Podcasts about Specialty pharmacy

In this episode, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jonathan L. Swichar, Duane Morris Pharmacy Litigation Group Chair, and Bradley A. Wasser, Duane Morris Pharmacy Litigation Group Partner. They discuss the 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act and its landmark PBM reform provisions that impact pharmacy network access and transparency. These expert litigators go into detail about what specialty pharmacies should expect as federal agencies enforce the new law and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead for specialty pharmacies.

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part six of our six part series! We'd like to thank Finch Marketing for sponsoring this episode! On this episode we interview: Nicolle McClure - President, Finch Marketing Seth Chaney - CEO, 609 Health Natalie Ryan - Vice President of Specialty Pharmacy Srulik Dvorsky - TailorMed Michael Oleksiw and Abby Reynolds - Pleio Fran Gregory - PharmD, Cardinal Health  

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part five of our six part series! We'd like to thank PantherX Rare for sponsoring this episode! On this episode we interview: Katie DiLorenzo, PharmD SVP - PantherRx Austin Russian - PantherRx Autumn Santeler -  Polar Tech Industries Ben Heiser - Lumicera Health Services Caroline Girardeau, PharmD, MBA ACHC Chris Stewart - Petauri Natalie Bedford - McKesson

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part four of our six part series! We'd like to thank JB Consulting for sponsoring this episode!   On this episode we interview: Shaun Jensen - JB Consulting Group Lindsay Greenleaf - ADVI Magnar Kvilhaug - Odin Pharmacy Innovations LLC Marina Allen - RxAccess Partners Matt Hare - CoverMyMeds Richard Brook - Better Health Worldwide Valerie Mondelli and Colin Banas - DrFirst

As healthcare costs continue to rise, more patients are finding themselves navigating not just illness, but the growing complexity of paying for treatment. Specialty pharmacy sits right at the center of that challenge—often out of sight, but increasingly essential to how modern care actually works. These high-cost, high-touch therapies now make up more than half of total U.S. drug spending, despite representing only a small share of prescriptions, a shift that's reshaping how patients access and stay on treatment.Why has specialty pharmacy become the linchpin between access, affordability, and outcomes in modern healthcare?On this episode of I Don't Care, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson sits down with Grant Knowles, SVP of Clinical Services and Payer Strategy at Senderra Specialty Pharmacy, to unpack the evolving role of specialty pharmacy in improving patient outcomes. Together, they explore how clinical oversight, financial navigation, and emerging technologies are reshaping how patients access and adhere to life-changing therapies.Top insights from the talk…Specialty pharmacy goes beyond dispensing medication, serving as a central coordinator across fragmented healthcare stakeholders to manage complex therapies and patient needs.Financial toxicity remains one of the biggest barriers to adherence, with 23–25% of patients delaying or abandoning treatment due to cost pressures.Technology and AI are transforming patient engagement, shifting communication from phone calls to digital-first experiences while maintaining critical human touchpoints.Grant Knowles is a healthcare executive with over 15 years of experience across specialty pharmacy, managed care, and pharmaceutical operations, with expertise in business development, contracting, and supply chain strategy. He has held senior leadership roles, including SVP of Clinical Services and Payer Strategy at Senderra Specialty Pharmacy and executive positions at Ardon Health, where he led growth, operations, and industry partnerships. A managed care residency-trained pharmacist, Knowles is recognized for driving innovation, improving patient experience, and delivering sustainable growth in highly competitive healthcare markets.

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part three of our six part series! We'd like to thank Pergion Pharmacy 360 for sponsoring this episode! Chris Antypas PharmD - Perigon Pharmacy 360 Chris Corsi - CassianRx Christen Roy - Inovalon Robert Ojeda - K&B Pharmacy Associates

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part two of our six part series! We'd like to thank Nested Knowledge for sponsoring this episode!   On this episode we interview: Keith Kallmes - Nested Knowledge Hannah Baxter and Andrew Rouff, MMIT - The Dedham Group Heather Bonome - URAC Jeremy Richardson - Gifthealth Joe Depinto - McKesson Johny Kello - MatchRx Shawn Griffin - URAC  

This is the Pharmacy Podcast Network's ASEMBIA 2026 rewind! We're dedicated to bringing you inside coverage of the pharmacy nation's biggest events with on the street style interviews with keynote speakers, attendees, exhibitors, and recurring guests who make each year special.  This is part one of our six part series! We'd like to thank Clearway Health for sponsoring this episode!   On this episode we interview:   Allison Arant - Clearway Health Jennifer Noonan - Accessia Health  Aleata Postell - CenterWell Derek Dennis, PharmD - Clearway Health  Dr. Shafaat Pirani, PharmD, BCGP - Wellgistics Health Meghna Misra - Claritas Rx

Defining and documenting pharmacist interventions beyond prescription revenue is essential to demonstrating the full value of pharmacy teams. Host Carolyn Liptak is joined by Dr. Karen Thomas from the University of Illinois Chicago and Dr. Thom Platt from UK Healthcare to share insights from a multi-system survey exploring how interventions are captured and used. They discuss the variability in current practices, the important role of both pharmacists and technicians, and the opportunity to better quantify clinical and operational impact to C-suite.  Guests:  Karen C. Thomas, PharmD, PhD, MBA Associate Director, Specialty and Infusion Pharmacies  University of Illinois Hospital and Health System   Thom Platt, PharmD, PhD, MBA ,BCPS Director of Specialty Pharmacy Services  UK HealthCare    Host:   Carolyn Liptak, MBA, BS Pharm Pharmacy Executive Director, Regulatory Compliance Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence     Show Notes:  00:05 – Introduction Overview of VerifiedRx and the focus on pharmacy practice excellence. 00:14 – Episode Overview & Guest Introductions Host Carolyn Liptak introduces the topic: capturing the value of pharmacist interventions beyond prescription revenue. Guests: Dr. Karen Thomas, University of Illinois Chicago Dr. Thom Platt, UK Healthcare 00:57 – Health System Backgrounds UIC serves a diverse urban population with a strong Medicaid and Medicare presence UK Healthcare supports patients across Kentucky and surrounding states, including rural populations traveling long distances for specialty care 01:48 – What Sparked the Research Originated from a Vizient work group focused on outcomes and value Need for clearer frameworks to document and report pharmacist interventions Lack of standardized guidance from accrediting bodies and payers 02:56 – Survey Goals and Key Findings Explored how health systems define and document interventions Identified major variability in data collection and reporting Found alignment in defining clinical interventions, less consistency in non clinical ones Included responses from 24 health systems 04:21 – Broader Impact on Pharmacy Practice Reinforces the value of pharmacist contributions beyond revenue Highlights prevention of hospital visits and improved patient outcomes Emphasizes the need to better capture and communicate this value 05:38 – Applying the Research in Practice UIC developed a structured framework and documentation tool Supports initiatives like waste avoidance studies Aims to quantify cost savings from pharmacist interventions 06:49 – Relevance Beyond Specialty Pharmacy Concepts apply across all pharmacy settings Data can support staffing, funding, and program expansion decisions Helps communicate value to internal and external stakeholders 07:52 – Role of Pharmacy Technicians 96 percent of sites report technician involvement in non clinical interventions Examples include resolving medication access issues and addressing social barriers Technicians play a critical role in patient support and care coordination 09:58 – Future Opportunities Push toward standardizing intervention data collection Opportunity to reduce duplication of effort across health systems Goal to create scalable, shared frameworks 10:41 – Strategic Value of Intervention Data Supports conversations with leadership and external partners Demonstrates impact on outcomes like reduced ED visits and length of stay Strengthens partnerships with payers and manufacturers 11:34 – Additional Resources Study published in the Online Journal of Pharmacy Link available for listeners to explore further 12:03 – Closing Remarks Final thoughts and appreciation for guests Call to action: subscribe, share feedback, and stay engaged with VerifiedRx   Links and Resources: https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4787/13/6/172   Subscribe Today!  Apple Podcasts  Spotify  YouTube  RSS Feed     

