Becker's Healthcare - Pharmacy Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Jeffrey Akers, PharmD, MHA, BCPS, CPEL, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at UC Health Corporate Pharmacy Services and Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, joins the podcast to discuss medication access services and the role pharmacy can play in improving access to care and support...

In this episode, Denise Scarpelli, PharmD, MBA, CPEL, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at UChicago Medicine, joins the podcast to discuss GLP-1 medications and strategies for keeping drug prices down. She also shares insights on managing drug shortages and developing payer-adaptive models.

In this episode, Stephen McGee, Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at SandsRx, discusses building AI governance, vendor accountability and staff trust while using AI to improve specialty pharmacy workflows, patient access and operational efficiency.  This episode is sponsored by URAC .

In this episode, Tony Ambrozie, Senior Vice President, Chief Digital & Technology Officer - Pharmacy, CVS Health Enterprise Digital, discusses Health 100, healthcare interoperability and how AI can help connect fragmented patient data, coordinate care and improve the consumer experience. He also shares his perspective on responsible AI, leadership and using technology to keep people at the cen...

In this episode, Laura Mark, Vice President of Pharmacy at Allegheny Health Network, joins the podcast to discuss improving enterprise-wide visibility into medication inventory and navigating ongoing drug shortages. She shares insights on strengthening pharmacy operations, improving inventory management, and building more resilient strategies to ensure medications remain available when patients ne...

In this episode, Dr. Jan D. Hirsch, Founding Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences & Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, discusses how AI, precision medicine, and interdisciplinary education are shaping the future of pharmacy while preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders to improve patient outcomes.

In this episode, Eric Huckins, Chief Growth Officer, Lumicera Health Services, Michael DePaz, Vice President of Supply Chain Specialty Pharmacy, Clarventa, and Jamie Palzkill, Director of Manufacturer Relations & Contracting, Clarventa, discuss rising drug costs, supply chain transparency, and the launch of Clarventa’s net-price procurement model. They explore how innovative partnerships can h...

In this episode, Lori Lotterman, RPh MPH, Subject Matter Expert in Pharmacy & Healthcare Management, discusses the rapid evolution of pharmacy technology, from paper processes to AI-powered systems and RFID tracking. She also shares insights on mentorship, adaptability, and how automation and compliance tools are transforming healthcare operations and pharmacy practice.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Spring 2026 Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit features Ryan Telford, VP, Portfolio Strategy, Accelerate Pharmacy Solutions. He shares insights from the Pharmacy Outlook 2026 report, highlighting key enterprise metrics, strategies to reduce specialty pharmacy leakage, and how health systems can prepare for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. This ep...

In this episode, Paul Green, Pharm. D., MHA, BCPS, CPEL, DPLA - Director of Pharmacy Services, Westchester Medical Center, discusses how pharmacy is evolving from a cost center to a key driver of clinical, operational, and financial value. He shares insights on technology integration, workforce sustainability, and building a proactive pharmacy strategy aligned with broader health system goals.

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Spring 2026 Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit features Dr. Janjri Desai, Interim VP, Pharmacy Services, Stanford Health Care and Dr. Seth Hartman, VP, Clinical Applications and Chief Pharmacy Information Officer, UChicago Medicine. They discuss how AI is streamlining administrative workflows, enabling more advanced clinical decision support, and reshaping pha...

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Spring 2026 Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit features Dr. Patrick Yoder, President, Quva BrightStream & Chief Data Analytics Officer, Quva Pharmaceuticals. He explores how health systems can address prescription leakage, strengthen care coordination, and use targeted data and AI strategies to improve both patient outcomes and financial performance. This...

This episode recorded live at the Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting features Nathan Bartlett, Director of Business Development, Civica, discussing how drug shortages impact patients and health systems and why they persist. He explains how Civica’s nonprofit, member-driven model is designed to stabilize supply, improve pricing predictability, and prevent shortages of essential medications.  This episode...

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Spring 2026 Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit features Nick Rebmann, EVP & Chief Growth Officer, Pillr Health. Here, he discusses how evolving 340B pressures are accelerating the shift to in-house pharmacy models to improve patient outcomes, strengthen care continuity, and unlock strategic value for health systems This episode is sponsored by Pillr Health...

This episode features Nishaminy Kasbekar, BS, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Penn Medicine. Here she discusses the importance of meeting patience where they are, making sure pharmacists are more integrated in the entire continuum of care, AI and automation in pharmacy, and more.

Susan Jacob, PharmD, MBA, Assistant Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services at NYC Health + Hospitals, shares insights on advancing pharmacy’s role in patient education, health equity, and system-wide care improvement. She also discusses leadership, serving vulnerable populations, and building strong, empowered teams.

In this episode, Melissa Chase, PharmD, BCSCP, CPEL, Director of Pharmacy at Valley Children’s Healthcare, joins the podcast to discuss investing in new technologies, including robotics, to enhance pharmacy operations. She shares how these innovations support patient and staff safety, and emphasizes the critical role frontline team members play in delivering high-quality, reliable care.

In this episode, AJ Rivosecchi, Product Director at Bluesight, explores how health systems are rethinking pharmacy procurement as a strategic function amid rising complexity, drug shortages, and 340B uncertainty. He shares how integrating data across supply chain, finance, and compliance can improve resilience, protect margins, and support better decision making.  This episode is sponosred by Blue...

In this episode, Karen J. McConnell, PharmD, MBA, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Michigan Medicine, discusses building a unified pharmacy strategy across multiple campuses, launching a systemwide pharmacy and therapeutics committee, and expanding specialty and ambulatory pharmacy services. She also shares how pharmacy leaders are preparing for rapid industry changes, drug pricing policy shifts, and the...

In this episode, Dmitry Walker, PharmD, MS, Director of Pharmacy Oncology and Investigational Drug Services at WVU Medicine, joins the podcast to discuss recent pharmacy initiatives, strategies for navigating ongoing drug shortages, and approaches to battling rising medication costs. He also shares insights into the expanding role of outpatient infusion care and how oncology pharmacy leaders are a...

In this episode, Derek Imars, Executive Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain at Indiana University Health, explores how health systems can treat pharmacy as a true end to end supply chain rather than just a purchasing function. He discusses centralizing procurement, leveraging data and automation, navigating 340B and regulatory pressures, and preparing for rising specialty and infusion drug costs whi...

In this episode, Sunil Patel, Vice President of Pharmacy Ambulatory at Sentara Health, shares how insourcing specialty pharmacy services improved efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced patient care. He also discusses leveraging technology, AI, and consolidated service centers to drive future growth and align pharmacy operations across the health system.

In this episode, Tracey Spangenberg, Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer at UC San Diego Health, joins the podcast to discuss system growth and early successes across the organization. She shares insights on the expanding role of outpatient care and retail pharmacy, outlines key challenges facing pharmacy leaders in the new year, and highlights how strategic investments today are positioning the syst...

In this episode, Nikita Parchem, PharmD, MHA, BCPS, joins the podcast to discuss system integration efforts that improve access, control costs, and support sustainable growth. She shares clinical access goals and outlines key priorities for pharmacy leaders as specialty and home infusion services continue to expand.

In this episode, Keith J. Mueller, PhD, Director of the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Iowa, shares insights on rural health policy, the transition from volume to value based care, and the role of technology and networks in sustaining rural services. He discusses payer dynamics, service line decisions, and how rural hospitals can adapt to policy, workforce, and access challen...