The Independent Pharmacy Alliance Podcast

New York legislature has done it, New Jersey bill S2345 /A1502 has passed the Assembly, the federal government the New Jersey governor has been talking about it.  Is this the year we finally get it done. This week we have a discussion with someone who thinks the answer is a big yes and someone with some big questions and needs help from the listeners if we want this year to be the year.  

We may not have Mark Ruffalo, but we do have Anthony Reznik and Laurie Clark on the task force for the newly elected New Jersey Governor, Mikie Sherrill, and they are being asked directly about the harm pharmacy benefit managers cause the industry.  This week, Anthony and Laurie discuss what is happening in the room where it happens, how they are preparing for a new legislative year, and how their...

Over 38 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, which is about 1 in 10 people, and it can be hard for someone to go to the doctor's office and get the advice they need.  There is an opportunity for pharmacies, especially independent pharmacies, to fill in this space and provide that knowledge.  This week, Anthony speaks with Lucille Hughes, the Director of Scientific Communication at Embecta, ab...

In 2024, the price of Cole Schmidtknecht's inhaler exceeded $500, and he had to choose between his inhaler and rent. He chose rent, and after an asthma attack, he died at the age of 22. When his parents realized what had happened, they went to work to make sure no other family would have to go through the same tragedy they had. This week, we spoke to his father, Bil Schmidtknecht, about what part...

New Jersey pharmacists are bracing for potential cuts to the state's Medicaid program due to Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. As the legislature gets ready to move back into session, SAVENJRX is working to secure patient access to pharmacies and lower drug prices. This week, Anthony talks about state Medicaid cuts and what is being done on a national level.   

One of the many services the Independent Pharmacy Alliance offers its members is partnering with companies that seek to help independent pharmacies. One such company is VaxServe. VaxServe is a leading specialty distributor of vaccines that provides immunization expertise and solutions to help healthcare partners achieve their immunization goals. So what can they do for small business owners like y...

Right now, President Trump is trying to pass his budget bill through the House of Representatives, and while it could have far-reaching effects throughout the country, it will also affect PBM Reform. So, to try and understand everything that is going on, we have a mega episode for you, one that will be co-hosted by our friend Laurie Clark from the Garden State Pharmacy Owners.  Together, she and A...

Representing Massachusetts's 4th District, we are joined by Representative Jake Auchincloss this week. We discuss recent bills killed on the House floor, bills he is looking to introduce that will help independent pharmacists, and what issues have bi-partisan support, even in this highly politicized environment. 

A new PBM Law has gone into effect that could change the industry and New Jersey is spearheading the effort. This could change how Independent Pharmacists get paid nationwide if we do our part.  So what do we need to do? Laurie Clark joins the podcast this week to explain.

The Lame Duck session of Congress has begun. It is less than a month until all business in Washington, D.C. ends and the new administration begins. This means there is only a limited time left to pass legislation that would help independent pharmacists, such as the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability Act and the Pharmacists Fight Back Act. This week, Anthony discusses tangible actions you...

This week Anthony is joined by a special guest Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna Therapeutics. They discuss independent pharmacies' role in the vaccination effort and touch on Moderna's current innovations. Stéphane also offers business tips to independent pharmacy owners across the nation.

Many discount card programs are scams.  Independent pharmacists can get burned when patients use these cards because they lose money. Al Branca works with Axe Rx and says that this program is different. This week Anthony talks with Al and he explains what makes Axe Rx different, how it can help you avoid audits, and why it's worth at least trying. 

Loretta Boesing's son, a transplant survivor reliant on medication every 12 hours, faced a scary situation with a mail-order pharmacy, an experience that could have been fatal. Determined not to be defeated, Loretta mobilized dozens of protestors outside Express Scripts and planned to confront other PBMs that mandate mail-order systems. This week, Anthony discussed with Loretta the critical role o...

In the Mr. Smith sequel no one expected, Anthony, just came back from the National Community Pharmacists Association Government Affairs Conference in D.C. and has news about the PBM Package. This week he shares what was learned at the conference, and what legislators are saying behind closed doors.  And how you can help get this package approved before the 2024 election.

A lot of news came out in the pharmacy industry recently.  Mark Cuban was at a White House round table speaking his truth about PBMs, and then there was the data hack of Change Healthcare affecting thousands of people, which led us to discuss best practices when protecting the data for your small business.

2024 could be a crazy year for the independent pharmacist. While we are optimistic about new legislation that could help the fight against PBMs we are also looking at rising labor challenges. With so many big retailers shutting their doors can we take advantage? This week Anthony looks at the biggest trends in retail pharmacy at the beginning of the new year. 

There was an article put out by CBS News that caught our eye with the same headline as the podcast. It speaks to The Biden administration's first major step toward imposing limits on the pharmacy benefit managers and how some pharmacists say it's adding to the woes of the independent drugstores it was partly designed to help. So, is it? This week Anthony speaks to the article, whether it's a salac...

This week we dive into SaveNJRx, a groundbreaking movement that's shaking up the independent pharmacy landscape in New Jersey!  Meet Brian Oliveira, Executive Director of Garden State Pharmacy Owners, and Svet Milic of Colonia Natural Pharmacy. They're at the forefront of a movement to unite Independent New Jersey Pharmacists, reinstate Medicaid fee-for-service, and secure millions in prescription...

Need help to file appeals for reimbursement? Enrolling in Medicare? How about PBM Audits? We have the person for you. This week we speak to Heather Rodgers, IPA’s Senior Member Services Administrator. She will speak about how she can help you, the cost of filing the paperwork, and the cost of not taking advantage of these services.    

It's a mailbag episode. This week we talk about a slew of different topics including the most important PBM-related news in 2023, how the new debt limit deal affects independent pharmacists, and the best rides in Disney World. 

Ever go a little too crazy the night before and feel terrible the next day? For an independent pharmacist, I promise a DIR Hangover is way worse. This week we spoke with two members of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Anne Cassity, and the Senior Vice President of Policy Pharmacy Affairs, Ronna Hauser about being in D.C., two b...

Medicaid Fee-for-service is scheduled for implementation on April 1, 2023. This means all prescriptions the New York Medicaid program pays for will be done without PBMs. This week we are joined by the former Chairman of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, Thomas D'Angelo to talk about how this happened, what work still needs to be done, and how you can help. 

It's a new year, and with it comes a new Congress, and an increased focus on pharmacy benefit managers and the role they play in setting drug prices. This week we speak to Tennessee Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, a licensed pharmacist, and successful business owner, about a bill she helped introduce to make PBM reform recommendations, what the FTC is doing to help, and the chances we see some re...

Long-Term Care Pharmacies play a vital role in communities across the country, yet no federal definition exists. However, that could all change. This week we talk to Michelle Templin, the Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs at Managed HealthCare Associates about the new laws being discussed and how the new rules are affecting pharmacies everywhere. 

At the core of independent pharmacy is the desire to help the community, this week we talk to Darren Schaupp, the Co-Founder, and CEO at SiteLabs, who went above and beyond by working in community development and on tropical diseases in Africa for over two decades. He tells us about his experience and what that taught him while trying to stop the spread of diseases like COVID-19 at home