This Week in Pharmacy

This Week in Pharmacy — August 7, 2026
The Hidden Cost of Managing Pain Without a Pain Pharmacist
What happens when patients living with chronic pain do not have a pain pharmacist on their healthcare team?
In this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we explore the hidden clinical, emotional, and financial costs of managing pain without a pharmacist trained in pain management. These pharmacists do far more than review medications—they serve as accessible patient advocates, medication experts, care coordinators, and trusted partners for people navigating the complexities of chronic pain.
Segment One: Pharmacists Are the Secret Weapon in Pain Management
Special guest host Dr. Sing Ping Chow, PharmD, BCPMP, is joined by Dr. Matthew Hermenau, PharmD, BCPMP, CPh, NBC-HWC, CPT, for an important discussion about pharmacist-led pain management.
Together, they examine how pain pharmacists can:
Identify medication-related risks and opportunities to improve therapy
Help patients balance pain relief, function, safety, and quality of life
Collaborate with prescribers and other members of the healthcare team
Support individualized, evidence-informed treatment plans
Educate and empower patients living with chronic pain
Advocate for patients whose concerns may otherwise go unheard
Address the whole person—not simply a diagnosis or pain score
 
The conversation reinforces a powerful message: pharmacists are one of healthcare’s most underused resources in chronic pain care. When a pain pharmacist is part of the team, patients gain a knowledgeable advocate who understands medications, listens to their lived experiences, and helps them pursue safer and more effective care.
 
Remembering Dr. Jeffrey Fudin
 
This episode includes a special tribute to the late Dr. Jeffrey Fudin, PharmD, widely regarded as pharmacy’s godfather of pharmacist-led pain management.
 
Dr. Fudin was a pioneering clinician, educator, author, mentor, and tireless advocate for the meaningful inclusion of pharmacists in pain care. His work challenged conventional thinking, elevated the role of the pharmacist, and helped build a path for future generations of pain-management specialists.
 
His influence continues through the pharmacists he mentored, the patients he championed, and the profession he inspired. We honor Dr. Fudin’s legacy and his unwavering belief that people living with pain deserve informed, compassionate, and individualized care.
 
Segment Two: The Nation’s Best Hospital Systems
In the second segment, we welcome Chelsey Wen, Senior Health Data Analyst with U.S. News & World Report, to discuss the newly released 2026–2027 Best Hospitals rankings.
Chelsey explains how U.S. News evaluates hospital performance and how patients and families can use the findings when making healthcare decisions. The latest assessment evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals across 14 adult specialties and 23 procedures and conditions. It places increased emphasis on patient outcomes and introduces regional specialty rankings designed to help patients locate complex care closer to home. Explore the 2026–2027 Best Hospitals announcement.
 
link:
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals
Topics include:
What it means for a hospital to be nationally ranked or rated “High Performing”
The clinical data and patient outcomes considered in the evaluation
Changes to the 2026–2027 rankings and methodology
The importance of regional rankings and access to specialized care
How patients should interpret hospital rankings when choosing where to receive care
Sponsored By
Today’s episode of This Week in Pharmacy is brought to you by First Databank and Outcomes, pharmacy-technology organizations supporting safer, smarter, and more connected healthcare.

The Independent Pharmacy Cooperative is partnering with Fullscript to help independent pharmacies expand their wellness offerings without adding inventory, storage costs, or fulfillment responsibilities.
 
Through the partnership, IPC members receive free access to Fullscript’s digital platform, featuring more than 375 trusted supplement brands. Pharmacies can recommend personalized wellness protocols, earn approximately 35% margins on online sales, and benefit from direct-to-patient shipping, automated refill reminders, and optional auto-ship services.
 
Fullscript manages product inventory, payment processing, and delivery, giving independent pharmacies a practical way to generate recurring revenue while supporting patient adherence and long-term wellness goals.
 
Guests:
 
Kelli - IPC
Christopher - FullScript
Shannon - IPC
Andrea - Pharmacy Owner
Emlah Tubuo - Pharmacy Owner

Independent pharmacies are facing growing reimbursement uncertainty, especially when dispensing high-cost brand medications such as GLP-1 therapies. In this exclusive Pharmacy Podcast Network special feature, we examine how GoodRx Community Link provides independent pharmacies with predictable pricing and favorable economics across both brand and generic medications, ultimately helping pharmacies remain solvent while providing consumers affordable prescription prices.
 
Todd Eury is joined by David Graziano, Head of Retail Network at GoodRx, and Tom DePietro, independent pharmacy owner at DePietro’s Pharmacy, for a practical discussion about the pressures affecting independent pharmacy and the need for reimbursement models that support  pharmacy viability.
 
