Support practitioner development
• Foster community connections

Success in this transformative year requires:

• Embracing vulnerability in healing
• Supporting authentic transformation
• Building strong community networks
• Maintaining focus on root causes
• Continued learning

Conclusion

2025 marks a defining moment for functional medicine, as societal shifts and healthcare crises create unprecedented opportunities for growth and impact. The industry's success will depend on its ability to maintain authenticity while meeting the growing demand for true healing and transformation.

The convergence of the Year of the Snake's transformative energy, the MAHA movement's momentum, and the breakdown of traditional healthcare models positions functional medicine to lead a revolutionary change in how we approach health and healing. Those who embrace this change while staying true to the principles of root-cause medicine will find themselves at the forefront of healthcare's future.

Happy and Fruitful 2025-

Robert

[email protected]

www.functionalpharmacy.com