On this episode of White Coat Radio, we're joined by two specialty pharmacists making an impact in Tennessee. Dr. Tabitha Sineath ('24), an ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy alumna who earned both her PharmD and MBA through the college's dual degree program, now serves as Lead Pharmacist at Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy in Nashville, where she is the Clinical Lead for Transplant and Chronic Inflammatory Conditions. She is joined by Dr. Katie Cox, who manages Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy in Knoxville. Together, they share insights into careers in specialty pharmacy, their work in women's health, and the real-world applications of their training.  Full transcript: Tabitha Sineath Because you take back bits and pieces from every experience, whether that be as a student on rotations to your first job or what you ultimately grow into. It's the bits and pieces that you know as part of your experience that truly kind of define you over time. So don't. My advice to students is don't give up on that and continue to kind of seek those out because you know in your heart where your passion lies, you have to make the pathway. Michele Williams Welcome to White Coat Radio, a podcast from East Tennessee State University. Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. Each episode, we cover a wide range of topics about the pharmacy school experience, from study tips to deep dives with faculty and student pharmacists. I'm one of your hosts, Doctor Michelle Williams, assistant professor and director of academic success. Stephen Woodward And I'm Stephen Woodward, marketing and communications manager. Today we welcome Doctor Tabitha Sign at the 2024 alumna from Gatton, who, in addition to earning her PharmD, also completed our dual degree program to earn a master of Business Administration while she was here. That prepared her to now serve as leave pharmacist at the Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a clinical lead for transplant and chronic inflammatory conditions. Stephen Woodward But today, we have not one but two specialty pharmacies joining us. Doctor Katie Cox, who manages Walgreens specialty Pharmacy in Knoxville, also stopped by. Let's hear from them now. Doctor Cox, doctor Sineath welcome to White Coat Radio. Thank you all for coming out today. Katie Cox Thank you for having you. Stephen Woodward Can you start by telling us about your roles at Walgreens and where you work? Katie Cox Yeah. Tabitha Sineath So I am, lead pharmacist at our specialty site in Nashville. And, oversee primarily our transplant in chronic inflammatory condition patients. Stephen Woodward Okay. Katie Cox So I work at Walgreens as well. I manage the, specialty pharmacy structure at Walgreens is a little bit different. I mean, it's the site that's in Knoxville. And, what's called registered manager, local specialty. So I'm over the whole site. I'll own kind of your accreditation and specific accreditation, not just for specialty pharmacies, but it does apply, within the specialty pharmacy field. Katie Cox Then there's an M.O., which is a pharmacy manager, and what we traditionally think of as a pharmacy manager. And then they're all kind of structured differently, which is what I love about specialties. It's like each side is a snowflake. It looks a little bit different. So the Nashville site has care. Teams are a little bit larger site. We are a newer site. Katie Cox I launched our site in 2023. And then we've got five pharmacists now, but we don't have a specific care team, so we kind of all share and own the disease state since we've structured a little bit differently than Nashville. Tabitha Sineath Yeah. And we talk about care teams a little bit. That's just kind of a delineation of what type of disease state we're managing. So in in Nashville, we're a little more bucketed. We have a virology and oncology pharmacist who oversees those patients, neurology, who oversees, like migraine and seizures. And, I oversee chronic inflammatory in our transplant, which includes not only solid organ but stem cell. Tabitha Sineath And we have a unique partnership with Sarah Kane and clinic across the street, as part of the tri star network, to help those patients. And then we have a lot of miscellaneous specialty that kind of filters in, that don't really fit nicely into a bucket. So that's kind of where we all cross-train and help out. Stephen Woodward Okay, cool. Thank you. Michele Williams Yeah, that sounds great. So can can each of you tell us a little bit about what led you to specialty pharmacy? What it is about your your background, your work experiences, those kinds of things. And, Tabitha, if we could start with you, that would be good. Sure. Tabitha Sineath I started out, as a pharmacy technician for Walgreens, many years ago. I'm not going to say save a year, but, a few decades back, and, my path has not been linear in that sense. But I advance kind of to the top of my level as a technician and wanted to go back into pharmacy to get my pharmacy. Tabitha Sineath And always had been that drive in that pull for me. And finally just took the dive. But I think the catalyst for me was more of like a personal experience that led me to specialty. When I was trying to start our family and a lot of family planning, we realized that we would need a lot of additional help. Tabitha Sineath So in terms of, fertility specialty, we had to go through in vitro fertilization. And with that came a lot of specialty medications that, there was not great education around. And these are really expensive medications. And I, I said to myself, you know, there's got to be a better way to handle this for patients. And so that was really my draw to say, you know, this is this is my niche. 00;05;24;09 - 00;05;31;21 Tabitha Sineath This is where my passion lies. And that's really what I want to do. I want to help those patients, and have great outcomes. Michele Williams That's wonderful. Yeah. Katie Cox So, I also have a very nontraditional path towards pharmacy. When I was in undergrad, I studied chemistry and biochemistry, and I did research for the government on, carbon nanotube technology. I went to medical school, and I got, my medical doctorate, and then I had some health issues, and was trying to figure out how to restructure balanced life. Katie Cox For someone who is a high achiever, that can't work less than 120%, and we give you a lot of leeway for the optimal work life balance. I did not know I would have the additional years that I got so thrilled and pharmacy kind of looked like a great career to dovetail my chemistry biochemistry interest, along with what I had learned in medicine. Katie Cox And so, I finished pharmacy school and I went and graduated in 2016, and I started in, management. So I started out as a staff pharmacist, was not there very long and then started managing. I mean, it's 5 or 6 different sites, kind of jokingly say I was like the cleaner where they would send me to a pharmacy that maybe needed to implement better workflow or had some structure issues, or maybe had lost a really good leader and was trying to kind of figure out how to get back to where they were. Katie Cox And so I would kind of get us realigned and going well. And then specialty pharmacy, which I think is a great topic to talk about because I think a lot of times when you think of Walgreens, you don't necessarily think of specialty pharmacy. But it is a huge section of Walgreens. And I even when I started working for Walgreens, I did not know that we had specialty pharmacies. Katie Cox At that time, there was not one in Knoxville on the closest ones were either Nashville or Bristol, Kingsport. And so I took the opportunity to go and shadow at those sites and kind of see what it looked like. And it was a really great niche sort of space and community where you still do a lot of clinical work. Katie Cox And have long term interactions with your patients. I similarly had a fertility journey when my husband, we were trying to have our daughter and so helping patients navigate some of the fertility and understanding how much of the communication gets dropped off between the patient walking out of the physician's office and then coming into the pharmacy or getting the medications, and how probably a lot of the issues with our health care system are kind of this lack of continuity of care or like regular check ins with the same person who knows your history. Katie Cox And so I feel like specialty pharmacy fits so great into that space. And it's kind of under utilized in some capacities for patients both with billing access and then like long term management. And so I always like to include to you, like when I talk to students, they say, well what is specialty pharmacy like? Why is it special? Katie Cox And I kind of always joke, you know, it's it's an interesting and really great question to ask because there's not technically a specific definition of specialty pharmacy. Right. Medicare, Medicaid, our two biggest payers don't actually define specialty pharmacy, which kind of means that it ends up being defined by third party payers in some capacity, by manufacturers and access points and by some capacity, because there's drugs that are limited distribution drug, you can only get certain places. Katie Cox But a really good point like definition would be highly expensive, medications or medications that potentially would have chronic issues or adverse events that could occur because of the conditions that we're managing would make it more difficult to distinguish between like maybe an adverse event versus something that's happening with like multiple comorbidities. So it helps with tracking for data. Katie Cox So we learned in school, you know, about the four phases of studying drugs. And so I'll always talk about specialty pharmacy really fits into that post-marketing phase of study. And so always ask my students like how how did you decide. We tell patients 5% of patients have migraines, right? It probably wasn't the thousand patients we looked at in phase three is probably when it hit the market. Katie Cox And we were looking at phase four. Where do we where does that data come from? Right. And so specialty pharmacies usually provide data points. That go towards far more manufacturers and really also help us as pharmacists or clinicians tell patients about what to expect with the medications. But a lot of that is related to the adverse event reporting that we do. Katie Cox So we do track patients very much long term, talk to them on every refill, track adherence, track side effects, and then report that back so that that data can be used to help, you know, benefit patients in the future. And so it's really helpful. So you're kind of participating in the research around drug habit in specialty pharmacy, whether you recognize it or not, because there's so much data reporting that we do within the pharmacy industry, which is helpful in the long term for us to determine which patients should be optimally on that therapy, especially if it's an orphan drug or an unusual one that's going to have a small patient population using it. Katie Cox How do we get enough data to make that tractable for us to make better decisions in the future, when we're setting up guidelines or taking care of patients? Michele Williams I hadn't realized, although. Yeah. Stephen Woodward What does this what does your sites look like physically? Are they like the Walgreens on the corner, or does it look like something else? Tabitha Sineath Yeah, they're I mean, they're open door. So it's not, closed door pharmacy. We have patients that can come in and fill antibiotics if they want to. But primarily we serve more like a mail order type facility. Okay. Probably 95% of everything that we do goes out the door via Fedex. And that's just our courier that that we use. Tabitha Sineath But everything is communicated with those patients and, basically effectively shipped, so. Okay. But yeah, we have patients that walk in, in Nashville, we are situated very close to Vanderbilt University. So we have a lot of students that, even though there are two community sites that kind of flank us on either side, patients tend to find us either via walking route or some other way, but typically, our sites don't appear like a normal Walgreens, so you may pass it or you may just not even notice it in general, it's kind of very indiscreet. Stephen Woodward Okay. Tabitha Sineath And we don't have the big neon out front. And, you know, we always try to tell patients that are coming in to pick up either because of, you know, a delay. They don't want to wait for overnight delivery. I want to get started on therapy immediately. They're welcome to come in and pick that up, and we'll make those arrangements. Tabitha Sineath But we always for that visit. This is not your run of the mill big box. Stephen Woodward Yeah, I want to yeah. Katie Cox There's two. So there's two flavors of Walgreens specialty pharmacies. There's health systems and then there's community based. So health systems, what it sounds like do you located within the health system, usually inside a hospital. So within Tennessee we have one at Bristol. So the Bristol Regional Medical Center and then we have one in Kingsport. Those are both inside a hospital. Katie Cox Otherwise they're most often close to a campus, except for my site, which was the first or site in the company where a pharmacist flipped a retail site to a specialty site. So most specialty sites are built organically because the the structure inside the building looks different. I started with what was called a Cooper site, which was an ideal Walgreens had, where a lot of the, the, profit is made in the pharmacy. Katie Cox So it was a shrunken front end with a pharmacy and the main portion of it. And so we ended up converting that. So so what did we do? We gutted the front. So when you walk in. So ours is located in the strip mall, you'll notice, a lot of the community, specialty sites are located in the strip mall. Katie Cox And they'll say it'll say Walgreens Specialty pharmacy. But when patients walk in is when they notice a difference. So they might say, oh, Walgreens on the swing in here. And then they walk in and go, where's where's all your stuff, you know, and no, we have no friends. There's nothing. So there's just a counter. And then it's like, oh, I'm sorry, we only have like prescription medications here for you. Katie Cox And we do about the bulk of what we do. We also originally had a drive thru. We would close to that drive thru because, an a hole tell students when you come in and when you go to a normal retail site, where's the hustle and bustle? It's in the fill zone, right? Like if we're filling, we're checking prescriptions. Katie Cox We're counting at the window. When you're in a specialty site, the bulk of what we're seeing, the stress to you is a phone list that you're doing. And so you're going to see way more desks. You're going to see way more people on the phone. There's still patient interactions. It just looks a little bit different. And so anytime someone's been a traditional Walgreens pharmacist and they come to Cross-train in specialty, we kind of joke within the first hour, really high level, community pharmacists will go, oh, I see my skill set does not necessarily apply here because I'm used to the workflow structure being so different. Katie Cox And so it looks a lot different. So I always tell people, if you I hope you really enjoy talking to patients and having longer conversations, because that's kind of what we do here. And spend a good bit of time in doing a consultation with the patients. So before we dispense a drug, we do what's called an initial. Katie Cox And you may be on the phone with a patient for 30, 45 minutes, you know, very extensive discussions around the medications and what it might look like. And like we talked about before, continuity of care. Sometimes we're the first person really having a conversation with the patient about