Pharmacist Havy Ngo-Hamilton Spills the Tea on Medication Costs and the Broken Rx Journey

In this special episode of HITea, Grace sits down with Havy Ngo-Hamilton, PharmD, a pharmacy innovation leader at Buzz Health, to unpack what’s really happening between the moment a prescription is written and when a patient actually gets their medication.

Havy brings a front-line perspective on where the prescription journey breaks down most—whether it’s access barriers, affordability challenges, or friction at the pharmacy counter. Together, they dig into how cost isn’t just a financial issue, but a major driver of medication adherence, and why “price transparency” often falls short of what patients actually need at the point of care. This conversation goes beyond buzzwords to explore what meaningful transparency and better patient experiences should really look like.

They also take a closer look at prescription savings models and digital platforms, separating what simply raises awareness from what truly improves outcomes. From the role health systems should play to the innovations worth paying attention to, this episode highlights why medication affordability is a system-wide issue—not just a pharmacy problem.

As always, the conversation closes with a more personal note, as Havy shares what drives her, how she navigates challenges, and her advice for women building careers in healthcare and health IT. It’s a thoughtful, practical, and refreshingly honest discussion—served with a side of tea, of course.