The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™

In this episode, we sit down with Wendy Barnes, CEO of RxBenefits, to discuss the challenges faced by self-insured employers in managing pharmacy benefits. Barnes shares her insights on the difference between PBOs and PBMs, the complexities of managing pharmacy benefits, and the importance of pharmacists in the healthcare system.

Here are 10 points covered in this episode: Pharmacy benefit optimizers (PBOs) help smaller to mid-sized self-insured employers manage their pharmacy benefits. PBOs and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have different roles and responsibilities. Self-insured employers face financial pressures and the complexity of managing pharmacy benefits. The big three PBMs extract high rates year over year, but the industry is moving towards a cost-plus environment. RX Benefits offers a one-year contract model to account for market changes. Misinformation is a challenge in the industry, and transparency is critical in negotiations. A small team of decision-makers engages with PBMs directly, emphasizing the need for accountability on both sides. Providing a comprehensive approach to managing pharmacy benefits and a single member service center can simplify the process for employees. A supplemental stop-loss product can help smaller employers cover specialty medication costs. Pharmacists are essential in the healthcare system and have become increasingly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.rxbenefits.com/ Connect with Mike: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizofpharmpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BizOfPharmPod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBusinessofPharmacyPodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/bizofpharmpodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bizofpharmpodWebsite: https://www.bizofpharmpod.com Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.bizofpharmpod.com/reviews/new/

Varun Goyal, MCS, MBA, CEO at Illuminate Health, discusses the skills needed to lead a startup.

https://illuminate.health/

Jerrica Dodd, PharmD, discusses the launch of her PharmaSIR magazine. 

https://drjerricadodd.com/

Roy Wilkinson founder and CEO of Mutual Rx discussed the growth of  transparent PBMs.

https://www.mutual-rx.com/

Loretta Boesing founder of Unite for Safe Medications, discusses the unregulated temperature extremes in mail order pharmacy.

https://uniteforsafemedications.com/

Carm Huntress, BEE, CEO of Credo discusses the future of medical records. https://www.credohealth.com/

Mike Castagna, PharmD, MBA, discusses his journey to becoming CEO of MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD)

https://mannkindcorp.com/

Kris Rhea, MBA discusses how is achieving national distributions as the head of pharmacy at BIOLYTE®.

https://drinkbiolyte.com

Luke Slindee and Benjamin Jolley, PharmDs, discuss the FTC Inquiry into PBMs.

https://benjaminjolley.substack.com/

Tom Hartwig, PhD, discusses the needs of and the potential of the rapidly aging consumer market.

https://maturewell.com/

Kunal Vyas founder and owner of RxMile discusses home prescription delivery.

RxMile.com

Susan Lang, CEO of XIL Health, talks about the shifting pharmacy market.

https://www.xilhealth.com

Pharmacist Rudy Dajie discusses his love of growing existing businesses.

DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP, discusses the business of deprescribing and how he has become the face of that movement.

https://www.geriatrx.org/

Alex Barker, PharmD, discusses the results of The Happy PharmD's recent pharmacist well-being survey.

https://thehappypharmd.com/care

Brad Hurdle, pharmacist, discusses how to manage tensions vs. solving problems, and growing from past trauma.

https://www.bradhurdle.com/

Kristin Denne Tallent, PharmD, discusses what she has learned from being an employee in corporate America to then being an employer. 

https://www.collaborativetherapeutics.com/ 

Pharmacist Kelley Carlstrom, PharmD, BCOP, talks about becoming an oncology coach for other pharmacists.

https://www.kelleycpharmd.com/ 

Derek Borkowski, PharmD, Pyrls Founder & CEO discusses how he founded Pyrls.

https://pyrls.com/

Alex Barker, PharmD, Founder and CEO of The Happy PharmD, discusses how his business stayed focus during personal adversities.

https://thehappypharmd.com/

Robert Popovian, PharmD, discusses what the profession of pharmacy can learn from the recent pandemic.