The conversation explores how Community Link supports brand medications through manufacturer-funded savings that flow back to the pharmacy through GoodRx, while the manufacturer covers the administrative fee. For generic medications, the program uses a NADAC-based cost-plus model intended to provide clearer visibility into reimbursement.
 
Listeners will also hear how independent pharmacies are impacted by rising deductibles, prior authorizations, narrow formularies, cash-pay growth, and increased competition. David and Tom discuss the importance of transparent pricing, digital engagement, streamlined fulfillment, personalized patient care, and sustainable economics for local pharmacies.
 
Key discussion points include:
The financial risk of dispensing high-cost brand medications like GLP-1s
Predictable reimbursement for brands and generics
The role of manufacturer-funded savings for brand medications
NADAC-based cost-plus pricing for generics
Pharmacy access to GLP-1 cash-pay programs
Competing through service, technology, and patient relationships
Protecting local healthcare access through independent pharmacy
 
Explore how GoodRx Community Link can bring greater transparency and predictability to brand and generic dispensing, helping independent pharmacies serve patients sustainably and with confidence.
 
Featured Guests:
David Graziano — Head of Retail Network, GoodRx
Tom DePietro — Independent Pharmacy Owner, DePietro’s Pharmacy
 
Host:
Todd Eury — Founder, Pharmacy Podcast Network
 
Visit goodrx.com/CommunityLink to learn more
GoodRx is NOT insurance.

Specialty pharmacy is becoming one of the most important access points in modern healthcare, particularly for patients managing complex, chronic, rare, and high-cost conditions. As therapies advance and patient needs become more sophisticated, health systems are rethinking how specialty pharmacy can improve medication access, continuity of care, clinical outcomes, affordability, and the overall patient experience.
 
In this special episode of This Week in Pharmacy, the Pharmacy Podcast Network introduces Specialty Care Close to Home, a new series examining how hospitals and health systems are designing, building, supporting, and scaling specialty pharmacy services across health-system and community-based care models.
 
Featured Guests
 
Dr. Laura Mark, PharmDVice President of Pharmacy, Allegheny Health Network
 
Allison ArantSenior Vice President, Clearway Health
 
Chris CorsiChief Executive Officer, CassianRx
 
Together, the guests discuss why health-system specialty pharmacy expansion matters, what successful programs require, and where the greatest strategic and operational challenges exist. The conversation explores how strong partnerships, integrated clinical workflows, patient-centered technology, and coordinated care teams can reduce fragmentation and improve specialty medication access.
 
Discussion Highlights
The growing strategic role of health-system specialty pharmacy
Keeping patients connected to trusted local care teams
Improving access, adherence, affordability, and therapy management
Building scalable specialty pharmacy infrastructure
Integrating clinical, operational, and technology capabilities
Overcoming payer, workflow, workforce, and reimbursement challenges
Creating collaborative models that support long-term sustainability
 
Future episodes of Specialty Care Close to Home will explore accreditation, payer access, manufacturer relationships, clinical workflow, patient engagement, technology infrastructure, data reporting, community access, workforce development, and financial sustainability.
 
The series will also feature pharmacy directors, vice presidents, executives, operators, and innovators from health systems across the country who are leading the next generation of specialty care delivery.
 
Host: Todd Eury, Founder of the Pharmacy Podcast Network
 
Coming Soon: Specialty Care Close to Home—a national conversation about bringing advanced specialty pharmacy services closer to where patients live, work, and receive care.

AI in Pharmacy Standards and Drug Supply Chain UpgradesThis Week in Pharmacy — July 17, 2026
 
Artificial intelligence and supply chain modernization are reshaping pharmacy practice, patient access, and healthcare operations.
 
In this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, host Todd Eury speaks with leaders from URAC and Cencora about responsible AI adoption and the growing gap between drug availability and real-world access.
 
Guests
 
Shawn Griffin, MDPresident and CEO, URAC
 
Brent WilhelmSenior Vice President, Global Supply Chain Center of Excellence, Cencora
 
Tim WeberPharmacy Operations and Regulatory Executive
 
AI is already supporting clinical documentation, patient communication, risk prediction, and workflow automation. URAC President and CEO Shawn Griffin, MD, explains why healthcare organizations need clear governance, defined accountability, human oversight, and continuous monitoring before deploying AI at scale.
 
The discussion addresses transparency, performance evaluation, bias, data integrity, cybersecurity, and the role accreditation standards may play in promoting safe and responsible AI adoption.
 
