Script Your Future

An Independent Community Pharmacy Podcast By NCPA Foundation
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Script Your Future brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of independent community pharmacy. Each episode features conversations with passionate pharmacists, innovative pharmacy students, and industry leaders who are shaping the future of community healthcare. Hosted by the NCPA Foundation, this podcast explores the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of those dedicated to advancing independent pharmacy practice. From students discovering their calling to established owners revolutionizing patient care, we dive deep into the personal experiences that make community pharmacy such a vital and rewarding profession. Whether you're a pharmacy student contemplating your career path, a practicing pharmacist considering ownership, or simply interested in healthcare innovation at the community level, Script Your Future offers valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiring visions of what independent community pharmacy can be. Join us as we explore how independent pharmacists are creating more accessible healthcare in their communities, adapting to industry changes, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and crafting innovative business models that put patients first. Subscribe to "Script Your Future" and be part of the conversation about the evolving role of independent community pharmacies as essential, accessible healthcare providers making a difference in communities across the nation. *New episodes released monthly. Presented by the NCPA Foundation.* ncpafoundation.substack.com

  1. Natalie Novak on Rural Roots and Innovative Pharmacy Practices

    3월 26일

    Natalie Novak on Rural Roots and Innovative Pharmacy Practices

    Introduction In this episode of Script Your Future, host Sonja Pagniano interviews Natalie Novak, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at Bryant Family Pharmacy who earned her doctorate at Mercer University in May 2024 and relocated from Georgia to Arkansas for a community pharmacy residency. Natalie shares how growing up on a 3,000-acre ranch in rural Northern Colorado shaped her work ethic and sparked an early interest in medications, leading her to pharmacy after working as a technician in a small-town chain. She explains why she chose independent pharmacy and a community residency for hands-on service development, teaching, and research—especially leveraging Arkansas’s broader pharmacist prescribing protocols. Natalie discusses NCPA Foundation support, including the Ownership Workshop Scholarship and the Neil Pruitt Senior Memorial Scholarship, how business-plan and ownership training shaped her view of entrepreneurship, and how networking through NCPA influenced her career. She highlights patient impact through naloxone access, medication packaging support, and her focus on rural pharmacy as an accessible healthcare hub, and encourages students to stay open-minded, get involved early, and pursue community practice without bias. Interview Sonja: Welcome to a new episode of Script Your Future podcast. Today we have Natalie Novak, clinical Pharmacist at Bryant Family Pharmacy. Natalie grew up on a ranch in the mountains of Northern Colorado and she earned her doctorate of pharmacy from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 2024, before she relocated to Arkansas to complete her residency at Bryant Family Pharmacy, which I think she recently completed. We’re very excited to hear more about that in a minute. She’s a pharmacist who is dedicated to enhancing patient care and advocating for the profession, while inspiring future pharmacists to do the same. We’re so excited to have her on the podcast. Welcome, Natalie. Natalie: Awesome. Thank you so much, Sonja. I’m excited to be here. Sonja: Awesome. Tell us what initially drew you to the residency at Bryant Pharmacy. Natalie: Yeah, absolutely. I think during pharmacy school, through my involvement with NCPA, I truly developed this deep love for independent pharmacy. I was learning about all these unique and innovative things that were happening in the world of independent pharmacy, and I really wanted a good hands-on experience at what that looks like and what’s possible out there. I decided I wanted to do residency in order to get a better background with some teaching experience and research and really get an opportunity to kind of try and implement some services and really get that hands-on experience. I was drawn to specifically the state of Arkansas, one to get a little bit closer to family, but also, I was drawn to Arkansas’s wider scope of practice. So, coming from Georgia to Arkansas, we have quite a few statewide protocols here in the state of Arkansas that really opened the doors for pharmacist prescribing. I was really excited for that and the opportunity to take those and make them into projects for myself during residency year. Sonja: Pharmacist prescribing is huge. I know that’s like a big topic even this year of more and more states maybe looking to expand that or get it started. Tell us a little bit about that journey you took from your family’s ranch back in Colorado all the way to now practicing as a pharmacist in Arkansas…What was it like growing up on a ranch out there in northern Colorado? How did maybe some of those experiences shape your values and your work ethic, and what sparked that interest in pharmacy? Natalie: I got that hometown ski town experience, but also, we had a 3,000-acre family ranch about 30 minutes outside of town. I really got that experience of what it’s like to live in a rural community, which is really where my roots are. Even though I don’t consider where I live right now rural, I think, especially after you’ve grown up there…I’m still feeling very passionate about those people that live in rural communities and giving them access to care. So, grew up raising livestock and in 4-H and FFA, showing horses, developed a really strong love for leadership. Kind of translated into pharmacy school, leading our NCPA chapter as well. Really fell in love with the work ethic that it takes to raise animals out on a ranch. I mean, day in, day out, just because it’s raining outside, they still need to be fed. So I think that hard work and discipline, perseverance, are some lessons that I learned growing up in that kind of environment. The closest pharmacy to my hometown was 30 minutes away. The closest grocery store, the closest mall was two hours away. So I really grew up feeling that rural community. And so learned a lot through that journey. My journey to pharmacy school really started with animals. I fell in love with raising horses and market lambs and all that fun stuff. And yeah, in the 4-H project you learn a lot about the anatomy of a horse. And my horses were on a lot of medications, so I learned all about the medicine. Sonja: You probably learned all kinds of things about veterinary care related to that. Natalie: Yeah, absolutely. And my mom would get this giant stock bottle of ranitidine and we would crush it with a pill grinder — a coffee grinder in our garage — like we were compounding before I even knew what that was. So I always was interested in some kind of science. I knew I wanted to be in a science field some way, shape or form. That’s kind of how it started. I think I realized maybe the emotional side of animals, the emotional attachment would’ve been a little hard for me. So I was like, well, maybe I could be a people doctor. Like, let’s look into medicine. So when I entered undergrad, I went to West Texas A&M University, outside of Amarillo, Texas. Went there to ride horses. But I also really enjoyed the college down there. Just kind of majored in a general major, aiming to go to some sort of professional school. I wasn’t sure exactly what that would look like. And then I was looking like, you know, if I wanted to go to med school, I need this hands-on patient care experience. None of that really appealed to me. So I ended up getting a job at a retail chain pharmacy in my college hometown as a pharmacy technician. And that really opened my eyes to what pharmacists can do. Especially, my college town was pretty rural too. So I was able to really see that small town pharmacy vibe, even though it was a chain — got to learn the ins and outs of what pharmacy looks like, what pharmacists do. And I just kind of fell in love with it and thought, you know, this is something that I could do for the rest of my life. So that’s how I found pharmacy. Sonja: Wow, that’s so cool. So it really was quite the journey from crushing pills for your horse’s medicine to getting that first job in pharmacy to really open your eyes to the profession itself. Natalie: Yeah, absolutely. Sonja: Why independent community pharmacy specifically as opposed to like a chain or hospital pharmacy? What ended up getting you to that? Is it those local rural roots you had and wanting to make sure you’re as close to community as possible? Or was there something else? Natalie: Yeah, I think that’s a big part of it. When I went into pharmacy school, I really didn’t know which path I was gonna take. I went in with a very open mind, joined a lot of different organizations, really ended up resonating with NCPA and finding myself in a position of leadership within that organization at our local chapter. And from there I just kind of took that and ran with it. I think independent pharmacy, there’s so much flexibility to try new things. The pharmacy I currently work at is such a high volume — a uniquely high volume independent. We have a huge patient population, so I have the ability to kind of test and try out different things without that overhead of a corporation. And also the small town feel — I know all of my patients by name for the most part. So I think independents are just really uniquely positioned in the field to do innovative things and really test the waters and advance the profession. Sonja: Absolutely. So when you were first kind of choosing that professional school, why did you end up choosing Mercer? Natalie: So, tale as old as time. I met my husband in undergrad. He ended up getting a job out in Georgia right out of school. And so I followed him to Georgia. Was looking for pharmacy schools out there, applied to a few different schools. I ultimately chose Mercer just because I really love the smaller feel of the campus. Smaller private school — wasn’t as big as these huge campuses that I was touring. So, really loved that. And then everyone was so personable, and I felt like there were a lot of opportunities for growth for me, with rotation sites in the area. I also loved that Georgia has a really strong state association as well. The ability to get involved in lots of different great practice sites in the Atlanta area. So it was just a good fit all around for me. Sonja: I’ve definitely heard a lot of good things. I know they have a lot of opportunities for pharmacy students to kind of get their feet wet with the different aspects, not just of independent community pharmacy, but also other aspects of the profession too. Natalie: Absolutely. Sonja: So I know some people are really hooked on hospital experience for clinical. Can you talk a little bit more about why choosing a community pharmacy residency might be better than a hospital experience? Natalie: Absolutely. I think I knew from my first rotation at a hospital — in my first inpatient APPE rotation — I knew a hospital wasn’t really for me. I really loved the deeper thinking and how pharmacists were really involved in the care team from the clinical aspect. I think the environment wasn’t it for me. I

