Insights from the Vizient Spend Management Outlook

This week’s graphic features data from Vizient’s Summer 2025 Spend Management Outlook, which provides a forward-looking analysis of product cost inflation for the 2026 calendar year. The outlook forecasts a 3.35% increase in pharmaceutical prices in 2026, with healthcare providers seeing increased usage in GLP-1 therapies, specialty medications and high-cost cell and gene therapies. Supply chain prices in products, materials and services are projected to rise 2.41%, led by indirect spend and purchased services at 3.34%. Of the indirect spend and purchased services category, IT services and capital equipment/non-medical (such as HVAC and furniture) are the leading areas forecast for inflation. The Outlook identifies ongoing market challenges, including the evolving impact of tariffs; established tariffs as of April were considered in the projections for supply chain categories outside of pharmacy.