Shows
Script Your FutureFollow What You're Good AtIntroductionPrior to launching Union Pharmacy, Dr. Xiaoyan Qin, PharmD, spent 15 years as a pharmacist and pharmacy manager for a national chain. Driven by a passion for patient care, but frustrated with corporate metrics that limited care, she often wondered to her husband, Dr. Jeff Gruneich, PhD, What if I could do this differently…?Complementing Xiaoyan’s detailed understanding of pharmacy finance and operations, Jeff’s background as a bioengineer, biotech entrepreneur and technology and product management at IBM, Roche, and MathWorks, rounded out a unique toolkit for pharmacy innovation. The question became more focused: What i...
2025-10-1629 min
Script Your FutureFrom Pills To Purpose: How Ritesh Shah and Dr. Joe Howe Created New Jersey's First Charitable PharmacyIntroductionWelcome to another inspiring episode of the Script Your Future Podcast! We’re joined by two remarkable guests whose story will remind you of the incredible impact pharmacists can have when they step beyond the prescription counter. Ritesh Shah, pharmacist and CEO of Legacy Pharmacy Group, has just published his autobiography “Pills to Purpose: A True Story of Love, Loss, and the Power of Service,” and he’s here alongside Dr. Joe Howe, President of Ritesh’s Charitable Pharmacy. Together, they’ve created New Jersey’s first and only charitable pharmacy—a testament to how personal tragedy can be t...
2025-09-2534 min
Script Your FutureA Thoughtful Take On Independent Pharmacy Succession Planning with Donnie CalhounIntroductionWelcome to another compelling episode of the Script Your Future Podcast, where we explore the critical yet often overlooked world of pharmacy succession planning. Host Sonja Pagniano sits down with Donnie Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Wellness Pharmacy and valued NCPA Foundation Board of Trustees member, for an intimate conversation about the realities of pharmacy ownership, business evolution, and preparing for the future.This episode serves as the perfect complement to the foundation’s recent webinar with Jeff Harrell on community pharmacy succession planning best practices. Donnie's story illustrates both the challenges and opportunities that de...
2025-09-0637 min
Script Your FutureFrom Consultant to Owner: Dr. Sabrina Russ's Journey Through the Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership ProgramIntroductionIn this inspiring episode of Script Your Future, we interview Dr. Sabrina Russ, a dedicated participant in NCPA Foundation's Pathways to Pharmacy Ownership Program. With over 25 years of pharmacy experience, Dr. Russ shares her evolution from chain pharmacy work to independent consulting, and now to opening her own collaborative pharmacy practice in Columbia, South Carolina. Her story demonstrates the power of persistence, mentorship, and community support in overcoming the challenges of pharmacy ownership. From navigating skeptical bankers to finding the right contractors, Dr. Russ offers candid insights into the realities of becoming an independent pharmacy owner...
2025-08-1943 min
Independent Rx ForumOvercoming disaster from Coast to CoastAmerica's Pharmacist correspondents Chris Linville and Sam Manas, along with NCPA Foundation Executive Director Sonja Pagniano, share the powerful stories of pharmacists in North Carolina, East Tennessee, and Los Angeles who battled through devastating floods and wildfires to protect their businesses and support their communities. America's Pharmacist Online | NCPA
2025-08-0534 min
Script Your FutureFight, Flight, Or FreezeIntroductionIn this inspiring episode of the Script Your Future Podcast, NCPA Foundation Executive Director, Sonja Pagniano, interviews Dr. Jay Phipps, a Pharmacy Gladiator, entrepreneur, and the dynamic force behind the "Pharmacy Gladiator" brand. Dr. Jay Phipps is a Pharmacy Doctor, Founder, Entrepreneur, President, and CEO who leads Phipps Pharmacy, Inc., an independent pharmacy with 4 locations, along with a team of dedicated pharmacy professionals providing personalized, high-quality patient care. He also serves as President and CEO of PhippsCare, which focuses on pharmacy doctor-provided healthcare, and Health Insurance Solutions, specializing in medical and pharmacy plans for seniors.