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  2. Justin Wilson on Legacy, Leadership, & The Future of Independent Pharmacy

    2월 11일

    Justin Wilson on Legacy, Leadership, & The Future of Independent Pharmacy

    Introduction What happens when a kid who grew up dusting pharmacy shelves and making deliveries decides to come back—not just as a pharmacist, but as the one who’s going to transform the family business? In this episode of Script Your Future, Sonja Pagniano interviews Justin Wilson, PharmD, a current member and Chair of the NCPA Board of Trustees, past president of the Oklahoma Pharmacists Association, and a pharmacist whose family’s roots in independent pharmacy stretch back to 1977 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Justin is also a past member of the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy, an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, and serves on the boards of Unify Rx and AlignRx. Twenty-six years ago, he was a Presidential Scholarship recipient from the NCPA Foundation—and today, he’s proof that investing in pharmacy students creates leaders who pour back into the profession for decades. This conversation is about legacy—but not the kind that gets handed to you. Justin is candid about the real growing pains of transitioning from the boss’s kid to a trusted partner, the financial surprises that almost made him question ownership entirely, and the moment a visiting pharmacist from Iowa changed the entire trajectory of his career. He shares how he earned his father Lonnie’s trust through sweat equity, navigated the delicate balance of family and business, and is now building something of his own on top of a foundation his dad laid nearly five decades ago. Whether you’re a pharmacy student thinking about joining the family business, an owner figuring out how to keep your team motivated, or someone who just needs to hear that the best years for independent pharmacy might still be ahead—this one’s for you! And if you’re a pharmacy student listening: don’t forget to submit your scholarship application by March 15th at ncpafoundation.org. Interview Sonja: Welcome back to another episode of Script Your Future. I’m so excited to introduce our guest today, Justin Wilson, current member of the NCPA Board of Trustees and a wonderful example of how families can build lasting legacies in independent community pharmacy. What makes this conversation especially meaningful is that 26 years ago, Justin was a presidential scholarship recipient from the NCPA Foundation. And speaking of scholarships—if you are a pharmacy student listening, this is your reminder to submit your application by March 15th. We’d love to support your journey, just like we supported Justin’s. Sonja: Justin, thanks so much for joining us on the pod today. How are you? Justin: I’m good. Yeah, thanks for having me. Sonja: Let’s start at the beginning. Back when your father, Lonnie, opened his first pharmacy in Midwest City, Oklahoma—I think it was 1977. Do you know what drove him to open that store? I think he eventually did open multiple retail stores in Oklahoma… What was some of his vision? Justin: You know, I’m not exactly sure what drove him to be an entrepreneur. I know he’s been a hardworking person his whole life. He’s a self-made man and came from very meager beginnings, but put his way through school and was working for an independent pharmacist in Midwest City, Oklahoma. He had a couple of physicians that approached him to see if he would want to put in a bid for this pharmacy and a clinic that they were opening. And he did, and they accepted it. And the guy he worked for wanted that bid as well. And so he fired dad on the spot. That’s like the only job he’s ever been fired from, but he never looked back. So, that was his first pharmacy. Sonja: Wow, unreal. Thinking back to that time, what were some of your earliest memories of being in the pharmacy with your father? When did you realize you wanted to… kind of… follow in those footsteps? Justin: It took a minute. I mean, I grew up in the stores, dusting shelves and stocking. I was a delivery boy at one point and then a technician… Pharmacy back then was a very good business, but I wasn’t really seeing the clinical aspect. And so… I wasn’t super interested in pharmacy just because it was almost like an expectation—when I wasn’t in school, I was supposed to be up at the store helping out. And… as a kid, you don’t always appreciate those opportunities, but I learned a lot from it. And, as I got older, I started going with my parents to the state pharmacy conventions, and I saw tons of leaders from Oklahoma that were always passionate about the profession and the issues affecting our jobs. And I saw how they would get together and work through those problems and make their profession better. And I think that kind of started to sink in on me a bit. So, I went to college… I kind of thought I’d go to med school originally, but as I got a little further along, I started learning that pharmacists could do more direct patient care and clinical type services. And it was kind of like a light bulb went off that here I had this opportunity with a few pharmacies that my father started and I could come in and maybe help develop clinical services in those sites and, you know, kind of take our pharmacies to the next level. That’s what got me to where I am today, I made that decision and did a community pharmacy residency and came back and just transformed those practices. Sonja: That’s incredible. I feel like there are so many people who have similar journeys where originally that wasn’t maybe in their plans. Or, they’re like, “No that’s what my parent does, that isn’t really what I want to do.” But then it’s like those little moments where doors open or things click and then it’s like, that’s what I want to do next. Justin: Best decision, and I know 100% I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Sonja: So you received the Presidential Scholarship from NCPA Foundation. How did that support help impact your path to pharmacy ownership? [4:29] Justin: Well, I definitely think any sort of financial support just makes things easier. I was in a position that I was going to go to pharmacy school and graduate regardless, but it just made things easier for us. You know as we progress through and pay for tuition and those sorts of things. You know, I think the biggest thing was just being involved with NCPA and seeing what the Foundation did at convention and seeing what all these pharmacists across the country were doing in their practices—that motivated me to want to do something different and advance our family stores. And so I think it was just kind of one of the pieces that got me to where I am today. Sonja: Excellent, yeah, I think a lot of students, when they get a scholarship from us, they’re already very involved. But it kind of helps solidify for them that they’re being recognized for all of their hard work. Because a lot of times, you’re at the top of the academic standard in terms of what we’re seeing students… who are pursuing the profession. So it is a big deal. When you joined the business as a pharmacist…I think it was like 2003 time frame…what, what were some of those initial conversations like with your father, right? It isn’t like you hadn’t already been in the pharmacy, but you were officially joining as a staff member, a pharmacist. Justin: Yeah, it was unique because I did go out of state for my residency. I went up to Iowa and spent a year up there. And so I was coming right out of that residency as the young hot shot pharmacist, I guess, and boss’s kid. It was a unique situation that my father kind of got out of the pharmacies in the mid-80s when he started his PSAO (PPOk). He shifted to more of the business side of pharmacy and still kept his stores as businesses, but they had staff pharmacists and PICs running those. And so now the boss’s kid is coming in—it was kind of a unique dynamic. As just being the number two or three pharmacist. Getting to know all of the technicians…It took a little time to get the trust of the staff, share with them the vision that I wanted for that pharmacy and work with them to change and achieve better patient care. And so it was a whole process. Sonja: What was some of that decision point that brought you to the family pharmacies?… Justin: I think my first two years of pharmacy school, I was more interested in ambulatory care because I really liked that clinical aspect. And that was going to be my, my focus. And we had a student faculty retreat and a gentleman by the name of Matt Osterhaus from Iowa came to our school. He came and spoke to our college. He started talking about his family’s business and his father had started it back in the 60s and all the different things they’re doing—from diabetes care to cardiovascular wellness… and osteoporosis screenings… and smoking cessation. [7:32] It just started checking all the boxes of what I was interested in and it made me think, hey, if they can do it up there, why couldn’t I come back into my family’s practice and convert it to do those similar things? And one of the practices is actually in a physician’s clinic. So we have doctors we could work with and those sorts of things. So it was just, everything just lined up as that’s what I should do, that’s what I need to do. So I contacted Matt immediately and actually drove up to Maquoketa, Iowa and spent a weekend in his store and then applied for his residency. And, told him I’m up front that I’m here to absorb as much stuff as I can from you guys and bring that back to Oklahoma. And that was the plan from then on. Sonja: That is so cool. I love that story- Justin: He’s still one of my biggest mentors, by the way. Matt Osterhaus is incredible. Sonja: Okay, I was going to say he’s a really good example too of leaders to follow, type of thing. So walk us through a little bit of that transition from pharmacist to an owner-operator type of a role. When did that shift happen exactly? A