Governance and accountability for AI outputs
Human review of AI-supported decisions
Monitoring safety, accuracy, and bias
The role of accreditation in AI oversight
Balancing innovation with patient protection
 
Drug Availability Versus Patient Access
 
Brent Wilhelm of Cencora discusses why a medication may exist somewhere in the supply chain but still remain difficult for providers to obtain.
 
Dosage limitations, delivery timing, ordering complexity, reimbursement barriers, cold-chain requirements, and site-of-care restrictions can all delay patient access.
 
Wilhelm explains why the industry must look beyond inventory levels and focus on whether providers can obtain the correct therapy, at the right location, when the patient needs it.
 
Inventory visibility versus actual access
Differences across pharmacies and sites of care
Specialty and temperature-sensitive therapies
Provider demand forecasting
Reducing delays, shortages, and waste
 
Tim Weber adds the pharmacy operations and regulatory viewpoint, discussing inventory planning, compliance, product tracing, reimbursement, and patient fulfillment.
 
The conversation highlights the need for better coordination among manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, health systems, payers, and regulators.

Integrative Care Impact and the Expanding Role of the Pharmacist | TWIRx
Today’s episode of This Week in Pharmacy explores two major opportunities shaping the future of the profession: the growth of holistic and integrative pharmacy services inside community pharmacies, and the expanding demand for pharmacists across the business, insurance, and PBM sectors.
In our first segment, Todd Eury welcomes special guests Robert Kress, RPh, and Dr. Bianca Bradshaw, PharmD, owner of Elmore Pharmacy in Red Bluff, California. Together, they discuss the tremendous opportunity for independent pharmacies to build holistic and integrative health departments that respond to growing consumer demand for natural products, supplements, wellness solutions, and personalized care.
Dr. Bianca Bradshaw, PharmD
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-bradshaw-141092205/
Patients are increasingly seeking more natural approaches to health, but they still need trusted clinical guidance. Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help patients evaluate products, avoid harmful interactions, understand evidence, and develop safer, more effective wellness plans. This conversation explores how pharmacies can create new service lines, improve patient relationships, and establish sustainable revenue opportunities through integrative care.
In our second segment, Dr. Bonnie Hui-Callahan, PharmD, returns to the show to discuss career opportunities for pharmacists within Judi Health and Capital Rx, as well as the broader business and insurance side of pharmacy.
Dr. Bonnie Hui-Callahan, PharmD
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-hui-callahan/
As PBMs continue to evolve, new-generation models are creating demand for pharmacists who understand clinical care, benefits, formulary strategy, patient access, data, and healthcare economics. Bonnie shares why pharmacists will remain essential as PBMs transform and why the profession should look beyond traditional dispensing and clinical practice roles when considering future career paths.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Independent Pharmacy Cooperative and SuiteRx.
Listen to This Week in Pharmacy on the Pharmacy Podcast Network.

Today e celebrate 250 Years of Freedom during this 4th of July special with Scotty Sykes with Sykes & Company Pharmacy Accounting Experts. Next, a special interview with Virginia Halsey SVP of Strategy and Product Management and Brad Engels Product Manager at First Databank (FDB). 
Today's TWIRx is sponsored by Sykes & Company 
250 Years of Freedom - 4th of July Special | TWIRx 

THIS WEEK IN PHARMACYPBM Truth, Cash-Based Pharmacy, and Psychedelics in Medicine
Presented by SuiteRx Pharmacy Software TechnologiesLearn more at SuiteRx.com
Episode Overview
On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, Todd Eury brings together two timely conversations focused on pharmacy transformation, advocacy, clinical education, and the future role of pharmacists in healthcare.
First, Todd welcomes Brad Hart, owner of Forest Park Pharmacy, a cash-based independent pharmacy model challenging the traditional reimbursement structure many pharmacies operate under. Brad has become a powerful advocate for pharmacy transparency, using TikTok and social media to expose current PBM practices, share data, and speak directly to patients, pharmacy owners, and policymakers about the realities facing independent pharmacies.
Brad’s message is clear: patients deserve transparency, pharmacy owners deserve fair treatment, and the profession needs more voices willing to educate the public with facts and truth.
In the second half of the episode, Todd is joined by Dr. Colby Burns and Dr. Andy Krut from the Psychedelic Pharmacists Association. This discussion helps set the groundwork for understanding psychedelics in medicine, the evolving role of pharmacists in psychedelic education, and the clinical potential of psychotropic therapies historically limited by regulation, stigma, and lack of provider education.
As interest in psychedelic-assisted care grows, pharmacists must be part of the conversation. Dr. Burns and Dr. Krut explain why pharmacist education, medication safety, and clinical understanding are essential as healthcare explores emerging approaches to mental health, trauma, pain, and complex patient care.
Featured Guests
Brad HartOwner, Forest Park Pharmacy
Dr. Colby BurnsPsychedelic Pharmacists Association
Dr. Andy KrutPsychedelic Pharmacists Association
Sponsored By
This episode of This Week in Pharmacy is brought to you by SuiteRx Pharmacy Software Technologies.
SuiteRx provides pharmacy software solutions designed to support independent pharmacies, improve workflow, enhance patient care, and help pharmacy teams operate more efficiently in today’s demanding healthcare environment.
Learn more at SuiteRx.com.