the diagnosis that they may have received. We have just found out I have multiple sclerosis. Katie Cox I've just found out that I've got Parkinson's. I've just found out I have cancer, you know, and now I'm talking to you all trying to navigate the drug aspect of this. And you're telling me very large numbers and lots of side effects, right. And so sometimes we call it kind of like a, we jokingly call it can like the specialty come down like you come in on the phone and then at the end we hope that you feel like, oh, I now understand a little bit of what I'm what I'm about to do and have some ownership in the process, being the patient in this and not feeling like I'm just kind of Katie Cox getting subjected to a lot of information and not knowing how to take like actionable next steps on it. And so example of that would be in specialty, which I think is a little bit different than a retail pharmacy is. We set a goal with the patient for every drug. And so how do we decide that that's the drug's working for you as an effective is it not effective. Katie Cox What does that look like? You know, we might have drugs that are very specific, like, oh, we're going to see a lowering of this lab, but you're not going to feel different versus another drug that might be, hey, this drug only allows you to live to a life of that. Right? So that's a good example I give to my students all the time, is that's a really specific drug that maybe we want a lot of adverse event data on, because while the drug is designed to let you live a little bit longer, unfortunately the condition that you have, most likely you will pass away when you're on this medication. Katie Cox So we want to make sure to tell them exactly specific of what to expect, what, how many days we think we're going to get and set a realistic and like logical goal for the patient. So maybe for a long drug, it might be I want to be able to play on Saturday when my grandkids come over, a lot of our pulmonary drugs, it's, my laundry room is downstairs. Katie Cox I can't do my laundry because I get out of breath. I have to sit down for an hour. So I want to be able to go down and come back up. And so I think it's really helpful in creating conversations for patients to determine, like, how do I decide this is going well, and then how do I use it appropriately to try to get the results that I'm talking to you guys about that are possible. Katie Cox And then even more so, maybe setting realistic expectations, right? Sometimes we feel like, particularly in this day and age, that we might have a cure all with a medication, and being able to set realistic expectations like, hey, this drug is going to help, with your liver, liver fibrosis, but we're also going to have to do like diet and exercise for you to achieve the goals that we're talking about and things like that. Katie Cox So that I feel like they really understand the process and can define what good would look like and how that might be different between different patients. Michele Williams That's very cool. So it's like really, really specific patient counseling relationships, talking about how the medication is really to a very specific degree. Katie Cox And then kind of gauging it based on the individual. Right. Something that we don't always in a lot of health care settings have the time to do. And that's one of the things I like about specialty pharmacy is you kind of have unlimited time. So I always joke to to my students, I'm like, it's like something so fantastic is something so terrifying, right? Katie Cox So somebody might go, oh my gosh, I can sit on the phone as long as I want. That sounds fantastic. And another person might go, oh, it sounds terrible. You know, I don't know where it's going to end. Right. And so it's like we're yeah, figuring out how to optimize it for what you feel like and how you want to be a pharmacist. Katie Cox And and that's one of the beautiful things about specialties. I feel like, like especially at a site like in Nashville, where you've been established for a really long time, you've got a lot of varied pharmacist roles at your site, and you can kind of gauge based on some of these goals and like what makes them happy at work, where you're going to pocket them for how much interaction they have with with patients and counseling versus leading to a team members versus, you know, like compounding or. Katie Cox Right. So you know, it's a beautiful profession because you can decide exactly what makes you happy during the day and then cater the role towards what you would you would want to get out of the day. Tabitha Sineath And there's so much variability even to between our care teams. I mean, I think the skill set for virology and oncology is very different from, say, miscellaneous specialty or somebody who's doing, a cardiac medication. And then we have, you know, non non-sterile, compounding that, we also do and we ship to ten different states. So with our site, we're dealing with patients from Maryland to Ohio to North Carolina. Tabitha Sineath I mean, it just varies all the way down to the south, Louisiana and Mississippi and Georgia. So our patients truly are all over, and really, I think you kind of hit on that. The beauty of what we do is the relationship building, because that in a sense, not only gets patients access, but it gets them engaged not only in their care, but also kind of what that outcome for them looks like. Tabitha Sineath And we can partner that with a lot of resources that we have the time and the functionality to do. And some of that is like the financial aspect because these medications are crazy expensive. Some of our neurology medications are about $100,000. Our, you know, hepatitis C treatment. You're looking at anywhere from 30 to 90,000, depending on which avenue in which vein we go down. Tabitha Sineath So, you know, in terms of like the payor aspect, you have to have great control, which is why access as many times is restricted just as specialty because of payers are going to be investing in that medication for that patient. They want to make sure that their outcomes are positive. So we do a lot of education and a lot of resource, facilitation with those patients to make sure that, you know, my goal is for them to walk out with zero. Tabitha Sineath So there's no out-of-pocket expenses to them. And we have access to grants and different foundations that can also kind of help funnel and provide those resources to make that happen. So when you talk to a patient who, you know, has a make applied prescription, that's $100,000, Tabitha Sineath That financial burden down to zero. I mean, that's that's the difference between, in some cases, life or death for these patients. Wow. Michele Williams So, thinking about our current students here again, what what sort of advice would you give? Student pharmacist who would be interested in going into specialty pharmacy? Tabitha Sineath I always say, if you can shadow get your foot in the door. Certainly work as a technician. Work in the field. That's going to give you the best access. You not only find out, is this really where you want to be? Because that's the most and part, the most important part of it. Nobody wants to, you know, show up day in and day out. Tabitha Sineath If that's not where your passion lies. Yeah. So finding that niche I think early on, is really helpful. But a lot of that begins with the proactive nature of that student. And then you have to step out of your comfort zone and say, this is something I'm interested in. How can I help facilitate that? You should network this around you. Tabitha Sineath Talk to people who are in that field. You know, we all have we all have connections. So it's really kind of navigating who, you know, and, drawing those, those webs together. Katie Cox You know, I get asked this question a lot by my students, and it's evolved over the last decade of me being a pharmacist. So I think when I was a newer pharmacist, I used to give the advice of like find a really good. And it's still not wrong advice. It's just evolved a little bit. I think in the beginning it was fun, a really good mentor and and make sure that you're like, find somebody who you feel like optimized in their career the way that you want to be, and then ask those questions and figure it out. Katie Cox And I think as I've been in the profession and trained a lot of students, I precept for for schools, I've recognized maybe two, just like how I define that for them, because we don't do a fantastic job in grad school, we're very focused on like making sure we enter the profession well, right. We're going to be good professionals. Katie Cox We want to learn what we have. And I kind of joke like we have we're really good at herd mentality, right? Like you're joining the profession of pharmacy, right? We're all joining this together. But self-awareness and like an individualized approach to your career is a trickier thing. And it makes sense because that's how we kind of do education. Katie Cox But I think a different way of saying find a good mentor is doing what you would like to in your career is saying find out, like become more self-aware of what makes you happy. So I always tell students when you're on rotations, and I know, you know, I always ask them their biggest fears to not like great on rotation around, but typically ask the question that I don't know the answer to. Katie Cox Well, let me tell you, you're going to get asked a question that you don't know the answer to. Precept. Every month I've teed you up so that I can teach you with the question. Right? So get over that hurdle and start thinking about what days when you're on rotations, do you leave and think, because we all have a day at work out where you leave and you're like, oh, I picked the right job. Katie Cox I'm so happy. I love what I do. This is a great day. And then equanimity of life, right? There's another day where you leave and you think, oh, oh shit, that's something else. I wish I'd opened that little shop I should have, like, learn how to do interior design. So you like, you know, it's like equanimity, right? It's both of those days. Katie Cox But I think there's if you can track like some trends to that, especially on rotation. That's the idea of rotations, right? The joke at school was always the moment you felt comfortable with where you were going, was the moment you were going to stop going there. Right about week 3 or 4, you start getting comfortable. You love the team you're with and and boom, it's like, oh, 48 hours later, you get to go on and like learn how to like adjust another month. Katie Cox That's a really great life skill to build on. And then recognizing when you're on those rotations, when you love the day or hate the day, what was it? Was it what you did? Was it who you were with? Was it your schedule? Was it the environment? You know, and then figuring out when with self-awareness like what that looks like, which is really hard with how we do grad school. Katie Cox Right? Like I joke, when I have most students, especially when I have a couple of them, I'll say before you make a decision, what do you do? Right? What do you do? You call your friend and you go, hey, I was thinking about doing this. Tabitha, what do you think about me doing this? You think I should do this? Katie Cox You think you should do this rotation? Do you think I should go and do this internship? You think I should take this job, right? We vet it from someone else. But. So I'll give the example. We have five girlfriends that all are pharmacists. We all have different jobs, we all live in different states and we all have different personalities. Katie Cox And so we all, so we have one who works at Kaiser Permanente. She's an inpatient doing it there. I have one who worked in a nonprofit HIV community clinic, that helps patients there. I have, me that means in a specialty pharmacy, I have someone else who manages a retail site. And we all have equal complaints because work is work, right? Katie Cox It's not one or the other, but we all have different personalities. So one of us loves talking to patients all day. Wonderful. One of us is like, no, I'm good on that. I'd like to lead over here in the office and not do that right. And she loves that. Right. And so I think sometimes we lose that in school, a little bit of of utilizing the APIs to learn about ourselves we get so stressed about like especially here at Gatton, like you're good, you're going to pass for that. Katie Cox Like you're going, you're going to be a pharmacist. So focus on being your happiest and best self and then figuring out how to use those APIs to figure out what is your best day look like. And then how do I figure out how to create a career for myself where I have the best day? And so I always tell my students, I'm like, I'm sure anyone can think of that one disgruntled person, right? Katie Cox He's like, well, I can't believe you went to pharmacy school, which I went through here, you know, waste your time. But it's probably not because of pharmacy, right? It's probably because they're not optimized to like, their self-awareness or their happiness. And so figuring that out early on and and then the other thing that I think is a really great piece of advice is careers aren't where they used to be. Katie Cox This is in the 40s and 50s where you picked your job, and that first job is the job you retired from, right? Like, you can move around in your career. And while change is hard for us as humans, I think it's great to be able to explore. So you're just looking for your first job, right? And then figuring out what you use that to leverage to the next. Katie Cox I'm actually my first job as a staff pharmacist, and I became a manager. Then I managed a bigger pharmacy. Then I decided I wanted to do specialty pharmacy. Now I manage a specialty pharmacy, and I'm hoping to launch that into managing more specialty pharmacies over different states. But so what's that next growth moment and like space moment for you and then figuring out how to optimize it for you as an individual. Katie Cox Instead of feeling like you need to fit yourself into the career of pharmacy. Tabitha Sineath I think those breadcrumbs along the way to kind of help like define what that pathway looks like, because you take big bits and pieces from every experience, whether that be as a student on rotations to your first job or what you ultimately grow into. It's the bits and pieces that you know as part of your experience that truly kind of define you over time. Tabitha Sineath So don't. My advice to students is don't give up on that and continue to kind of seek those out because you know in your heart where your passion lies, you have to make the pathway, but you have to be proactive about it. Katie Cox Yeah, I think when I was younger, I thought lifelong learner meant drugs. And now I'm like, no, no, no. It means so much more than that. It's not just the knowledge for like what you're doing in your work, but it's also like lifelong learner about myself, about my profession, about how to interact with patients and engage them and advocate for them and give them agency and what that looks like. Katie Cox And it changes over time as you change, but like recognizing that so that you don't get in there in a rut and think, well, I'm not happy now when I was well, you've evolved, you know, evolve your profession with you and you'll always be happy. Michele Williams That's such great advice. Yeah, that's really good advice. Stephen Woodward We've we really appreciate you all being here. I think that was a great note to end on. But, thank you all and hope to see you again soon. Katie Cox Absolutely. Thank you. Tabitha Sineath All. Thanks. Stephen Woodward Thanks for listening to White Coat Radio. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and leave this review. To learn more about ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, visit us at ETSU.edu slash pharmacy or follow us on social media at ETSUpharmacy. We'll see you next time.  