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  3. From Pharmacy Student to Association CEO: Dr. Anthony Pudlo's Journey in Leadership

    1월 21일

    From Pharmacy Student to Association CEO: Dr. Anthony Pudlo's Journey in Leadership

    Introduction What does it take to transform from a pharmacy student who “didn’t know what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be” into the visionary leader of a state pharmacy association? In this conversation, Dr. Anthony Pudlo, CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, pulls back the curtain on his unconventional journey from the community pharmacy counter to the executive suite. His story isn’t about following a predetermined path—it’s about staying curious, building authentic relationships, and learning to lead with both conviction and humility. Anthony shares hard-won wisdom on navigating the complexities of association leadership: from his whirlwind first 90 days as CEO to orchestrating a complete organizational rebrand, from building diverse teams that challenge each other to knowing when to maintain your “best poker face” with legislators. But perhaps most importantly, he reminds us why philanthropy, mentorship, and simply “being a person first” are the foundations of sustainable impact in pharmacy. Whether you’re a student exploring non-clinical careers, a practitioner considering a leadership transition, or an association professional looking to revitalize your organization, Anthony’s insights on calculated risk-taking, personal branding, and the power of a dollar-a-day commitment will challenge how you think about creating meaningful change in pharmacy. This is a conversation about finding your place in the profession—and then using that position to lift others up along the way. Interview Sonja: Welcome back to the Script Your Future Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to advancing independent community pharmacy practice and developing the leaders of tomorrow. I’m your host, Sonja Pagniano. Today we have an inspiring conversation lined up with someone whose career path perfectly embodies the transition from dedicated student to influential association executive. Our guest is Dr. Anthony Pudlo, the CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, or TPA as it’s commonly referred to. Anthony has been a recipient of the 2006 NCPA Foundation Partners in Pharmacy Scholarship and 2007 graduate of Drake University. Upon graduation, he completed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Community Pharmacy Practice Residency with Kerr Drug in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Since then, he hasn’t just built a successful career. He’s poured back into the profession, giving as a generous donor to the NCPA Foundation in the past, serving as a current generous NCPA PAC donor, and never relenting in his championing the community pharmacy profession and encouraging pharmacy students to consider a career in independent community pharmacy. In August of 2021, he started in his current role at TPA. Having personally visited the association not too long ago, I can say that Anthony has truly breathed new life into the organization, overseeing a major building renovation and a complete branding revamp as well. We’re going to dive into that incredible transformation in a little bit... In today’s episode, we want to find out what takes a pharmacy student to the helm of a major state association? And more importantly, what critical lessons can up and coming pharmacy leaders learn from Anthony’s unique journey? Anthony, welcome to the podcast! Anthony: Thanks, Sonja. It’s a pleasure to be here… Sonja: So I want to take us back to when you were a pharmacy student. What were some of those pivotal moments or experiences that took you from pharmacy school to maybe advocacy and then later association management? Anthony: Oh gosh, good question. It almost has to go back a little bit further, because even before I went to pharmacy school, I usually tell students and new graduates, I didn’t know what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be when I grew up. Actually, I didn’t even come from a pharmacy family, not even any other healthcare providers in my direct immediate family. So when I went to pharmacy school, I was a sponge. I was getting involved in just about every organization just to learn the acronyms, learn the terms, learn what pharmacy practice is really like. I was connected with a lot of upperclassmen as well and learning about what they were doing, maybe on rotations and things like that. And so I do remember a few upperclassmen, I think, saw that excitement of sorts or that curiosity in what I was looking at in the profession. And they quickly were like, hey, Anthony, you should come to a pharmacy conference, whether it was at the state level—I was going to school at Drake University—whether it was one of the association meetings at the Iowa Pharmacy Association, or I was involved with APhA and NCPA and AMCP and ASHP. I was involved. I got involved a little bit with everything, but I just didn’t know what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be. So when I think it was maybe my early foray into seeing what a mentor could do, because they’re the ones that encourage me to actually come. My first national pharmacy conference when I was in pharmacy school was the NCPA Annual Convention and started immediately learning about all the great things that pharmacists can do in their practice, especially in an independent practice where they have a little bit more flexibility and trial by error at times about how best to take care of their patients. So, you know, then I don’t want to say the rest is history because I was still trying to figure everything out. And so yeah, for me, I think every year I was just getting more involved in different aspects of what the profession could offer and learning about it. Because I think most of our listeners probably know that pharmacy is practiced so differently across our country because of some of the nuances to the state laws. And so learning about everything I could that was going on in the state of Iowa, plus as I got connected with people outside of the state, it was kind of awe. I was like awestruck by what the profession can do and got me excited to get more involved. Sonja: Well, it sounds like you’re a lifelong learner, and I have noticed that as a common theme among people who do really well in the profession, it’s this eagerness to want to learn new things and connect with more people, so that’s great. I do want to talk a little bit more about connection. So in a traditional pharmacy role, your connection is typically with patients and the community. But when you’re the CEO of an association, your connection is with members and legislators and stakeholders. So how do you adapt communication skills and relationship building skills to succeed in an environment like that if you’re used to more of like a traditional pharmacy type? Anthony: Yeah, you know, and I come, I had more immediate work in the community pharmacy space throughout school and in my early days as a practitioner. And yes, well, I think you’re right. I mean, I think the communication styles differ, but I think in the end, you have to know your audience. There’s usually a phrase that talks about like, what’s in it for me? So you have to understand when you’re talking to somebody, whether it’s a patient, let’s talk about what matters most to them at any given time when they’re receiving counseling from a pharmacist. Yes, maybe the Board of Pharmacy says you need to hit all these little check boxes, right? But you know what? 6:22 If you don’t address that immediate concern that patient has, they’re not going to listen to anything else you have to say. So you have to address that immediate concern. And I think that goes the same way when I’m sitting here talking to another pharmacist. Now in Tennessee, our association runs the gamut in terms of the practice settings that we serve. So having to understand what is the issue of a large health system pharmacist or a pharmacy technician that works at an independent pharmacy or a pharmacist that works in a home infusion center, whatever it might be, you have to understand what is their primary concern. And then you try to interpret that and help them in any way you can. And I think that’s ultimately what pharmacy school teaches us. You know, you have to understand a very complex thing like mechanisms of action, pharmacology and all of this, and the way that the medicines work, but you have to be able to interpret that, read the literature, interpret the mechanism of action, be able to actually use that information and then convey it to whoever that might be, a patient, a physician, a stakeholder, a legislator, whoever it might be. So I do think the skills in the end are the same, it’s just understanding what is in it for them? How do you make sure that their needs are being met as you communicate and understand what their concerns are? Sonja: Absolutely. There probably are a lot of those skills that are transferable, and it’s just a matter of kind of honing those for the different environments. So what’s a skill that you maybe relied on heavily as a pharmacist, right, practicing in a pharmacy that proved less useful to you when you became like an executive or worked in association management? Anthony: That’s a really great question. And I don’t know if I have the best answer to it because I do feel like there is so many things that I was doing as a pharmacist that have made me who I am. And it may not feel like it’s exactly the same thing, but it’s ultimately helping me be the best CEO in this case. Gosh, if you have to push me on this, I’m trying to really think, like, I don’t want to say like, I don’t, I’m not more empathetic because we totally are empathetic in our roles and who we talk to, right? But as a pharmacist, I feel like your empathy skills are so much higher on display. I might say it this way. I think as a pharmacist, your conversations are so real and you get very deep with people. And I don’t want to say I don’t get deep with other conversations I have wit

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  4. Question Everything: Why the Future of Independent Community Pharmacy Depends on Students Who Push Boundaries

    2025. 12. 18.

