This Week in Pharmacy

Pharmacists and Advocacy for Patients in Pain 
Friday, August 21, 2026
What happens when patients living with chronic pain, their advocates, and the pharmacists responsible for dispensing opioid medications view the same healthcare system from very different perspectives?
This special episode of This Week in Pharmacy brings together the Doctor Patient Forum’s founders, Claudia A. Merandi and Bev C. Schechtman, with pharmacist and nationally recognized pharmacy advocate Dr. Shane Jerominski, PharmD—better known as “The Accidental Pharmacist.”
The discussion follows a wave of social-media debate surrounding Claudia’s use of the term “Harmacists,” which prompted responses from hundreds of pharmacists who felt the label misrepresented their professional responsibilities and the legal restrictions under which they practice.
Rather than allow that controversy to deepen the divide, TWIRx created an opportunity for direct, respectful conversation. The purpose of this episode is to help pain-patient advocates better understand the limits pharmacists face when dispensing opioids—and to identify opportunities for pharmacists and patient organizations to advocate together for safe, compassionate and uninterrupted pain care.
Five Legal and Supply-Chain Realities Affecting Opioid Dispensing
Pharmacists have a federal “corresponding responsibility.”Under 21 CFR §1306.04, a controlled-substance prescription must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose. Pharmacists share legal responsibility with prescribers for determining whether a prescription is valid. Knowingly filling an illegitimate prescription may expose the pharmacist to federal penalties and professional discipline. Review the federal regulation.
Schedule II prescriptions must satisfy strict requirements.Federal law generally requires a valid written or compliant electronic prescription before a Schedule II opioid may be dispensed. Emergency oral prescriptions are permitted only under limited conditions and require prescriber follow-up documentation.
Schedule II opioid prescriptions cannot be refilled.Under federal law, every additional dispensing generally requires a new prescription. Partial fills are allowed only under specific circumstances, documentation requirements and time limits. Pharmacists cannot simply extend or refill opioid therapy when a patient or prescriber requests it.
State laws add another layer of requirements.Depending on the state, pharmacists may have to verify prescriber authority, review prescription-monitoring information, validate electronic or security-form requirements, confirm identification, document partial fills, or comply with state-specific dispensing limitations. For example, California requires controlled-substance prescriptions to meet defined security and validity standards. California Board of Pharmacy guidance.
Wholesaler monitoring can restrict a pharmacy’s opioid supply.DEA-registered distributors must identify and report suspicious controlled-substance orders under 21 CFR §1301.74. National wholesalers therefore operate monitoring programs that may delay, limit or suspend shipments based on ordering patterns, geography, drug mix and internal thresholds. These controls are imposed upstream and can leave a pharmacy unable to obtain medication—even when the pharmacist believes a prescription is clinically and legally appropriate. Review the federal distributor requirements.
These examples are not exhaustive. Pharmacists must navigate overlapping federal law, DEA requirements, state pharmacy and controlled-substance laws, prescription-monitoring systems, employer policies, payer rules, wholesaler restrictions and professional standards. Requirements also vary by state and by the circumstances surrounding an individual prescription.
The Central Question
How can pain-patient advocates and pharmacists move beyond blame and work together to address the policies, supply restrictions, staffing conditions and regulatory pressures that can interfere with appropriate care?
This conversation explores:
Why patients may interpret a refusal or delay as judgment, discrimination or abandonment
Why pharmacists cannot treat a valid prescriber signature as automatic authorization to dispense
How PDMP and risk-scoring information can influence clinical decisions
The effect of corporate policies and wholesaler ordering controls
The difference between professional judgment and stigma
The communication failures that damage trust between patients, prescribers and pharmacists
How advocacy organizations and pharmacists can pursue policy reform together
Why patients deserve clear explanations, respectful treatment and continuity-of-care planning
How pharmacists can remain vigilant without losing empathy for people living with pain
About the Doctor Patient Forum
The Doctor Patient Forum, founded by Claudia A. Merandi and Bev C. Schechtman, combines healthcare education, research, digital influence and patient advocacy to address the consequences of opioid-reduction policies and barriers to individualized pain care.
Claudia A. Merandi is an advocate and educator whose work contributed to a Rhode Island law protecting access to pain management. Since 2016, she has built a growing national audience while documenting systemic harms experienced by patients and healthcare professionals.
Bev C. Schechtman is a researcher, advocate and educator who examines opioid-reduction policies, prescription drug monitoring programs and surveillance technologies such as NarxCare. Her work helps patients understand and navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system.
Learn more: The Doctor Patient Forum
About Dr. Shane Jerominski, PharmD
Dr. Shane Jerominski is a pharmacist, Navy veteran and nationally recognized pharmacy advocate known as “The Accidental Pharmacist.” In 2025, his professional peers selected him as one of the “50 Most Influential People in Pharmacy.”
Through his influential social-media platform, Shane combines humor, candid commentary and frontline experience to advocate for safer working conditions, professional unity and meaningful reform throughout pharmacy practice. He is also a co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild and has become a prominent voice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians nationwide.
A Call for Collaborative Advocacy
Patients should not be stigmatized because they require pain treatment. Pharmacists should not be vilified for complying with laws and professional obligations that can place their licenses and livelihoods at risk.
Progress requires both communities to recognize that many barriers originate beyond the pharmacy counter. Patients, pharmacists, prescribers and advocacy organizations share an interest in policies that protect medication safety without denying appropriate, individualized care.
The goal is not to determine which group has suffered more. The goal is to replace mistrust with understanding—and turn that understanding into stronger, unified advocacy.
This episode is intended for education and discussion. It does not provide legal or medical advice, and regulatory requirements may differ by jurisdiction and circumstance.