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Linda Clark and Brad Gallagher, Co-Leaders of Barclay Damon's Health Care Controversies and Pharmacy Teams. They explore the rapidly evolving Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) regulatory landscape and its impact on specialty pharmacies, offering key considerations for contracting and strategies to strengthen audit readiness and compliance. Linda and Brad also share practical guidance to help specialty pharmacies increasingly under pressure to manage their risk and position themselves for long-term success.

In this episode, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with David G. Mitchell, PharmD, MBA, CSP, FCPhA, Assistant Chief Pharmacy Officer of Specialty Pharmacy & Home Delivery and Ruth Chen, PharmD, MHA, Manager of the Specialty Pharmacy Hub at UC Davis Health in Sacramento. They look at how UC Davis Health has built and scaled one of California's most integrated health-system specialty pharmacy programs. Dr. Mitchell shares how being embedded within clinics, care teams, and the EHR enables specialty pharmacy to deliver differentiated clinical and operational value while navigating payer, policy, and access challenges in a rapidly evolving landscape. Dr. Chen discusses why a focused rare disease strategy is essential for health-system specialty pharmacies. She walks through the challenges that existed prior to implementing a centralized rare disease hub model and how those challenges shaped the development of a coordinated, pharmacy-led approach that supports patients and providers across complex therapies. Together, this conversation highlights how structure, strategy, and leadership enable innovation, workforce growth, and improved patient care.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Simone Colgan Dunlap, National Vice Chair of the Quarles Health and Life Sciences Practice Group, and Amy Cotton Peterson, Partner at Quarles. As more automation solutions become available, its vital specialty pharmacy providers strategically approach acquisition of targets that offer technology and AI assets. This discussion explores effective diligence practices, common pitfalls, and risk mitigation strategies for specialty pharmacies navigating mergers and acquisitions and the rapidly evolving use of artificial intelligence.  

In this episode, Will Yin, CEO of Mandolin, explains how AI driven automation is transforming specialty pharmacy by reducing time to therapy, preventing revenue leakage, and helping health systems navigate evolving payer requirements with greater clarity, consistency, and data insight.This episode is sponsored by Mandolin.