    Question Everything: Why the Future of Independent Community Pharmacy Depends on Students Who Push Boundaries

    Introduction Welcome to another episode of Script Your Future, the podcast dedicated to celebrating the next generation of pharmacy leaders and showcasing the incredible work happening in independent pharmacy across the nation. I’m your host, Sonja Pagniano, Executive Director of the NCPA Foundation, and I’m thrilled to bring you inspiring conversations with pharmacy students and professionals who are shaping the future of our profession. In this episode, we sit down with Emily Fisher, a PharmD candidate at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy and a recipient of the prestigious NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarship made possible through the generosity of McKesson’s annual sponsorship. Emily’s journey into pharmacy is anything but ordinary—from initially swearing off the profession despite her family’s pharmacy legacy, to discovering her passion for independent community pharmacy through hands-on experience. Her story is a testament to the power of keeping an open mind and following unexpected paths. Emily has made significant contributions to both NCPA and her local pharmacy community. As a summer intern at NCPA headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, she worked on critical projects including revamping the NCPA Student Business Plan Competition and creating systems for board member visits to pharmacy schools nationwide. Her dedication to innovation, advocacy, and student empowerment shines through as she shares insights on everything from applying for scholarships to developing an innovative mindset in pharmacy school. Whether you’re a pharmacy student considering your career path, a practitioner looking to mentor the next generation, or simply someone passionate about the future of independent pharmacy, Emily’s wisdom and enthusiasm will inspire you to think bigger and push boundaries. Interview Sonja: Welcome to the Script Your Future Podcast. I’m Sonja Pagniano, Executive Director of the NCPA Foundation, and I’m thrilled to be here with Emily Fisher. Emily is a student at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, a PharmD candidate who is also a scholarship recipient of the NCPA Foundation. And she also completed an internship with NCPA that the foundation helps fund and has made significant contributions, not just at NCPA, but also within the student chapter work. So, we are very excited to have you on today, Emily, thanks so much for joining us! Emily: Thanks for having me, Sonja. I’m really excited to talk with you today. Sonja: Let’s start with your background. Do you currently work at an independent pharmacy and what drew you to the profession? Emily: So, I currently work for Prosperity Drug Company. It’s a local independent in rural South Carolina. We do traditional dispensing, long-term care, vaccines, and a few other services that really serve the community well. But it was my rotation, at the end of my P1 year, my community IPPE (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience) at Iva Drug that really made me fall in love with independent pharmacy. 1:29: Getting to know those patients on a personal level and learning how to anticipate their needs was something that I just knew I wanted to be part of. So, here we are. Sonja: That’s terrific. So, you’re set to graduate in May of 2027, and you’re still relatively early in your pharmacy school journey, so to speak. When you decided to pursue pharmacy as a career, was that like a decision you made back in high school? Was that something you’ve known like your whole life? Where did that come from? Emily: I actually swore pharmacy off my entire childhood. I did not want to be a pharmacist. I thought it was boring. I thought you’d count by fives. My granddad, he was a pharmacist and owned a pharmacy in rural Wisconsin. And then my uncle was a pharmacist down in Alabama. But I just, I just, they always wanted me to do it and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, I ended up going to school for chemical engineering and working in the pharmaceutical industry on quality, safety and assurance. So, also just so exciting work to do there, but I didn’t really enjoy my job, wasn’t very fulfilled. So, I left chemical engineering after my sister recommended I give pharmacy a chance. I started working at like a local chain and warmed up to the idea of pharmacy school. So… Sonja: Very cool. Yeah, so pharmacy like runs in your blood then! Emily: Yeah, even though I didn’t want it to. Sonja: Sometimes you can’t escape, but your journey is meant for you, you know? So you received a scholarship from the NCPA Foundation. Can you tell us what that scholarship has meant for you and how it’s helped? Emily: Yeah, the presidential scholarship from the foundation, it has been fantastic receiving that. It’s allowed me to continue pursuing my education, obviously. 3:30: But I think what really matters most to me about that scholarship is the vote of confidence that it gave me because I was awarded a scholarship from the foundation that a group of independent pharmacists really saw what I wrote, saw my submission, and said, wow, we recognize you as a future leader in this profession, and we want to see you succeed. So without this scholarship, school would definitely be a little bit more difficult to get through, but it’s really just the confidence that it gives you to keep on going, knowing there’s people in your corner. And the NCPA Foundation also has plenty of other programs that I have been able to be part of that have also really benefited myself through pharmacy school. I think the first program I did was the Pharmacy Ownership and Leadership Academy down in Arkansas. Yep, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas. And that was fantastic. And then I did the pharmacy ownership workshop. And that was another fantastic program. So, it’s like, you dip your toe in and then like it just keeps going. Truly a great opportunity. Sonja: Well, I’m glad you’re able to take advantage of those opportunities and do school at the same time. I know you guys juggle a lot with everything you’re learning and doing. So being able to take advantage of programs and doing school, I think that’s tremendous. And we really recognize you guys going above and beyond. Like you said, like that’s what that presidential scholarship is all about. recognizing those students who are really taking the time outside of their studies to develop as leaders in the profession. They’re also investing, right? You’re investing so much of yourself into the profession already. And that’s why that scholarship is so important, too, for us to recognize that. It’s like the little bit that we can do. We know there’s tremendous amount of student loan debt out there, and I wish we could cover the full thing for everybody. But that is a future dream, I guess, for us. So, for students who might be listening, who might be considering applying for an NCPA Foundation scholarship, what advice would you maybe give them about the application process, ways that they can develop, right, like taking advantage of these programs, things like that, to be able to qualify for one? Emily 5:31: I mean, I would just say put yourself out there. You’re gonna-- I know that I have always felt very unqualified to apply for anything that I’ve applied to, but I did it anyway just because it’s like, if you don’t tell somebody that you want an opportunity, you’re never going to get it. The worst that they can say is “no”. And you’re probably more qualified than you think because no one else is asking either; so you might as well put your hat in the ring. Often times as students we feel like we don’t belong or we compare ourselves to another student and it cheats us out of an opportunity that we could have. So really just. Take the time to think deeply about what you want to do with your career and find the organization that lines up with that and for me it was NCPA. And that has just been really invaluable my entire career. So I would encourage every student to just go for it. Sonja: That’s great advice. Yeah. Say goodbye to that imposter syndrome. I think Jay Phipps on a previous podcast kind of mentioned that too, where he’s like, you know, if you don’t believe in yourself and you don’t advocate for yourself and you don’t show up for yourself, no one else is going to do that for you. And so, you’re right. You’re right. It takes a lot of confidence in putting yourself out there. Emily: And honestly, like, sometimes you just gotta fake it till you make it. Like, for me at least, I’ve definitely lived by that. Fake it till you make it, and then one day, like, you’re exactly where you wanted to be. So it all works out. Sonja: I love that. So… beyond the scholarship, you also did an internship with NCPA. Can you tell us about what that experience was like? What is something you learned during that experience that surprised you? Emily: Yeah, my internship over the summer was probably my most memorable and favorite experience throughout pharmacy school thus far. I’m from a small town and going to DC because I was in person in Alexandria—so going to DC was like mind blowing to me, not just the work, but like the place itself… I remember, I think it was my first or second week, I had to go to Capitol Hill and I just remember texting one of the staff members and being like, I’ve been on the metro for an hour. I am in Baltimore. Like, I don’t know where I am. So I learned a lot about myself and my lack of direction sense- and Google Maps. But I’m really good at the metro now in that area. Outside of the personal development, there was, of course, a lot of professional development. I got to meet some fantastic pharmacists and non-pharmacists on staff at NCPA. And they support the mission of NCPA and just the profession as a whole in a way that I don’t think is recognized often or students or pharmac

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  5. Follow What You're Good At

    2025. 10. 16.

