Vizient Summer 2026 Spend Management Outlook

Non-labor expense is a major cost driver, increasingly tied to access, throughput, and where care is delivered

Vizient projects a 3.54% increase in pharmacy inflation and a 3.39% average increase for supply chain overall, including a 4.73% inflation for indirect spend and purchased services, according to the Summer 2026 Spend Management Outlook. The Vizient report, which published Monday, finds that price inflation, utilization, reimbursement, innovation, workforce pressures, and site-of-care changes influence one another—and together affect care delivery planning, resource allocation, risk management, and organizational outcomes. The report found that as the drivers of health spending continue to evolve, the need to manage clinical and operational non-labor expenses becomes increasingly interconnected.