Send us a textSchedule an Rx AssessmentWhat happens when GLP-1 compounding, TrumpRx, and PBM audits all collide in your pharmacy?In this episode of the Bottom Line Pharmacy Podcast, hosts Austin Murray and Bonnie Bond, CPA, are joined by healthcare attorney Dae Lee of Buchanan Ingersoll to unpack the fast-moving legal and regulatory landscape around GLP-1s, PBMs, and audits—and what independent owners need to be doing right now to protect their businesses.We cover: - The vertical integration behind the “big three” PBMs and their rebate aggregators- Why PBM audit triggers and the realities of today's audit tactics- A practical roadmap for responding to an audit- What “recredentialing season” really means- TrumpRx And more!More About Our Guest:Dae Y. Lee, Pharm.D., Esq., CPBS focuses on representing pharmacies in their dealings against Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). With extensive experience in the intricacies of PBM audits, investigations, network enrollment, network suspension, network terminations, reimbursement disputes, and DEA as well as other governmental investigations, Dae has become a trusted advisor to a broad cross-section of pharmacies and pharmacy providers, including community retail pharmacies, chain pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, home infusion providers, and dispensing physician practices.. His practice also extends to assisting other stakeholders in the pharmacy industry such as wholesalers, manufacturers, and other healthcare providers. In addition to his PBM-focused work, Dae represents entities in pharmacy-related transactions and assists clients with corporate formation, due diligence, licensing, change-of-ownership requirements and credentialing, providing comprehensive legal support throughout the transaction process. Dae is a Certified Pharmacy Benefits Specialist™ (CPBS™). Offered through TransparentRx and accredited by the University of Kentucky School of Pharmacy, the CPBS program is designed to cover complex topics of pharmacy benefit management in order to provide a foundational knowledge required for higher-level evaluation of PBM business operations, fundamentals of PBM pricing, plan design, cost-containment strategies, PBM contracts, PBM procurement, Specialty Pharmacy benefits management, and overall PBM performance with emphasis on cost effectiveness.Stay connected with Dae and Buchanan, Ingersoll, & Rand: Dae Lee LinkedInBuchanan, Ingersoll, & Rand WebsiteBuchanan, Ingersoll, & Rand LinkedInBuchanan, Ingersoll, & Rand TwitterBuchanan, Ingersoll, & Rand FacebookStay connected with us on social media:FacebookTwitterLinkedInMore on this topic:Podcast: The Startup Compounding Pharmacy PlaybookPodcast: The Trusted Pharmacist: Advocacy and Building a Resilient PharmacyPodcast: From Counter to Capitol

In this episode the hosts dig into a $7.1 M cash‑price listing for a specialty pharmacy in Beverly Hills — evaluating its 1.49 M EBITDA, market position and regulatory complexity to see whether it's a viable acquisition.Business Listing – https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/specialty-medical-pharmacy-in-prime-southern-california-location/2445305/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.

In this episode the hosts dig into a $7.1 M cash‑price listing for a specialty pharmacy in Beverly Hills — evaluating its 1.49 M EBITDA, market position and regulatory complexity to see whether it's a viable acquisition.Business Listing – https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/specialty-medical-pharmacy-in-prime-southern-california-location/2445305/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: big FDA recall around Freestyle Libre (see more below to find out if you're affected), Dexcom launches their 15.5 day sensor, Omnipod announces enhancements, Tandem tests a fully closed loop (with high fat, high carb meals) and lots more! Find out how to submit your Community Commercial Find out more about Moms' Night Out  Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom   Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links: Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. Our top story this week: XX Certain glucose monitors from Abbott Diabetes Care are providing users with incorrect glucose readings, an error that has been linked with the deaths of at least seven people and more than 700 serious injuries worldwide, according to an alert from the US Food and Drug Administration.   Incorrect glucose readings can lead to improper treatment. Abbott warned that about 3 million FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors are affected, but no other Libre products. Patients can visit FreeStyleCheck.com to see if their sensors are affected and to get a replacement for free.   The FDA has also published specific information about the affected products in its alert. The agency considers this to be a "potentially high-risk issue" and will continue to update its website as information becomes available.   "Patients should verify if their sensors are impacted and immediately discontinue use and dispose of the affected sensor(s)," the FDA said.   https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/health/abbott-diabetes-glucose-monitors https://www.freestylecheck.com/us-en/home.html XX Omnipod 5 is getting some enhancements.. and Omnipod 6 is announced. The FDA cleared updates including  a lower, 100 mg/dL target glucose option and what they call a more seamless automated experience. "This is the most significant algorithm advancement to our Omnipod 5 System since its launch in 2022," said Eric Benjamin, Insulet EVP and COO. Insulet said the new 100 mg/dL target glucose expands Omnipod 5's customization range. It now features six settings between 100 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL in 10 mg/dL increments. The company said this flexibility allows healthcare providers to tailor insulin delivery more precisely. It supports individuals seeking tighter glucose management or aiming to meet specific glucose goals. Omnipod 5's latest upgrades also help users stay in "Automated Mode" with fewer interruptions, even during prolonged high glucose events. Insulet plans to launch the updates to the algorithm in the first half of 2026. The company announced plans for an Omnipod 6 – without a lot of detail - at the company's Investor Day event in November. They also talked about a new, fully closed-loop pump for the type 2 diabetes population. https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/insulet-fda-clearance-omnipod-5-algorithm-enhancements/ XX Dexcom, the global leader in glucose biosensing, announced today that the Dexcom G7 15 Day Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System will launch in the United States on Dec. 1, making it the longest-lasting CGM system with 15.5 days of wear.   Dexcom G7 15 Day will first be available through durable medical equipment (DME) providers on Dec. 1 with full retail launch in the coming weeks. Dexcom G7 15 Day will also be covered for Medicare beneficiaries.   Dexcom G7 15 Day's industry-leading wear-time will provide fewer sensor changes, less disruption and more time for people with diabetes to benefit from life-changing CGM technology.   New with Dexcom G7 15 Day:  Longest lasting CGM system with 15.5 days of wear. Best-in-class accuracy1 with an overall MARD of 8.0%. Easier glucose management with fewer monthly sensor changes and reduced monthly waste. This follows yesterday's announcement – the FDA has cleared Dexcom Smart Basal, the first and only CGM-integrated basal insulin dosing optimizer designed for adults 18 and older with Type 2 diabetes using long-acting insulin. Dexcom Smart Basal will use Dexcom G7 15 Day sensor data and logged doses to calculate personalized daily recommendations to guide users towards a more effective long-acting insulin dose, as directed by their healthcare provider. At launch, Dexcom G7 15 Day will connect with the iLet Bionic Pancreas and Omnipod® 5§§. We are working closely with Tandem and look forward to extending the launch to their customers shortly as they finalize integration. For specific information on pump compatibility and availability with the Dexcom G7 15 Day system, visit Dexcom.com/connectedpumps https://investors.dexcom.com/news/news-details/2025/Dexcom-G7-15-Day-Continuous-Glucose-Monitoring-System-to-Launch-on-Dec--1-in-the-United-States/default.aspx   XX A small study of ten adults with type 1 diabetes tested Tandem's new fully closed-loop "Freedom" insulin system — and the participants put it through a real-world stress test. For 72 hours in a hotel setting, they ate heavy carb-and-fat meals, skipped all meal announcements, and didn't give any mealtime insulin boluses. The system handled almost everything automatically. Researchers said the device stayed in closed-loop mode 97% of the time and there were no incidents of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemia reported. While using the Freedom system, participants spent a median 61% of the day in the glucose target range — slightly higher than the 56% achieved with their usual pump at home. But the biggest improvement came overnight: time in range jumped to 96% with the closed-loop system compared to just under 70% during their home-pump week. With almost zero time spent below 70 mg/dL, researchers concluded that the fully automated Tandem system was both safe and effective even with unannounced, high-impact meals — hinting at a future of diabetes management that demands less effort from users.   XX Novo Nordisk reported promising mid-stage results for its experimental drug amycretin (AM-ee-creht-in) in diabetes patients on Tuesday. Amycretin, targets both GLP-1 and amylin hormones. In this study, it helped patients with type 2 diabetes lose up to 14.5% of their body weight over 36 weeks with weekly injections, far outperforming a placebo. The oral version delivered weight loss of up to 10.1%. Rival Eli Lilly  is surging ahead with its own amylin-based drug, eloralintide, which is advancing to late-stage testing after helping patients shed as much as 20% of their weight in a mid-stage trial. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/25/novos-next-gen-obesity-drug-shows-positive-results-heads-to-late-stage-testing.html XX The U.S. Medicare health plan said on Tuesday that newly negotiated prices for 15 of its costliest drugs will save 36% on those medications compared with recent annual spending, or about $8.5 billion in net covered prescription costs. The prices go into effect in 2027, including a monthly price of $274 for Novo Nordisk's popular GLP-1 drug semaglutide, sold as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes. medicare's recent net price for Ozempic, opens new tab was $428 a month, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy. Medicare put the drug's list price, before confidential rebates and discounts, at $959 a month. Based on such nondiscounted list prices, Medicare said savings on the 15 drugs ranged from 38% to 85%. The annual price negotiations were established under President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Previously, Medicare was barred by law from negotiating with drugmakers. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-negotiated-medicare-prices-15-more-drugs-test-cost-savings-promise-2025-11-25/   XX LifeScan announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan received U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval. LifeScan said it's positioned to emerge from its financial restructuring process by the end of the year. The CEO says, "This balance sheet restructuring provides a stronger foundation for LifeScan to support our base business, advance new growth strategies, and commence our journey to become one of the most comprehensive players in the glucose management space." https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/glucose-monitor-lifescan-emerge-from-bankruptcy/ XX An artificial intelligence (AI)-led Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was as effective as a traditional human-led program in achieving recommended goals for weight loss, A1c reduction, and physical activity, according to a randomized trial of adults with prediabetes and overweight or obesity. One example of a push notification: "Looks like you're at the grocery store, Rita! Want a quick list of high-fiber snacks or smart swaps to stay on track this week?" The app also provided location- and goal-based education, with gamification elements to promote engagement. Approximately one third of participants in both the AI and human-led groups achieved the primary outcome (31.7% and 31.9%, respectively). Results were consistent across sensitivity analyses and individual components of the composite endpoint. "As more AI-based programs emerge, head-to-head comparisons among different AI-DPPs will be informative. An AI-led approach will not suit everyone; some individuals benefit more from human interaction and accountability," said Mathioudakis, adding that future research should focus on best matching patients to the modalities they prefer. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ai-directed-diabetes-prevention-program-effective-human-2025a1000xam XX A new study suggets metformin could help people with type 1, reducing the need for insulin.  The researchers were surprised to find that metformin did not improve insulin resistance or change blood sugar levels. This suggests that, unlike in type 2 diabetes, metformin doesn't combat insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes.   However, metformin did reduce the amount of insulin people needed to keep their blood sugar levels stable.   https://www.the-express.com/news/health/192157/diabetes-medicine-insulin-type-1 XX Beyond Type 1 launches #TheBeyondType campaign in India to combat type 1 diabetes stigma. Nick Jonas is one of the founders of Beyond Type 1, his wife, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is his partner in this new non profit. The initiative highlights inspiring individuals living with T1D and partners with local organisations to improve awareness, medical support, and community networks for affected families across the nation. India has more young people living with T1D than any other nation, yet understanding of the condition remains limited. Beyond Type 1 is partnering with grassroots organisations across high-need regions. These include HRIDAY in Delhi–NCR, Nityaasha Foundation in Pune, Gram Jyoti in Jharkhand, and SAMATVAM Trust in Bangalore—each group focusing on improving awareness, providing medical support and building stronger community networks for young people with T1D.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Matthew G. Bowles, PharmD, MBA, CSP, Pharmacy Clinical Team Lead with Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy, Vanderbilt Health, and lead author on the study “Getting to specialty treatment in dermatologic inflammatory conditions: Treatment requirements and patient journey,” published February 2025 in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. They discuss the reasons for conducting and results of the study, as well as the impacts the study may have on specialty and managed care pharmacy.