    Follow What You're Good At

    Introduction Prior to launching Union Pharmacy, Dr. Xiaoyan Qin, PharmD, spent 15 years as a pharmacist and pharmacy manager for a national chain. Driven by a passion for patient care, but frustrated with corporate metrics that limited care, she often wondered to her husband, Dr. Jeff Gruneich, PhD, What if I could do this differently…? Complementing Xiaoyan’s detailed understanding of pharmacy finance and operations, Jeff’s background as a bioengineer, biotech entrepreneur and technology and product management at IBM, Roche, and MathWorks, rounded out a unique toolkit for pharmacy innovation. The question became more focused: What if the patient-pharmacist relationship formed the core of the business and everything else supported that mission? What followed was a leap into independent pharmacy ownership that would test their partnership, push them to innovate during a pandemic, and ultimately lead them to create SimpLED - a pharmacy will call solution that’s now available to help pharmacies across the country. In this episode, Dr. Qin and Dr. Gruneich take us through the journey from opening the first Union Pharmacy location in July 2019—just six months before COVID-19 changed everything—to now operating four successful locations in the Boston area. They share how necessity became the mother of invention when they couldn’t find an affordable will-call system that met their needs, leading them to develop SimpLED, an automation tool that’s transformed their operations and enhanced their customer’s pharmacy experience. This is a story about listening to your community, playing to your strengths as partners, and refusing to accept “that’s just how it’s done” as an answer. Whether you’re considering pharmacy ownership, struggling with operational bottlenecks, or simply looking for inspiration on how to stand out in today’s competitive landscape, Dr. Qin and Dr. Gruneich’s practical wisdom and innovative spirit offer valuable lessons for independent pharmacy owners everywhere. Interview Sonja Pagniano: Welcome to the Script Your Future podcast, as we gear up for the upcoming NCPA Convention we are excited to bring you Xiaoyan Qin, a pharmacy owner from Massachusetts with over two decades of pharmacy and pharmacy manager experience, and Jeff Gruneich, her husband and tech afficionado. Jeff brings a background in technology, marketing, product management, and sales, as their pharmacy locations grew, so did his involvement in supporting Xiaoyan’s pharmacies. Xiaoyan and Jeff - welcome to the podcast! How are you guys? Xiaoyan: Doing good. Jeff: Glad to be here. Thank you. Sonja: So tell us a little bit about where you guys are located so that people have kind of an idea of the spot in Massachusetts that you’re in.Xiaoyan: Yes, my name is Xiaoyan, I’m the owner of Union Pharmacy. I’ve been working as a pharmacist for 20 years. Currently, we have four Union Pharmacies located at the Newton Center, Newtonville, Meaden, and Belmont. So, pretty much like outside of Boston area. Sonja: Great. Xiaoyan, take us back to 2019, when you opened your first pharmacy, maybe even a bit before, because I know you were working in chains and that experience can be much different. What shaped your vision for what the pharmacy would become from your time there?Xioayan: As a pharmacist, I always want to build a very trustable relationship between pharmacists and the patient. So when I worked at big chain, I feel this mission is kind of hard to achieve. And then says [to Jeff], you know, I feel I can’t accomplish the mission I want to accomplish when I work at the big chain. What do you think? You know, do you think that we can afford to open a pharmacy? Jeff: Yeah, I mean I think so. To give a little bit of background about myself, Xiaoyan would come home, we’d talk about pharmacy since she graduated, her PharmD degree. And during that time, I was basically working for technology companies in a global sales role for IBM, as an entrepreneur in stem cells, and as in a couple of other technology companies and product and technology marketing. And we would have these conversations about how do I, I feel like I’m sort of… controlled by the corporate system to hit all these metrics, which are useful, but I think I can do better if I really prioritize the relationship that I have with a customer. And one at a time, I’m helping that patient one at a time. And you know, she’s got a background of entrepreneurship in her family. And I had kind of taken several years in entrepreneurship and she was a stable one. And you know, she’s got a background of entrepreneurship in her family. And I had kind of taken several years in entrepreneurship and she was a stable one. And it looked like the right time to sort of jump around 2018 for us to switch roles and for me to be the stable one in the sort of corporate world whilst we hopped into entrepreneurship and started the first location in actually July of 2019 was when the doors opened.Sonja: Okay, so Xiaoyan, tell me what made you confident enough then to expand from one location to several others? You guys have four locations right? So, like what had to be in place for all of that to happen? Xiaoyan: First thing you need to have… what you focus on and then your team need to all agree on the same vision is - patient, pharmacist, relationship, as I mentioned before. So you have a good team and then you need to have a good like workflow. You also need to listen to your customer what they want. So once you have all those core elements in place, and then you, then look at the market, and then where you lead to. So that’s why we, after two years on Newton Center location, we expanded to Newtonville location, which is about 15 minutes drive away from the Newton Center to take care of another side of the Newton area residence. After 2 years, that’s the Needham location we opened up. And another year is in Belmont.Sonja: I feel like that’s a lot of pharmacies in a short period of time. How did you guys go about doing that? I feel like there has to be a lot of rush and excitement in what you guys are working on for that to be happening. Xiaoyan: Yes. Yes, that’s lots of hustle. And also… Jeff: I think we have to go back in time to 2019 and what was happening in 2019. Sonja: Oh- yeah. Jeff: The first location opened in July and we basically had six months to run until COVID hit and I think the way that I got the most involved with her at that point is I was really looking at financial details every day. Are we on plan? Are we hitting what we need to? Are we - are our purchase costs in line with something that lets us operate? You know, are there other products we can offer? And from the very beginning it was listening to what your customers are asking for and trying to give them what they’re asking for. And that took us into, I’d say, the beginning of COVID. And COVID just put a lot of stress on the business. I think COVID kind of gave us the chance to innovate very quickly in a way that wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have COVID, right?Xiaoyan: Yeah. Jeff: Like, take them back to that was happening in 2019.Xiaoyan: So I think that because, because I’m Chinese, I have a relationship with wholesale in China. I’m pretty much the first pharmacy that have a masks. So we sell some, we donate some. That’s really open up our door to all the customers.Jeff: Yeah, I think we could see, we were looking, it’s my background in biotechnology, we could see COVID was gonna overrun and overwhelm the US. And so, what do we need to do to prepare for that? And, you know, working with some friends, we literally stockpiled probably 100,000 masks. We started providing, I was looking around for, you know, 40 liter gallons or 40 liter bottles of ethanol. We were compounding ethanol.Sonja: Oh my god, haha. Xiaoyan: Hand sanitizer. Jeff: We were hustling at that point, because the community needed us. We were friends with the Mayor of Newton. And at that, basically, essentially at that point when things started to shut down, then I think it really sharpened our, you know, our senses into how do we take care of people the best. Xiaoyan: And really plugged us into this community. Jeff: So for example, another thing that we did was we listened really carefully that we needed to have a vaccine, I mean, a diagnostic test that was prior to the diagnostic test. So we reached out to a company in Cambridge to be a really early channel for them to do their CLIA-based diagnostic tests. So we had lines of people out the door trying to get tested to see if they had COVID or not, for example. 7:45 And that also showed that we’re going to listen to what is needed and where our community wants and try to give them that the best that we could. Sonja: Something that I’m hearing as a thread in this is that you guys are really good at connecting, like connecting different supplies to different issues, to the different needs of your community…connecting resources in your community to each other so that patients have access to something new and necessary, especially in a moment, you know, where it’s like a crisis. I think that’s so exceptional for independent pharmacy owners to do. And I think it’s what makes it unique, right? Xiaoyan: Yes, I think the difference between us and with big chain is we always listen to our customers and then we also, you know really plug us in into the community. 8:58 I think the pharmacy actually create a community. That’s why we, you know just do so many amazing thing is to just make sure our community is healthy and then the healthcare is accessible to all of us.Sonja: How do you two balance the partnership then between like an entrepreneurial vision and operational execution? I think it’s so difficult because entrepreneurs often tend to be visionaries. They also are very creative in how they solve problems. But there’

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  6. From Pills To Purpose: How Ritesh Shah and Dr. Joe Howe Created New Jersey's First Charitable Pharmacy

    2025. 09. 25.