George Zorich, Founder and CEO at ZEDpharma, Inc., discusses his business career as an example of the unlimited potential in a pharmacy degree. 

https://www.zedpharma.com/

James Lott, PharmD, MPP, discusses how Scripted will simplify pharmacist prescribing. 

https://www.scripted.co/

Kimber Boothe, PharmD, MHA, discussed ways to improve your career as both an intrapreneur and entrepreneur. 

https://www.kimberboothe.com/

Stanley Warren of Pharmacy Stan talks about the value that comes from creating branding hooks.

https://www.pharmacystan.com/

Sean Duffy, RPh, owner of Integrity Pharmacy Consultants, talks about what adds value to your pharmacy. 

https://integrity-rx.com/about-integrity/

Mike Corvino, PharmD, Podcast Host at CorConsult Rx talks about committing to doing something you love each day and the success will follow. https://www.corconsultrx.com/

Bled Tanoe, PharmD is the founder of the #PizzaIsNotWorking campaign for pharmacy.

fightingforfarmacy@gmail.com

Shelley Bailey, MBA, Founder of Famlee Health, discusses lessons she learned from the sale of her independent pharmacy. 

https://famlee.com/

Scott Knoer and Antonio Ciaccia discuss the advantages and challenges of fighting for pharmacy on a national level. 

https://www.pharmacist.com/

https://www.3axisadvisors.com/

Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, of Your Financial Pharmacist, answers the question "Is Pharmacy School Worth it?"

https://yourfinancialpharmacist.com/

Pharmacist E. Michael Murphy, through the American Pharmacists Association, helps state pharmacy associations get more patients better access to quality pharmacy care. 

https://www.pharmacist.com/

Attorney Natalia Mazina discusses how to survive a DEA or FBI audit in your pharmacy.

https://www.pharmhealthlaw.com/

Scott Newman, PharmD, discusses the reasons why he sold his independent pharmacy.

https://www.truthrx.org/

Erick Von Schweber, the CEO of Surveyor Health Corporation,in conjunction with Dr. Ed Jai of Inland Empire Health Plan, share insight about medication management, artificial intelligence, and deprescribing.

https://www.surveyorhealth.com
https://www.iehp.org

Doug Hoey, BPharm, is the CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association

https://ncpa.org/

Dave Wendland is the VP of Strategic Relations at Hamacher Resource Group (HRG).

https://hamacher.com/

Jamie Wilkey, PharmD, is the founder of the PGx Consulting Confidence Academy https://www.archeshealthgroup.com/

Dr. Robert Pearl, MD is the author of the book Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients

https://robertpearlmd.com/uncaring/

Attorney Greg Reybold is general counsel & vice-president of public policy for the Georgia Pharmacy Association.

Tyson Clarke is the CEO of Voista, a retail training software. 

https://www.voista.com.au/

From new development to commercialization and every stage in between, Divya Yerraguntla has strategized, orchestrated, and led successful, award-winning product launches including 3 blockbuster drugs.

Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP is the founder and CEO of "The Public Health Pharmacist"

https://www.thepublichealthpharmacist.com/

Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH is the president of the American Pharmacists Association and the executive vice president of Tabula Rasa HealthCare

David Weinandy, PhD, is professional speaker and trainer.  He teaches communication at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Dr. David Geir, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and media expert. Listen as he discusses ways to that the local media can help your business.

https://www.drdavidgeier.com/

Jason Dearen is an Associated Press investigative journalist whose nonfiction narrative book KILL SHOT, the untold story of the worst drug contamination crisis in U.S. history, was published on Feb. 23 by Penguin Random House.

https://www.jasondearen.com/

Ben and Matt Coakley from Waypoint Rx discuss the Pharmacy of Tomorrow which includes putting insurance agencies in pharmacies

https://www.waypointus.com/waypointrx

How Camille Schrier, PharmD Student, became Miss America 2020, and the business lessons that have come along with that title.