On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we bring together three powerful voices shaping the future of pharmacy, independent practice, functional medicine, and healthcare transformation.
 
First, we welcome Kris Rhea, MBA, Contributing Editor with Dispense Times, a digital publication dedicated to supporting independent community pharmacy owners across the United States. Kris brings a business-focused perspective on pharmacy operations, growth strategy, workflow efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and market positioning. His work with Dispense Times helps independent pharmacists navigate today’s rapidly changing healthcare landscape, including PBM pressures, evolving patient expectations, regulatory challenges, and the need for sustainable business models that keep local pharmacies strong.
 
We also speak with James Maskell, founder of Evolution of Medicine, an organization built to inspire, equip, and unite functional and integrative medicine practitioners. Evolution of Medicine provides education, practice-building resources, and community for clinicians who are working to build thriving practices rooted in whole-person care. James brings a national perspective on the movement toward functional medicine, community-based care, prevention, and new models that empower practitioners to better serve patients beyond the limitations of conventional healthcare.
 
Our third guest is Marina Buksov, PharmD, a pharmacist, herbalist, educator, podcast host, and holistic health consultant. After earning her PharmD from St. John’s University and graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2013, Marina entered pharmacy eager to serve patients, but quickly recognized that traditional allopathic pharmacy did not fully align with her deeper calling to help people thrive through prevention, root-cause care, plant medicine, and sustainable wellness strategies. Her experience behind the pharmacy counter and as a patient herself inspired her to pursue health coaching, nutrition, functional medicine, and clinical herbalism. Today, Marina helps pharmacists and healthcare professionals explore natural-minded career paths and build meaningful work that bridges pharmacology, herbal therapeutics, and holistic care.
 
Together, this episode explores where pharmacy is headed: independent pharmacy survival, business model innovation, functional medicine, patient-centered care, pharmacist reinvention, and the growing demand for healthcare professionals who can connect science, prevention, and real-world practice.
 
Listen to This Week in Pharmacy on the Pharmacy Podcast Network.Pharmacy’s future is being built by those willing to challenge the current model, support independent practice, and expand the role of pharmacists as trusted healthcare providers.

On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we examine three major forces shaping healthcare today: the global impact of conflict on health security, the continued evolution of personalized specialty pharmacy care, and the over-the-counter products patients rely on most.
 
We open the show with Aman Gupta, Managing Partner, Asia-Pacific at SPAG FINN Partners, and contributor author at MedikaLife. Aman joins TWIRx to discuss his latest MedikaLife article, which argues that global conflict is quietly undermining health security by redirecting funding, attention, and infrastructure away from healthcare and toward defense priorities.
 
As military spending rises, health systems—especially in low- and middle-income countries—face growing pressure from shrinking access, rising costs, workforce shortages, disrupted supply chains, weakened disease surveillance, and reduced emergency preparedness. Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan demonstrate how attacks on healthcare systems, displacement, malnutrition, and shortages of essential medicines can rapidly turn health access into a survival issue. Aman urges policymakers to treat health as strategic security infrastructure, not as a secondary social expense.
 
TWIRx also gives a special shout out to the Indian Pharmaceutical Association, recognizing its continued leadership and advocacy for the pharmacy profession.
 
Next, we welcome Dr. Chris Antypas, PharmD, with Perigon Pharmacy 360, for a discussion on how specialty pharmacy is becoming increasingly personalized. As complex therapies continue to advance, pharmacists are playing a critical role in ensuring medications and treatment plans are customized to optimize patient care. We explore how technology, workflow processes, clinical expertise, and pharmacists who deeply understand specific disease states are essential to successful specialty pharmacy outcomes.
 
To wrap up the episode, returning guest Shanley Chien Pierce, Senior Editor, Health at U.S. News & World Report, joins us to review the latest OTC medicine and health product evaluations. Top-rated products include Children’s Delsym for coughs, Unisom for sleep, and Pedialyte for electrolytes, along with skincare favorites such as La Roche-Posay for retinol and Aquaphor for lip balm.
 
For the full list covering more than 128 categories, visit the U.S. News Best OTC Medicine & Health Products rankings.
 
Sponsored by Perigon Pharmacy 360
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