    From Pills To Purpose: How Ritesh Shah and Dr. Joe Howe Created New Jersey's First Charitable Pharmacy

    Introduction Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Script Your Future Podcast! We’re joined by two remarkable guests whose story will remind you of the incredible impact pharmacists can have when they step beyond the prescription counter. Ritesh Shah, pharmacist and CEO of Legacy Pharmacy Group, has just published his autobiography “Pills to Purpose: A True Story of Love, Loss, and the Power of Service,” and he’s here alongside Dr. Joe Howe, President of Ritesh’s Charitable Pharmacy. Together, they’ve created New Jersey’s first and only charitable pharmacy—a testament to how personal tragedy can be transformed into community healing. Whether you’re a practicing pharmacist, pharmacy student, or someone interested in “doing good”, this conversation will show you what’s possible when service becomes your driving force in pharmacy. We hope you’ll be inspired by this heartwarming story. Interview Sonja Pagniano: Welcome to the Script Your Future Podcast. Today’s episode brings guests Ritesh Shah and Dr. Joe Howe. We are thrilled to have you both on the podcast today. We will be starting today with Ritesh telling us about his recently published book, Pills to Purpose: A True Story of Love, Loss, and the Power of Service. I think many pharmacists will be able to relate to your story today. What inspired you to write the book? Ritesh Shah: What inspired me to write a book is out of a personal loss, but also every day how I have seen patients struggling for their medication and meeting their ends. And I felt like it happened in a way that everything fall in one place and that that pain that I was looking for that purpose to you know, diminish that pain, and then to help the community that has made me who I am today. That’s how this book was born. And also the charitable pharmacy was born. Sonja: Excellent. Can you give us a little glimpse of what readers will discover as they read the book? Ritesh: Oh, sure. It is my autobiography. It’s a pharmacy story when a pharmacist who goes from filling prescription behind the counter and how it crosses that counter and goes frontline to help people. And the story is about I was born and raised in India and immigrating here, got married to a love of my life. Asha, who’s a pharmacist, also a St. John graduate- I always give that credit to St. John. That makes her very happy. And recently, we had a student came from St. John who volunteered there for three months at the charitable pharmacy this summer. But most importantly, it’s a story of a pharmacist. I was able to write my life true experience that happened practicing as a pharmacist in my six drugstores in Monmouth County and throughout New Jersey, actually, and how a pharmacist can do a job just by going a little bit out of box, by thinking what patient is suffering, doing Seva, right? You know, we all took oaths to serve of our patients, you know, the pharmacy emblem, what pharmacist has - why they went to pharmacy school to serve and that patient understanding their condition. Sonja, it throws me back in behind the counter right now as I speak… Nobody comes to drugstore when they’re happy. They’re grumpy. They’re not feeling good. And how do you put that peace in their mind? But especially the books talks about how I was struggling to get some of the coverage for patients and the bureaucracy and the paperwork and the insurance company not covering it. And also so much of the patients who has to decide whether they want to put those $10 for the food or whether they want to put that $10 for the medication. So I was able to capture those live stories and…My amazing life partner, how she supported me as a pharmacist and even after she retired when this charitable pharmacy was born out of my grief. So I’ll touch upon a little bit during pandemic…I have extreme honor serving under Governor Phil Murphy’s team and doing so many Covid specimen collection, working with Senator Wingopal, Senator Declan, and so many legislators, mayors, and bringing Covid testing in the state of New Jersey. And while doing all this thing, feeling good about it, that you as a pharmacist doing something. And then in October 2021, I decided to go to India to celebrate Diwali with my sister. And that meeting never happened. She contracted a virus. We lost her. And life saw something that I never wanted to see it. And my wife and I, we decided, how do we honor her? stories that I was able to write, what she has told, how we can help people who don’t have any means of getting health care or food. Sonja: Absolutely. Ritesh: So since we can and because God has made us able, we were able to put our building for this purpose and --Listen, I didn’t have to look far to get a pharmacist who can give thousands of hours without any salary. My better half, Asha, was there and, and, New Jersey’s first and only charitable pharmacy was born to help underserved. There’s no cash register at our drugstore. How we help those patients in a four disease stage conditions with mental health, diabetes, blood pressure, and heart conditions and nutritional products. And those are the things that I was able to write in the book and the challenges I went through, the sustainability about the organization. And along the way, a 4.30 A.M. phone call with Dr. Joseph Howe when he was a superintendent of schools in Freehold Borough School. Sonja: Oh, no kidding. Ritesh: Yep, that happened and that has turned in. Now, Dr. Howe serves as a president at a charitable pharmacy. And you know what? It meant to me that we had to meet that way and we did. And today, our charitable pharmacy, as we speak, we are walking towards hitting $2 million worth of medication. Sonja: No way. Ritesh: Yes. That’s where the numbers going. I’m pretty sure this Saturday, our sold out event, Pills 2 Purpose Gala that we have. We have the physical launch of the book. And I just saw the infographics a few minutes ago. We are at $9.98 million. So by Saturday, we’ll be $2 million dispensing medicine. So this is what I was able to write. I’m thankful to so many people who has made me and inspired me, especially my daughter, who told me it has to be in a book. You need to write it and you need to let. Sonja: Kids are the best. Ritesh: And this is what happened in this book. Thousands plus copies got sold on Amazon and we are now taking book at next level. So I want each and every pharmacist, every patient, every pharma, manufacturer, doctor, patient to read what pharmacists can do and the people, those who are connected with the pharmacy and the great profession of pharmacy, how they can support. 7:14 I’m thankful to you, Doug Hoey, and NCPA Foundation for giving us this opportunity as well. Thank you. Sonja: Thank you so much, Ritesh. What an inspiring story. And I feel like you’re right. There is so much that pharmacists can do. It is not just the things behind the counter. It’s also the things you do that go above and beyond. And truly, your story is a testament to that. And I think pharmacists who read your book might feel really inspired by it and kind of have that hope renewed for them, especially in such a challenging time. Joe Howe, I would love to dig in a little bit with you about the charitable pharmacy work. What led you to this charitable pharmacy work? I know Ritesh touched on it a little bit… Are you a pharmacist as well? Do you have a pharmacist license? Dr. Howe: No, absolutely not. And Ritesh is kind enough to give me my academic title of doctor, but it’s in no clinical sense whatsoever…the height of the pandemic, school administrator schools are closed and part of reopening schools was getting covid testing. This was around January, February 2021 and Covid tests were just becoming available. And the issue was nobody had them. Our hospital didn’t have them. The health department didn’t have them. The state didn’t have them. And just on a whim, somebody said to me, hey, there’s this pharmacist in the next town over. He’s able to help with Covid testing. So I reached out to him very early in the morning, and I did not know at the time that he’s also a very early person. So 4:30, I emailed 4:32, and he responded. And… He said, this was in the middle of the week…And he said, I’ll be there on Sunday. We’ll do the Covid test Sunday night, leave the lab open all day. And this way you can reopen school on Monday morning. And we were very, we had heard things like this before that people were going to commit to doing this. So we halfheartedly said, okay, not thinking that this was actually going to happen. Sonja: And you hadn’t met Ritesh yet… Dr. Howe: Not only did he show up, not only did he show up, he showed up with double the amount that he said he would. He showed up himself with Asha and they did it themselves. And I didn’t know at the time he’s the CEO of this multi-state GPO, multi-millions of dollars. And here he is himself spending time on a Sunday to do this. And it just really unraveled from there that when the vaccinations came out, the same thing happened. And there was at one point in time, I was probably speaking with him four or five times a day. And so in that, probably around November, December, 2021, he had said to me, you know…I know his sister had passed away, and he had been in the school now numerous times, interacting with the population. They were lower socioeconomic status. They knew he was a pharmacist. They said, hey, my son or daughter, they have trouble getting their insulin or their inhaler, or my mother and father have trouble getting their medicine. I think something clicked in him and said, there must be a better way to do this. And so he called me late one night, it was probably around 9 or 10 o’clock at night saying, hey, this idea for a charitable pharmacy are you willing to come on my advisory board and help me get this started. And we have a joke t

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  7. A Thoughtful Take On Independent Pharmacy Succession Planning with Donnie Calhoun

    2025. 09. 06.