Amina Abubakar, PharmD, is the president of Avant Institute.

https://www.avantinstitute.com

Rich Danhof, CPA and Owen BonDurant discuss why pharmacies should use cash basis accounting.

https://independentrxconsulting.com/

James Broughel, PhD, is a regulatory economist that studies regulatory effects on pharmacy. https://www.mercatus.org/

Carm Huntress is the founder and CEO of RxRevu.

https://rxrevu.com/

Victoria Reinhartz, PharmD is the founder & CEO of Mobile Health Consultants, Inc.

Flaviu Simihaian is the co-founder and CEO of Troy Medicare, the first AI-driven, pharmacy-powered Medicare Advantage company.

Kyle McCormick, PharmD, owns Blueberry Pharmacy, a cash-only pharmacy. 

https://blueberrypharmacy.com/

Alex Oshmyansky, MD, PhD, is the CEO/Founder of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. 

alex@costplusdrugs.com

Follow Claudia Cometa's path from pharmacy to patient advocacy. 

https://www.peaceadvocacygroup.com/

Gordon Vanscoy discusses rare pharmacy and the two companies he founded in that field.  

https://www.raremed.com/

Kelly Bolhofner discusses how she helps hospitals save money on their drug costs. In addition, Kelly also discusses new products in oncology nutrition. 

(00:39) Specialty Rx Consulting

(34:30) OncoBitez

Neal Smoller, PharmD, put on a huge COVID vaccine clinic in New York. Here is how he did it and what he learned. 

www.drnealsmoller.com/courses

Phil Baker is a pharmacist and the founder of Good Shepherd Health

https://www.goodsheprx.com/

Andrew Aertker and Gavin Buchanan are the co-founders of PatchRx.

https://www.getpatchrx.com/

Tim Clark and Mark BonDurant are pharmacists. They've owned and sold dozens of pharmacies together. They are both consultants for Pharmacy Transition Partners. In this episode, we talk about difficult downsizing decisions. 

https://pharmacytransition.com/

Iqbal Atcha, RPh, MBA, helps healthcare professionals and executives advance their careers.

http://www.atchainternational.com

Pharmacist Shawn Bjorndal is the founder of RPhAlly.

https://rphally.com/

Craig Douglas is the cofounder of Statim Rx, an 'on demand' pharmacy. 

https://statimrx.com/

Linda Clark is an attorney who helps pharmacists and pharmacies. Listen in as we discuss the ramifications of Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

Robert Popovian, PharmD, works for Pfizer. He is a clinical pharmacist, health economist, and a truth teller.

Sachin Shah, PharmD is the co-founder of Veganmed, Inc.

https://www.veganmed.org/

Payal and Dae are both pharmacists and attorneys with Frier Levitt. 

https://www.frierlevitt.com/

Allyson Brennan, PharmD, is the founder and owner of Emogene & Co. Natural Skincare.

https://www.emogeneandco.com

Deborah Bowers is a pharmacist who administers a pharmacy social media group on facebook.

Owen BonDurant and Mark Nelson are both partners at Independent Rx Consulting, offering pharmacy consulting and accounting services to independent pharmacies. 

https://independentrxconsulting.com

Antonio Ciaccia of 3 Axis Advisors and 46brooklyn Research, has recently been named Senior Advisor for Disruptive Innovation and Practice Transformation at the American Pharmacists Association. 

Shaneka Baylor is a pharmacist. She owns two businesses: one, a franchise, the other, a start-up. 

https://chefsforseniors.com/arlington-grand-prairie-tx

https://divinehandshw.com/

Nathan Gabhart is the founder and CEO of TrueScripts PBM

https://www.truescripts.com/

 Scott Knoer, PharmD, is the CEO of the American Pharmacists Association.

Eric Pachman is the founder of 46brooklyn Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the transparency and accessibility of drug pricing data for the American public. 

https://www.46brooklyn.com/

Mayank Amin, PharmD, MBA, brought a deserted pharmacy back to life, with many twists and turns along the way. This is that story. 

DIR expert, Benjamin Jolley, PharmD, discusses effective counterpunches that can be used against the pharmacy benefit managers

Pharmacist Ghada Abdallah, founded, operated, and sold three pharmacies. This is her entrepreneurial story. 