In this episode, Eric Huckins discusses trends shaping specialty pharmacy, from managing high-cost infusions and direct-to-consumer models to preparing for the Inflation Reduction Act. He shares how Lumicera is partnering with health systems to enhance efficiency, integration, and patient care.This episode is sponsored by Lumicera Health Services.

In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ interviews Mark Mincy, Chief Commercial Officer at US RX Care, about the hidden complexities and conflicts of interest in the pharmacy benefits industry. Mark shares how his company is disrupting the status quo by demanding transparency, eliminating conflicts, and helping employers reclaim millions in savings. The conversation uncovers the tangled web of PBMs, rebates, and the urgent need for legislative and technological change. Key Takeaways: The PBM System is Riddled with Conflicts of Interest [2:34]Mark explains how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and consultants often act in their own financial interest, not the employer’s or patient’s, leading to inflated drug costs. Rebates and Purchasing Contributions Inflate Drug Prices [8:59]The system of rebates and retrospective payments to PBMs can account for up to 80% of a drug’s cost, forcing manufacturers to raise prices and employers to pay more. Transparency and Fiduciary Duty are Essential for Reform [21:37]Mark’s company, US RX Care, operates with complete transparency, passes back all rebates, and offers per-member-per-month guarantees to eliminate guesswork and conflicts. Employers and Consumers Can Take Action [33:34]Mark recommends joining healthcare purchaser coalitions, hiring ERISA attorneys, and demanding non-conflicted consultants to protect interests and drive industry change. Quote of the Show [31:27]:"Everything's intertwined. You want to move and do the right thing. These employers are between a rock and a hard place, so I do think some legislative action needs to occur." – Mark Mincy Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Mark Mincy: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mincy-a185497 Company Website: https://us-rxcare.com How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

340B Insight wants to make our podcast the best it can be. To help us succeed, we'd like to hear your thoughts. Please take just a few minutes to complete our listener survey, and we will enter you in a drawing to win a $100 gift card! To participate, please go to 340bpodcast.org/survey.The large and growing field of specialty pharmacy means new opportunities and challenges for ensuring patients receive the specialty drugs they need and stay on the therapies that might save their lives. St. Luke's Health System, based in Boise, Idaho, has approached this mission by embedding clinical pharmacists in the specialty pharmacy space and using 340B as a critical tool. We speak with Josh Weber, senior director of ambulatory retail and specialty pharmacy services at St. Luke's, to learn more.How Clinical Pharmacists Can Be a “Value Multiplier”Embedding clinical pharmacists in their specialty pharmacies improves operations in myriad ways. These pharmacists can take the burden off other providers by meeting with patients to go over their drug regimens, coordinating care, and running split-fill programs to reduce waste. At St. Luke's, the approach has improved patient adherence to medications and reduced the time between the specialty prescription and the patient having the medication in hand to less than 48 hours – far quicker than the industry standard.340B Savings Are Key to the InvestmentWeber says cost savings from 340B are critical in calculating how they embed resources into specialty pharmacy, noting that improving adherence and retention can increase 340B savings exponentially. These savings then can enable health systems such as St. Luke's to reinvest in their internal specialty pharmacies, provide more patient cost assistance and unreimbursed care, and ultimately shield themselves from headwinds such as drugmaker contract pharmacy restrictions.Embedding Pharmacists Depends on Hospital-Specific FactorsFor hospitals considering following the lead of St. Luke's Health System, Weber said a variety of factors such as patient volume, payer mix, and drug spend can call for a variety of service models and investment strategies. Harnessing data such as heat maps showing where patients are and which clinics they visit can inform how best to embed pharmacists and ultimately improve specialty pharmacy care for patients.Resources:Drugmakers Release 340B Rebate Pilot Program DescriptionsHRSA 340B Rebate Model Pilot ProgramBeacon Rebate Model Resources

During this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Sheri Wallace, Account Representative at AcariaHealth Specialty Pharmacy, and Diane Omdahl, RN, MS, founder of 65 Incorporated, published author and consultant on Medicare, to unpack the complexities of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP). Drawing on decades of patient access experience and the finer points of Medicare, they share insights on how these changes impact patients, providers, and pharmacies alike. Learn the importance of education, transparency, and advocacy in ensuring patients don't fall through the cracks during these changes. Whether you're a provider, pharma partner, or patient advocate, this episode offers practical guidance and expert perspectives to help you navigate the evolving Medicare landscape.

This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Ossur. To learn more about their ‘Responsible for Tomorrow' Sustainability Campaign, and how you can get involved: CLICK HEREEpisode Overview: Growing a company from $46,000 to $30 million in six years doesn't happen by accident—it requires vision, grit, and the right team. Our next guest, Beth Lachance, is the CEO and founder of Global Medical Virtual Assistants, where she's revolutionizing administrative support for medical practices nationwide. With 16 years as an entrepreneur and over 22 years of healthcare leadership experience, she brings strategic vision and hands-on execution to building high-performing distributed teams. Driven by a passion for operational excellence and leveraging global talent, Beth shares how GMVA is transforming healthcare staffing through HIPAA-compliant virtual assistants from the Philippines. Join us to discover how her team is helping practices reclaim time, reduce costs, and refocus on patient care. Let's go!Episode Highlights:The Right Team Matters - Finding the right advisors and team members is critical, even when it means parting ways with early supporters.Leadership Evolves with Growth - Different business stages require different leaders; Beth is now bringing on a CFO as GMVA scales.$46K to $30M in Six Years - GMVA's explosive revenue growth demonstrates massive demand for virtual healthcare staffing.Reimagining Healthcare Work - GMVA transforms medical practices through remote administrative support, freeing providers to focus on patients.Tough Decisions Drive Success - Beth learned that moving on from trusted early team members, though painful, unlocks company potential.About our Guest: Beth Lachance is the CEO and founder of Global Medical Virtual Assistants (GMVA), whereshe drives sustainable growth and operational excellence for a company revolutionizingadministrative support for U.S. medical practices. With 16 years as an entrepreneurspecializing in real estate and over 22 years of corporate leadership in Surgical Device,Pharmaceutical, and Specialty Pharmacy industries, Beth blends strategic vision with hands-on execution to build high-performing teams and achieve long-term success.A former Division I gymnast on full scholarship at the University of Florida, Beth earned herBachelor of Science in Health Sciences, a testament to her discipline and goal-drivenleadership.Links Supporting This Episode: Global Medical Virtual Assistants Website: CLICK HEREBeth Lachance LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREGlobal Medical Virtual Assistants LinkedIn: CLICK HEREMike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK HEREVisit our website: CLICK HERESubscribe to newsletter: CLICK HEREGuest nomination form:

In this episode, current and past executive committee members for the Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners sit down together to share stories and discuss the impact made by the 2024 Distinguished Service Awardee, Tara Kelley.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

The Pharmacy Podcast Network is back on the show floor at the NASP Annual Expo, live in Denver, CO! Thank you JB Consulting for Sponsoring this episode! On part one of this series we interview: Jennifer Noonan with Accessia Health Shaun Jensen with JB Consulting Kevin Kallmes with Nested Knowledge AI Lee Pratt with ProChant Mai Tang with Two Trees Consulting Nick Calla with Orsini Reed Kalna with Kaiser Permanente Richard Brook with Better Worldwide Health Ryan Clarke with Keysource Sheila Arquette, President and CEO of the NASP

The Pharmacy Podcast Network is back on the show floor at the NASP Annual Expo, live in Denver, CO! Thank you Accessia for Sponsoring this episode! On part two of this series we interview: Jennifer Noonan with Accessia Health Nick Negri with ALTOR Cecila Byers with Surescripts Jill Paslier with Specia Jon Hamrick with Curatio Advisors Jonathan Orgurchak and Brandon Hardin Steve Pharmacy Attorney Tammy Dean with Cold Chain Technologies

The Pharmacy Podcast Network is back on the show floor at the NASP Annual Expo, live in Denver, CO! Thank you JB Consulting for Sponsoring this episode! On part one of this series we interview: Christine Tang Wilson with Lumicera Health Services Amanda Awe with VLP Christopher Corsi, CEO, CassianRx Hayley Burgess with Inovalon Eric Robertson with DoseSpot Harry Travis with The Travis Group LLC Ethan Wynn with Sphinx Strategies Heidi Polleck with Outcomes    

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, sits down with Trey Holterman, CEO and Co-Founder of Tennr, a healthcare referral automation platform. They explore Tennr's journey from startup to industry leader and how focused technology speeds patient access, with a look towards what the future holds for patient engagement and care personalization.

This episode discusses the remainder of the results of the work from home survey conducted in 2024 by members of the Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners Advisory Group on Operational and Workforce Development. The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, sits down with Hillary Gretton, Director of Data Strategy at Claritas Rx. Together, they explore today's challenges in market access and patient journey analytics, and how Access Analytics is helping specialty pharmacies, payers, and partners tackle these barriers. The conversation highlights real-world use cases from Claritas Rx's recent whitepaper, From Prescription to Abandonment: How 31% of Specialty Medications Go Unfilled Across Therapeutic Areas, showing how better data can drive better outcomes.

This special episode of the NASP podcast features MedAdvisor leaders Megan Butterfield, Vice President of Network Solutions and Vinod Subramanian, Chief Operating and AI Officer in conversation with Shelia Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, as part of a collaborative spotlight for MedAdvisor Solutions' Beyond the Script podcast series. They discuss how AI, when applied thoughtfully, can help us not only meet the demands of patients' increasingly intricate care journeys, but do so in a way that enhances the human experience, facilitating personalized engagement, real-time education, empathy and trust, while keeping what's special about specialty pharmacy. 

In recent years, pharmacy school enrollment and pursuit of pharmacy residency has declined nationally. This trend has impacted specialty pharmacy residencies in particular because pharmacy students tend to have less familiarity with specialty pharmacy as a practice setting. This podcast will target specific strategies to recruit highly successful candidates for careers in specialty pharmacy. The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jonathan L. Swichar, Partner and Chair of the Duane Morris Pharmacy Litigation Group, and Bradley A. Wasser, Partner, Duane Morris, LLP. They discuss the dramatically shifting legal and regulatory landscape facing non-PBM affiliated specialty pharmacies and recent federal efforts that are reshaping the ways specialty pharmacies do business.

This episode dives into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (M3P), launched in 2025, and its impact on specialty pharmacies across the U.S. The episode discusses how this policy is changing patient access, pharmacy reimbursement, and operational strategies, while also highlighting the challenges and opportunities specialty pharmacies face in adapting to these shifts. Whether you're a healthcare professional, pharmacist, or policy expert, this episode unpacks everything you need to know about M3P and its role in shaping the future of specialty pharmacy. The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

This episode discusses a portion of the results of the work from home survey conducted in 2024 by members of the Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners Advisory Group on Operational and Workforce Development.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In this episode, Becker's Healthcare speaks with Jim Blondin, Senior Director of Digital Product Strategy at Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, about the strategic benefits of integrating specialty pharmacy into EHR workflows. The discussion explores how this integration can reduce workflow friction, improve care coordination, and enhance both patient and provider experiences. Tune in for insights relevant to pharmacy leaders, CIOs, and healthcare executives navigating digital transformation.This episode is sponsored by Accredo Specialty Pharmacy.

During this podcast we will explore strategies and provide real-world examples to help preceptors increase engagement from students during their specialty pharmacy learning experiences. The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In 2024, ASHP conducted the fourth nationwide survey on specialty pharmacy. In this episode, members of the author team and advisory panel join us to share key takeaways and lessons learned from this most recent survey.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO  of NASP, speaks with Dr Andrew Lindsley, US Medical Director at  Amgen and Dr Ash Davé, Director, Medical Value and Population  Health at Amgen, to discuss TEZSPIRE® (tezepelumab-ekko). 

In this episode, Ameet Wattamwar, Director of Health Systems Strategy at Shields Health Solutions, discusses the role of specialty pharmacy & improving patient outcomes.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jeffrey S. Baird, Esq., Chairman of the Health Care Group at Brown & Fortunato, P.C. and Bradley W. Howard, shareholder and director at Brown & Fortunato, P.C. In today's environment, it is challenging enough to profitably run a specialty pharmacy. The pharmacy needs to avoid the additional challenge of inquiries, audits and investigations by governmental agencies and PBMs. This podcast will discuss the proactive steps the specialty pharmacy can take to lower the risk of inquiries, audits and investigations. This podcast will also set out steps the pharmacy can take to resolve inquiries, audits and investigations before they spin out of control. The podcast will focus on the following: • Corporate Compliance Program – The specialty pharmacy needs to implement a robust compliance program that is specific to the pharmacy's business model. Such a program will head off many problems before they arise…and a compliance program will resolve problems, once arisen, before they spin out of control. • PBMs – A PBM is in a stronger negotiating position than that of the specialty pharmacy. At the end of the day, the PBM “possesses the pharmacy's money.” This podcast will discuss the steps the pharmacy should take to establish a “win-win” relationship with a PBM. Doing so will eliminate uncertainty and prevent many problems from arising. However, if the PBM ends up bringing an inquiry, audit or investigation against the pharmacy, the podcast will set out the steps the pharmacy should take to resolve the inquiry, audit or investigation without it devolving into an adversarial action. • Governmental Agencies – There are a number of federal and state governmental agencies that a specialty pharmacy may have to deal with. These include (i) the Department of Justice, (ii) the Office of Inspector General, (iii) the DEA, (iv) the FDA, (v) state Attorneys General, and (vi) State Boards of Pharmacy. This podcast will discuss the steps the pharmacy should take when it is investigated by a governmental agency. As with working with PBMs, the pharmacy should strive to resolve a government investigation before it spins out of control. 