    A Thoughtful Take On Independent Pharmacy Succession Planning with Donnie Calhoun

    Introduction Welcome to another compelling episode of the Script Your Future Podcast, where we explore the critical yet often overlooked world of pharmacy succession planning. Host Sonja Pagniano sits down with Donnie Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Wellness Pharmacy and valued NCPA Foundation Board of Trustees member, for an intimate conversation about the realities of pharmacy ownership, business evolution, and preparing for the future. This episode serves as the perfect complement to the foundation’s recent webinar with Jeff Harrell on community pharmacy succession planning best practices. Donnie's story illustrates both the challenges and opportunities that define independent pharmacy today. Whether you're a pharmacy student considering ownership, a current owner planning your exit strategy, or simply interested in the business side of community pharmacy, this conversation provides invaluable perspective on building, sustaining, and eventually transitioning a pharmacy practice. Interview Sonja Pagniano: Welcome to the Script Your Future Podcast hosted by the NCPA Foundation. I'm Sonja Pagniano, and today we're diving into one of the most critical yet often overlooked aspects of running a community pharmacy, succession planning. With me today is Donnie Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Wellness Pharmacy and a valued member of the NCPA Foundation Board of Trustees. Donnie brings both personal experience as a pharmacy owner and broader industry perspective from his board work. This episode will perfectly complement our upcoming webinar with NCPA Board President Jeff Harrell, where we'll explore what community pharmacies should consider when planning for the future. So, Donnie, thank you for joining us today. Let's start at the very beginning. Tell us about your journey into pharmacy ownership and how you got started… and what led you to the pharmacy you have today? Donnie Calhoun: Okay, Sonja, thanks so much for having me this morning and the opportunity to kind of share my journey. So when I graduated from pharmacy school back in 1987, I had never worked in a pharmacy. And when I first started pharmacy school, I had the fortunate ability to work for an independent pharmacy there in the hometown where I went to pharmacy school. And the entire four years I was in school, I worked there. And I guess I got my core belief in independent pharmacy, you know, from that experience. And when I graduated, unfortunately, there were no independent pharmacy jobs available. So I went to work for the next best thing, in my opinion, which was a regional chain. So back in the late 80s and early 90s, there were regional chains all across America. And in Alabama, we had two. We had Big B Drugs and we had Harco Discount Drugs. Harco Discount Drugs was formed by Mr. Jimmy Harrison, and his family. He started out with one independent pharmacy in downtown Tuscaloosa. And as the Alabama football team got great success, so did he with his with his pharmacy. And so I went to work for them and I worked for them for six years. And the first year that I worked for them, I also completed the very first APhA community pharmacy residency program. Sonja: Oh, no kidding. Donnie: Yeah, at that time it was a pilot program. And there were only six of us from all across the country that went into the residency program. So Samford University, Harco Drug, and APhA, they were the ones that were involved in the residency. So after working for Harco in various areas for six years. I managed a store. And one of the things that was unique about Harco is that the pharmacists were actually the managers of the store. So we were trained to hire people. We were trained to merchandise. We were trained to market. We helped a lot with payroll. So we just didn't go in and fill prescriptions. We actually managed the entire pharmacy. And which was a lot of fun getting ready for Christmas and Halloween and all those fun events that do in the drugstore. So I think that also helped prepare me quite a bit for for ownership. So in 1991, I had the opportunity to buy a local community pharmacy in Anniston, Alabama. One of the positions I had filled when I was on working for Harco was store manager of a Harco pharmacy in Anniston, Alabama. And I got to meet the local independent owners. We had a local countywide pharmacy association where we had quarterly meetings. And so we would get to fellowship with each other and get to know each other. And so I had made it known during some of those conversations that I was very interested in owning a pharmacy one day. And out of the blue, I got a phone call that said, hey, the first question I was asked by Mr. Gann, first question he says, “did you like living in Anniston?” Kind of an odd question you would think, but it was an important question. And I said, “I love living in Anniston when I was there”… So it's a great town, great community. And so second question was, “do you still want to own a drugstore?” And he told me later on that if I had said no, I didn't really like living in Anniston, I would have never had the opportunity to answer the second question. Because to an owner, it's really important that if someone is going to buy your pharmacy, that they're going to take care of your patients and your customers because they patients and customers become part of your family and you want someone to care about them and you want someone to care about that community that you're in. I was very fortunate to be able to go into a pharmacy that had been there since 1964. Mr. Gann opened it from scratch in 1964. I was the second owner. And… I guess over the course of the next 20 years, we opened pharmacies in different locations. We bought pharmacies in different locations. At one time, we had five retail locations, five retail pharmacies, three home medical equipment companies. We had a home infusion company. We had a warehouse, we had 67 employees, we had home office, and it really got big. And one of the, I guess one of the mistakes I would… that I would admit to that I made during the course of my journey is that I never wanted to give up being a pharmacist. And I never really wanted to give up from being that healthcare provider that took care of people. So I never wanted to get out from behind the counter. So I'd always hire people to manage the company. And over the years, in the early, late nineties, mid-nineties, there was a pharmacist shortage. Pharmacists were awful hard to keep. Because the chains were giving pharmacists BMWs to sign on with them and work for them. Sonja: Well, they're still giving bonuses and things like that. Donnie: Yeah, but I mean, you know, a BMW, come on. I mean, and you know, we heard stories that they were given $20,000 sign on bonuses and things like that. And it was very difficult for someone who just owned a couple of stores to be able to compete with that. Sonja: Okay Donnie: So we consolidated stores and sold stores. And eventually, we've ended up with just one pharmacy. In 2012, we actually quit doing retail pharmacy. We went into compounding pharmacy. We actually started compounding in 1992. We had a physician call us, an OB-GYN, who said he had a patient who had two miscarriages, and the family really desperately wanted to have a child, and he had read a study about progesterone depositories. He said, I want to know if we can make those. And I said, I don't know- I'll find out. So I became a member of PCCA and went out to Houston. I got trained. I bought the material, bought the drugs, bought the equipment. We made the depositories. And I think that little girl is about 40 something years old now. Sonja: Oh, my gosh! Donnie: So it was successful. And then later on, we found out that that patient was actually his nurse. And so that is what got us into compounding. And we still compound progesterone spots for that physician today. I mean, he sends prescriptions every day for patients because they work. The next thing that happened was these mothers who had these new babies would call us and say, can you help me, you know, with my baby. Nothing the doctor's given me is helping the diaper rash. Can you make something for a diaper rash? And so we said, yeah. So it kind of started out that everything we did in the pharmacy was based on patient need. You know, a child who won't take their medicine because it tastes bad. You know, we've made it taste better. And so that has always been our philosophy with our compounding practice, is that we're here to take care of a patient and whatever medical needs that they have that can't be met by a commercial product or can't be met in another way. So that's our job. That's what we do each and every day now. And so in 2012, we started doing that full time and kind of left the retail, let's fill a lot of prescription space to being really more, you know, you've heard of a, and I'll say this because, you know, being on the board, one of our fundraisers is a whiskey raffle. We had one last year and they're all small batches, specially crafted just for that connoisseur. Well, that's kind of what we do. Everything we do is in small batches just for one person. So we're not making big batches for the whole world. We're making it for one person. So that's what I really love about what I do today. I will also say that for the last several months, I've been working as a staff pharmacist for a small mom and pop pharmacy in a really, really small town, and it's really brought me back to the early days when I owned a store. They lost their pharmacist, and so luckily I was able to go and fill in a few days for them. So it's been fun kind of getting back to my roots. But I will say one more thing. I will say one more thing. It's very, very important. And I think every owner would probably tell you this. 10:35 We're only as good as the person who stands behind us. And I have to thank my wife, Cindy, for being behind me each and every step of the way. So

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  8. 2025. 08. 19.