Independent pharmacies need partners they can trust—and patients need a prescription-drug system that puts access ahead of profits.
In this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, Todd Eury welcomes Rick Seipp, PharmD, President of Value Drug Company, to discuss the importance of choosing a dependable wholesale distribution partner. Following Smith Drug Company’s announced operational transition, Value Drug Company is prepared to help affected independent pharmacy owners evaluate their purchasing, distribution and operational needs while developing an orderly transition that protects continuity of service.
For more than 90 years, pharmacist-led Value Drug Company has supported community pharmacies through transparent pricing, dependable distribution, collective purchasing power and programs designed to improve efficiency, growth and profitability. Rick explains how the company will provide transition assistance and regional gatherings where pharmacy owners can speak directly with Value Drug Company leadership.
The episode also features a follow-up conversation with patient advocate Bil Schmidtknecht about the continuing fight for Cole’s Act. Named in memory of Bil’s son, Cole, the proposed reforms seek to protect patients from unexpected formulary and coverage changes that can suddenly make essential medications unaffordable.
“Patients can’t afford more delays, and lives should never be collateral damage in a profit-driven system,” Bil says. The discussion examines PBM accountability, medication affordability and why families must receive meaningful notice before coverage changes place lifesaving treatments beyond their reach.
TWIRx News: Week Ending August 14, 2026
Employers Are Moving Away from the “Big Three” PBMs
A new employer survey points to growing disruption in the PBM marketplace. Forty-six percent of surveyed employers reported using a PBM outside CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx—up from 37% the previous year. Employers are increasingly seeking transparent pricing, access to claims data and greater control over prescription-drug spending.
Read the Axios report
FDA Delays Major iPLEDGE Changes Until November
The FDA has postponed implementation of updated iPLEDGE REMS requirements from August 8 to November 15, 2026, to allow additional system testing. The forthcoming changes are intended to reduce burdens on patients, pharmacists and prescribers while maintaining safeguards surrounding isotretinoin.
Read the FDA iPLEDGE update
 
Episode Resources
Value Drug Company transition-support announcement
Value Drug Company transition assistance: 1-866-226-1772
Patient Protector
Modern Medical Mafia: PBM Reform
Pharmacy Podcast Network
About the Guests
Rick Seipp, PharmDPresident, Value Drug Company
Bil SchmidtknechtPatient advocate and father of Cole Schmidtknecht
The Value of a Trusted Wholesaler & Cole’s Act Update | TWIRx

In the first episode of this three-part CurifyLabs Podcast Series, we provide a broad overview of the CurifyLabs platform and its role in modernizing personalized medicine and pharmaceutical compounding. The discussion explores how the platform combines digital workflows, automated production technology, and standardized processes to help pharmacies and healthcare organizations improve efficiency, consistency, quality, and scalability.
 
Listeners will learn how CurifyLabs supports the preparation of customized medications while helping pharmacy teams reduce manual complexity, strengthen documentation, and expand access to patient-specific therapies. This opening episode establishes the foundation for the series and examines how technology can help transform the future of pharmaceutical compounding.

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