A few years ago we had the pleasure of speaking with Jonathan Ogurchak about the success of his company STACK. Now we have invited him back to see how the business has progressed and learn about his new venture, Zeal Specialty Pharmacy.   As a pharmacist, Jonathan observed significant inefficiencies and a need to modernize processes. This set him on a course to develop and deliver better technology that would ultimately improve patient care. Today, he is a recognized serial entrepreneur, a leader in technology, and a man whose latest endeavor is centered on the delivery of medication to individuals with rare diseases.   Here are highlights of our conversation:   -An Update on STACK: The business has expanded its product offerings including a new product called On Queue, an operations workflow platform to enhance the pharmacy patient journey and capture valuable data. They now have customers in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Dubai.   -Healthcare Compliance: STACK software helps organizations manage compliance by providing easy access to regulations for different states and purposes and automating processes for accreditation, compliance, and training for pharmacies.   -Zeal's Branding Strategy: Jonathan explained the origin of the company name "Zeal" as a play on the term "zebra" in the medical community, representing rare and orphan diseases. The zebra also represents an effort to connect with patient communities through tasteful and purposeful branding.   -Advice for Founders: Finding a mentor and maintaining a network for personal and professional growth is critical for new founders. He shared his experiences as a business owner and entrepreneur, highlighting the need to foster a healthy balance between work and personal life. He shared the significance of family and prioritizing time with loved ones, as businesses and jobs can change but family remains constant.   -Building Culture:  Jonathan discussed the pharmacy's leadership development initiative, which includes a book club focused on customer service and growth. He mentioned the book "Unreasonable Hospitality" and the Disney Institute program. Jonathan also shared that he encourages team members to explore different industries for innovative ideas.         About the guest: Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, CSP, CPHIMS, is a specialty pharmacy veteran, having served in numerous roles across pharmacies, associations, and education for the last 15 years.   Currently, he is the CEO & Founder of STACK, a software firm with two commercially available platforms: its namesake, STACK, a pharmacy information management platform designed to curate and organize information necessary to run successful pharmacies, professional associations, and higher education institutions; and OnQueue, a workflow platform built to optimize the patient journey for pharmacies and clinics. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Zeal Specialty Pharmacy, an independent rare-disease pharmacy leveraging both the above technologies to create the best experiences possible for patients, prescribers, and pharma partners across the country.   Jonathan is an adjunct faculty through Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh, precepts pharmacy students virtually at 25 schools of pharmacy nationwide, focused on specialty pharmacy programs and processes, and his specialty pharmacy textbook is in pre-publication.   Connect with Jonathan: Website: https://www.managewithstack.com/ Website: https://www.zealsp.com/   Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/    #CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful episode of This Week in Pharmacy, Todd Eury explores the growing national backlash against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—starting with bold action in Arkansas. Following Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' recent signing of legislation to limit PBM influence, Arkansas has become a flashpoint in the nationwide struggle to protect independent pharmacies and ensure fair drug pricing. Special guest from Arkansas, Doctor's Orders Pharmacy Owner, Lelan Stice, as we dig into what this legislation means, how states like Alabama are following suit, and why pharmacists across the U.S. are calling for transparency, accountability, and reform. PBMs are under increased legal and political scrutiny across multiple states Independent pharmacies are gaining new allies in their fight for survival Legislative momentum is growing—this could be a tipping point Patients, too, are paying the price for PBM overreach Pharmacists must stay informed and involved in local/state policy Full AP article: APNews.com – Arkansas Takes on PBMs TWIRx Feature: Lumicera Health Services Guest: Dr. Ben Heiser, PharmD – General Manager, Specialty Pharmacy, Lumicera Health Services In this special TWIRx segment, This Week in Pharmacy dives into the world of specialty pharmacy with Dr. Ben Heiser of Lumicera Health Services, a nationally recognized leader in delivering specialty drug solutions with a patient-first approach. Dr. Heiser discusses how Lumicera leverages data-driven care models, collaborative payer partnerships, and a commitment to access and affordability to redefine what it means to support patients with complex, chronic conditions. From pharmacy innovation to value-based outcomes, this interview offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most forward-thinking organizations in specialty care. Lumicera Health is the Pharmacy Podcast Network sponsor for the AXS25 Press Coverage, learn more about  Lumicera here:  https://www.lumicera.com/  Subscribe to all 40+ Pharmacy Podcast Network podcasts from one link:  https://linktr.ee/pharmacypodcast 

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jessie Heaton, PharmD, MBA, CSP, Vice President of Specialty and Infusion at Maxor, and Michelle Mulgrew, PharmD, Vice President of Commercial Specialty Market Development at Maxor, about specialty pharmacy's role in rare disease patient care management and how to empower patients, prescribers, and manufacturers to navigate complex clinical needs.  

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Dean Erhardt, President & CEO of D2 Solutions. They discuss how specialty pharmacies can leverage technology and data analytics to navigate complex accreditation demands and automate high volume low value activity workflows so the expert clinicians can do what they do best - care for patients.

The "Pharmacy 50" Awards, recognizing the 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy, have officially been announced for 2024! This prestigious honor celebrates the most inspiring, innovative, and impactful figures in pharmacy who are driving advancements in patient care, business development, and industry reform. Now in its fourth year, the Pharmacy 50 saw a record-breaking 30% increase in peer recognition, demonstrating the growing influence of pharmacists across multiple sectors, including Community Pharmacy, Long-Term Care, Specialty Pharmacy, Health System, Digital Health, and more. Voting took place between November 15 and December 20, 2024, and this year's winners include some of the most distinguished names in the industry, with returning honorees and new leaders making their mark on pharmacy's evolving landscape.   Pharmacy 50 Class of 2024 (Listed by most votes) Anthony V. Minniti, BScPharm, RPh, FACA Jay Phipps, PharmD, MBA, FACA, FACVP Dr. Nhu Truong, PharmD Jeff Harrell, PharmD Naveena Gorrepati, PharmD Jeremy Counts, PharmD Darshan Kulkarni, PharmD, Esq. Shahida Choudhry, PharmD** (4-time winner) April Nguyen, PharmD, RAC, MPH Robin Barrett, PharmD Cody R. Morcom, PharmD, BCPS, LSSGBC Ethan Melillo, PharmD, CDOE Randy McDonough, PharmD, MS, BCGP, BCPS, FAPhA Chelsea Hustad, PharmD, CSP Greg Reybold, Esq. Renee Malarbi Rayburg, BPharm Walter Oronsaye, PharmD, MS Chidimma Gold Eneyo, PharmD Jessica Beal-Stahl, PharmD Tamar K. Lawful, PharmD, APh, CNGS DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP Frank Harvey, MBA Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv Brent Edison, PharmD Aleata Postell Courtney B. Smith, PharmD, CSP, BCMTMS Jennifer Morrison, PharmD Katrina Azer, BPharm Josh Pirestani Bil Schmidtknecht Ultan McGlone, PharmD Katarina (Kati) Forbes, PharmD Christopher Bowens, PharmD Mahmoud Zegar, PharmD Alexandra (Ally) LaStella, PharmD Kunal Vyas Jenny Bingham, PharmD Shaun Jensen Fiona Sartoretto Verna Brandi Chane, PharmD Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, CSP, CPHIMS Jena Quinn, PharmD Jordan Smith, PharmD, AAHIVP, CPGx Chris Antypas, PharmD Lorneka Joseph, PharmD Derek Borkowski, PharmD Sue Ojageer, PharmD, CPGx Benjamin Jolley, PharmD Anisha Patel, BPharm Jeff Malone Pharmacy 50 Awards Ceremony - January 29, 2025 The official awards ceremony will be hosted at the Pharmacy Podcast Network headquarters in Brownsville, PA. The event will feature: A networking session at 2 PM ET The Pharmacy 50 LIVE Stream at 3 PM ET, where winners will be highlighted and interviewed Industry leaders, past winners, and special guests will be in attendance to celebrate the remarkable contributions of these pharmacy professionals. The Pharmacy 50 Awards were created to recognize individuals who are pushing the boundaries of pharmacy care. From technology and advocacy to clinical services and business innovation, this year's winners represent the best of the best across the pharmacy profession. "Each year, we see more pharmacists taking charge of their profession-leading change, innovating care models, and fighting for patient access. The Pharmacy 50 recognizes these change-makers and amplifies their voices," said Todd Eury, Founder of Pharmacy Podcast Network. This year's Pharmacy 50 Awards were proudly sponsored by RxInsider and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC), whose ongoing support of the pharmacy industry continues to fuel growth and advocacy. "RXinsider is thrilled to support the Pharmacy Podcast Network's Pharmacy50 Awards, celebrating the outstanding leaders and innovators shaping pharmacy. As a company committed to advancing pharmacy through education and innovation, RXinsider is honored to join this prestigious initiative that recognizes excellence and inspires progress." stated Gregory Cianfarani RPh, CEO of RxInsider. "We're excited to celebrate the achievements of our peers and contribute to highlighting the individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact in the pharmacy community." For more details about the Pharmacy 50 Awards, visit Pharmacy50.us About Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN) Pharmacy Podcast Network is the leading media platform dedicated to pharmacy professionals, offering thought leadership, industry insights, and expert-driven content through podcasts, webinars, and live events. Since its founding in 2009, PPN has been the voice of pharmacy, covering community pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, digital health, advocacy, business development, and more.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Simone Colgan Dunlap, National Vice Chair of the Quarles' Health & Life Sciences Practice Group and Candace Lerman, JD, at Rare Candace. They discuss the current impacts of AI on the healthcare space and how those within specialty pharmacy may implement AI in ways that prevent detrimental outcomes, stay compliant with evolving regulations, avoid legal pitfalls, and ultimately benefit patients.

During this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Ketan Mehta, the visionary CEO of PrimeRx. They explore how the advancement of technology has changed the landscape of specialty pharmacy and ways digital integration can help specialty pharmacies achieve a patient-centric holistic ecosystem.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Bridgette Kanz Schroader, PharmD, MPA, BCOP, Associate Director within the Medical Affairs Strategy & Publications team at Market Access & Healthcare Consulting, part of Cencora, and Laurie Fayzio, Head, Manufacturer Strategy, at FormularyDecisions. They explore the changing landscape of digital communication between biopharma companies and healthcare decision makers (HCDMs) and delve into 3 key topics that are crucial for effective engagement in the digital era with key decision makers: research on how HCDMs are utilizing digital resources and valuable insights into their preferences, how biopharma companies are adapting to meet the evolving needs of HCDMs in a post-pandemic peak era, and innovative strategies to optimize digital communications and the implications for stakeholder relationships.