IT, Facility Costs to Drive Projected Inflation for Health Systems

Vizient’s Winter 2026 Spend Management Outlook projects a 2.78% overall increase in healthcare supply chain prices from July 2026 through June 2027. For the first time in more than a decade, pharmacy is no longer the fastest-growing non-labor expense.

Instead, IT and facilities-related costs are driving projected inflation. According to the report, indirect spend categories and purchased services have emerged as the fastest-rising non-labor cost areas, reflecting growing investments in digital transformation, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and regulatory compliance.

IT hardware and software lead all categories with a projected 5.66% increase, alongside inflation across IT services, facilities management, construction, food services, and medical gases. The report also identifies several emerging cost drivers reshaping utilization patterns, capital planning, and care delivery.

Meanwhile, pharmacy inflation is moderating, projected at 2.84%, driven by increased biosimilar adoption and early impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.

“This is not a uniform inflation environment,” said Carina Dolan, associate vice president of clinical oncology, pharmacoeconomics, and market insights at Vizient, in a statement. “Some cost pressures are moderating, while others are accelerating or shifting location. The challenge for health system leaders is managing that divergence and reallocating resources accordingly.”