    From Consultant to Owner: Dr. Sabrina Russ's Journey Through the Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program

    Introduction In this inspiring episode of Script Your Future, we interview Dr. Sabrina Russ, a dedicated participant in NCPA Foundation's Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program. With over 25 years of pharmacy experience, Dr. Russ shares her evolution from chain pharmacy work to independent consulting, and now to opening her own collaborative pharmacy practice in Columbia, South Carolina. Her story demonstrates the power of persistence, mentorship, and community support in overcoming the challenges of pharmacy ownership. From navigating skeptical bankers to finding the right contractors, Dr. Russ offers candid insights into the realities of becoming an independent pharmacy owner in today's challenging healthcare landscape. Interview Sonja Pagniano: Hi, this is Sonja Pagniano with the Script Your Future podcast. I'm so excited today to be joined by Dr. Sabrina Russ. Dr. Sabrina Russ is part of the NCPA Foundation Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program. The Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program is a free year-long application-based program supporting and encouraging independent pharmacy ownership among individuals who historically have not had equal opportunity to attain pharmacy ownership. These participants gain access to pharmacy owner mentors, webinars, and self-directed activities focused on essential business principles as they relate to pharmacy ownership. We are so excited to have you here today, Dr. Russ. Where are you calling in from? Dr. Sabrina Russ: Hi, it's a pleasure to be here. I am calling from Columbia, South Carolina. Sonja: And how is it down there right now? I know we're in the middle of July. So very hot. Dr. Russ: Yes. Thank you. Sonja: Have you always lived in that area? What initially drew you to pharmacy and being where you are now? Dr. Russ: Yeah. So actually, my dad was military. So originally from North Carolina, still have a lot of family there. I was born at the military base. There's Fort Bragg, but I've got a lot of family that still live in that Raleigh area. So being military, we traveled all over the world. But my dad got stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina as a drill sergeant back in the mid 80s. So I've been here in South Carolina ever since then. So this has been home for over 30 plus years. So my journey really started because just growing up as a child, I really was very fascinated about how I can keep my family healthy naturally without medication. I didn't think about the connection of medication at that time, but I always wanted to see how I can keep my family healthy. And then also learning about how I can use, how we use food as medicine. I was fascinated about that aspect of it. And so… but then didn't really think much of that part of it. Just went on and said, okay, going to pharmacy school, I was like, well, I like the science behind it, being able to help people. I know that sounds really cliche, you know, how you get into it, but you know, being out of school over 25 years, just letting pharmacists or newer pharmacists coming out know that your career will actually, it will change. It will evolve. You know, being in my own practice as a solo practitioner, as a consultant, which started like in the early 2000s, I just wanted to figure out ways that I could just work with people one-on-one, how to teach them about medication safety. And I was seeing that a lot when I worked in the chains, grocery store chain at the time when I first got out of pharmacy school. And so I felt like I really want to be able to help people and talk with them more one-on-one without feeling rushed. Because sometimes in a retail setting, I mean, it's so busy now, busier now than it was back then. But I was like, maybe I can figure out a way to work with people one-on-one. So I connected with my state pharmacy association and they connected me with another pharmacist who was doing, he had an independent pharmacy, but he was also doing consulting. OK, in addition. So he became my mentor and he took me under his wings and he was a geriatric pharmacist. So he's like, you know, I really think you should consider getting some additional certification, becoming board certified in geriatrics. So I did that. And then I just started this meeting with family and friends about medication concerns they had and it just started from there meeting more people interacting with providers and things like that who will want me to sit down and go through their medications because they just didn't have time this is like we're talking like what 2007, 2008 at this point and then I finally collaborated with the family practice office that I'm with now and about 17 years now. And so we've really had that collaboration. But yeah, so it just really evolved over time. And I even started before I even got into pharmacy school, just going back to my journey, I started in an independent pharmacy. That was like my first pharmacy job. I worked at McDonald's for a couple of years when I was in college, pre-pharmacy. And then I was like, I want to get some more experience in pharmacy. And I was hired on as a student intern in an independent community pharmacy. They no longer exist today but they had the soda fountain all of the traditional what we would think of as the old school - yeah absolutely so that's kind of where I got my, you know, introduction to the pharmacy space and in into independent community pharmacy at that time so that's a little bit about my journey Sonja: Wow. Yeah. You're so right, though. I think a lot of pharmacists are currently evolving in their journey and they're all realizing that actually the scope of what you can do with your pharmacy license is… there's a lot of stuff you can get into. And depending on where your passion lies, depending on the people that are around you that you can support, it is actually really exciting. But it's a matter of following that path wherever it is leading you, right? Dr. Russ: Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, it was more of, it's like thinking outside the box now, even being an independent consultant pharmacist… The way that I see a lot of the younger pharmacists that are coming out, I say maybe within the past five to 10 years that are coming out and they're so innovative. So it's more open now, you know, to see more pharmacists branch into that space than when I started out, you know, in the early mid 2000s. So, which is exciting. But absolutely there, you know, your pharmacy degree is really a foundation to other things. Sonja: Yeah. Well, tell us about what led you to discovering our Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program and what made you decide to apply to it? Dr. Russ: Well, I actually started attending the McKesson NCPA Ownership Workshops. I attended three of them. And this is like, I think it was like 2017, 2018, and then the virtual online course that was in 2020. But some of the earlier ones, the first or the second one, they will always do like a questionnaire and say how they can improve. And so I was like, man, you know, you're attending those courses. It's like power packed in those three days. And it's so much information. And it can be, you know, seem a little overwhelming. That's why I went back so many times. I always recommend that, oh, you know, if you have like a mentor, maybe pharmacists who, you know, that are owners that they can come back and talk with us or have them as speakers, you know, in addition to the professionals to share their own personal journeys and things like that. And I even tried connecting either the 2017 or 2018 workshop. I tried to connect with the independent pharmacy owner and, of course, busy. They're so busy. They're all busy. But we connected briefly. And so she encouraged me, you know, along the journey and things like that. and sharing with her path. But I would always put down, can you guys do something, have those mentors or come back, those pharmacy owners come back and talk. I think that would be very beneficial. So around 2020, whenever the first cohort came about, for the ownership program. I can't remember. It was like 2021 or 2022, but I had gotten an email because I stayed on the email list. And so, so I ended up and I said, this would be really, really good. You know? And so I didn't, I think I missed the deadline or something like that. And that's why I didn't apply and then just got busy with everything else. And then I think I got another email again. And then that's when I just said, okay, I'm gonna go ahead and apply for this. So, Very glad I did. Sonja: Yeah. Well, I'm excited to hear more about your experience. So you're part of a select cohort. We invite up to 20 pharmacists annually to be chosen for this program. What's the experience been like so far? So you've had the in-person ownership workshop experience. How has this experience been? I know we're a little bit over halfway now. So I'd love to hear from you about that. Dr. Russ: Yeah, I think it's been great. You know, it's, I love how they split it up where you have the mentor, who is the pharmacy owner that comes and talks with us, and they're just open for like an hour, hour and a half or so, just the questions and... I love that part of it because and then the fact they're so open to share as well. You don't have to worry about because it's not a CE. You don't have to worry about, oh, I can't say this thing. You know, so I like that. I love that part of it, too. So I like the fact that these pharmacy owners are taking time out of their busy schedules to talk with us. And it says a lot. And it's very encouraging because hopefully I would like to do that as well. Once, you know, I get open and everything back because it's encouraging to see like you can make it regardless of what your obstacles are. You can make it. And then just to hear the ups and the downs of the journey. Not just focusing on the starlight, oh, I've arrived, but just being able to ask them those real questions like, “What are some of the challenges that

    43분
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Script Your Future brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of independent community pharmacy. Each episode features conversations with passionate pharmacists, innovative pharmacy students, and industry leaders who are shaping the future of community healthcare. Hosted by the NCPA Foundation, this podcast explores the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of those dedicated to advancing independent pharmacy practice. From students discovering their calling to established owners revolutionizing patient care, we dive deep into the personal experiences that make community pharmacy such a vital and rewarding profession. Whether you're a pharmacy student contemplating your career path, a practicing pharmacist considering ownership, or simply interested in healthcare innovation at the community level, Script Your Future offers valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiring visions of what independent community pharmacy can be. Join us as we explore how independent pharmacists are creating more accessible healthcare in their communities, adapting to industry changes, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and crafting innovative business models that put patients first. Subscribe to "Script Your Future" and be part of the conversation about the evolving role of independent community pharmacies as essential, accessible healthcare providers making a difference in communities across the nation. *New episodes released monthly. Presented by the NCPA Foundation.* ncpafoundation.substack.com

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  • 제작진
    An Independent Community Pharmacy Podcast By NCPA Foundation
  • 방송 연도
    2025년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    13
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    전체 연령 사용가
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    © NCPA Foundation
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    Script Your Future