2025-07-2137 min
Script Your FutureStrategies for Pharmacy Owners In Today's Challenging Pharmacy LandscapeIntroductionIn today's challenging pharmacy landscape, many independent pharmacy owners are struggling with shrinking margins, predatory PBM contracts, and the constant pressure to do more with less. But what if there was a different way forward? What if you could turn these challenges into opportunities?Today, we're joined by Dared Price, a pharmacist and entrepreneur who has done exactly that. Based in Winfield, Kansas, Dared owns eight pharmacy locations in partnership with NCPA Foundation Board of Trustees member Bill Osborn, and he's also the co-owner of Oread Rx, a transparent PBM that's saving clients up...
2025-07-0133 min
Script Your FutureBeyond the Prescription: 20 Years of Advanced Practice PharmacyIntroductionHost Sonja Pagniano, Executive Director of the NCPA Foundation, interviews guest Dr. Diana Arouchanova, PharmD, APh, Owner of Clinicare Pharmacy and APP Care Center in Northridge, California. The episode celebrates Diana's 20-year journey in pharmacy ownership, exploring how she transformed a small neighborhood pharmacy into an innovative advanced practice care center. Diana shares her patient-centered approach that goes beyond traditional dispensing, discusses her pharmacy residency program partnership with USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and reveals how community pharmacies serve as essential healthcare lifelines during and after emergencies. Her story demonstrates the...
2025-05-3038 min
Script Your FuturePharmacy Ownership Doesn't Have to Wait: A Conversation With Josuah TilusIntroductionHost Sonja Pagniano, Executive Director of the NCPA Foundation, interviews guest Josuah Tilus, Owner of Chinook Pharmacy in Forks, Washington. The episode focuses on Josuah's journey to pharmacy ownership and the experiences that led him to ownership, right out of pharmacy school.InterviewSonja: Welcome to the Script Your Future podcast from the NCPA Foundation. I'm Sonja, the Executive Director of NCPA Foundation, and today I'm excited to be joined by Josuah Tilus. Josuah, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us today. Where are you joining us from?
2025-04-2935 min
Script Your FutureScript Your Future Podcast: A Conversation With Sam SmithProducer's NoteThis is our first podcast episode for the NCPA Foundation. We're aware that the audio quality has some room for improvement, and we'll be working to enhance the sound in future episodes. Thank you for your understanding as we develop this new platform for sharing pharmacy stories and insights.IntroductionHost: Sonja Pagniano, CFRE, Executive Director, NCPA FoundationGuest: Sam Smith, pharmacy student at Mercer University graduating in MayTopic: Community pharmacy passion and entrepreneurshipSam's Journey to Community PharmacySam was initially interested in hospital pharmacy. He started...
2025-03-2828 min
This Week in PharmacyFighting for Independent Community Pharmacy | TWIRxSpecial Intervieww with Ed Holt
On May 8, Ed posted a sharp criticism of Governor Kemp’s veto of SB 198, a bill with broad bipartisan support that would help Georgia’s independent pharmacies. As then-President of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, Ed heard from many independents that if this bill didn’t pass it could mean the death of their stores. As the representative of GPHA, Ed felt it was his duty to make a statement.
Later that evening, Ed's employer, PruittHealth, contacted him and asked me to take it down. He complied immediately.
On May 9, PruittH...
2024-07-0155 min
Pharmacy Podcast NetworkFighting for Independent Community Pharmacy | TWIRxThis Week in Pharmacy -- we have a special news correspondence from RxMile CEO Kunal Vyas with the dire importance of eliminating wasteful actions and carelessness of MailOrder Pharmacies and the safety concerns of medications being stolen or sitting in 150' degree heat.
Special Interview with Joe Ed Holt --on all podcast directories!
On May 8, Ed posted a sharp criticism of Governor Kemp’s veto of SB 198, a bill with broad bipartisan support that would help Georgia’s independent pharmacies.
As then-President of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, Ed heard from many independents that if this...
2024-07-0155 min