Chara Reid-Reed, PharmD is the founder of Pharmacist Women Networking Association, Inc. Listen as she shares her 'offline networking' expertise. 

Go behind-the-scenes of 'Pharmacist Moms' with founder Suzy Soliman. Why she founded the group, what makes her tick, how the group works behind-the-scenes, and what plans lie ahead. 

https://www.pharmacistmomsgroup.com/ #business #pharmacy #podcast 

David Light is a biotech scientist and entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Valisure. He is responsible for the global ranitidine recall.

https://www.valisure.com/

Neal Smoller, PharmD is a sarcastic, slightly unprofessional healthcare professional. He calls himself a holistic pharmacist, which he admits is a made up term, because he wants people to only use medicine when absolutely appropriate, and instead use lifestyle choices and yes, supplements to prevent and manage diseases. He's launching Supplement School, an online education program to teach people how to build a sustainable wellness practice with their expertise at the center.  

www.drnealsmoller.com

Montuno Software is an innovative digital technology company that has solutions for mobile care management, pharmacy management, medication adherence, and home health. The flagship consumer product, Dosecast, is a mobile medication adherence app that helps patients with chronic illness manage large medication lists. Robert Longyear is Director of Product Management at Montuno Software.

#business #pharmacy #podcast #medicalapp #pharmacyapp

Tim Mitchell and Paula Boettler are community pharmacists at Mitchell's Drug Stores in Neosho, Missouri. They have been providing enhanced pharmacy services for the last 15 years. Their pharmacies are part of CPESN Missouri and were recently awarded a Flip the Pharmacy grant through the Community Pharmacy Foundation and CPESN-USA.

Our guest this week is Mitch Lee, PharmD, retail pharmacist and host of the Retell Pharmacy podcast.

#business #pharmacy #podcast #retellpharmacy

Tim Koelzer is the president of Equibrand Consulting. Tim brings deep professional experience in helping companies establish and extend brands through marketing, branding, and new product development.  Tim is also the author of the upcoming book 'Upstream Marketing: Using Insight, Identity and Innovation to Drive Growth" 

You can reach Tim at tim@eqbd.com 

http://www.equibrandconsulting.com 

http://www.upstreammarketing.com 

#business #pharmacy #podcast #upstreammarketing #koelzer #branding

Dr. Abbi Linde is a functional medicine pharmacist working to transform her pharmacy into a wellness center. Utilizing the framework of CPESN, nutrient depletion, weight loss, and functional medicine, Abbi is trying to build a diverse pharmacy business focusing on food as medicine and keeping patients off medications. #business #pharmacy #podcast #CPESN #functionalmedicine #foodasmedicine #medsync

Brandon Dyson, PharmD is the founder of the pharmacy education website, tl;dr pharmacy

https://www.tldrpharmacy.com

Dr. Jerrica Dodd is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, coach and leader. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a Master of Science in Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Science with a focus in Applied Pharmacoeconomics from the University of Florida. She completed her pharmacy practice and administration residency at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

Dr. Dodd has been a pharmacist for 21 years and transitioned into full time entrepreneurship after a 17-year career in the pharmaceutical industry in multiple roles in Medical Affairs. She has also managed a hospital pharmacy, and has experience in retail pharmacy. Her recent educational pursuits have been completion of a Nutrition Health Coaching Certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Currently, she is enrolled in the Institute of Functional Medicine and aiming to introduce a functional medicine perspective to the pharmaceutical management of member patients of Your Pharmacy Advocate, LLC where she is the founder and CEO.

Dr. Dodd has been requested to serve as a speaker for numerous and diverse professional and community events. Her experience also includes speaking to diverse audiences including health care providers. Jerrica’s most recent speaking engagements were as a speaker and panelist at entrepreneurial events at the 2019 Essence Festival in New Orleans, LA. She is a co-author of the recently published book, I Survived and has been featured on MizCEO, Glambitious and UpWords magazine covers in 2019. Dr. Dodd enjoys traveling, reading, teaching Zumba, cooking, and attending cultural events. With her background in pharmacy, leadership training and her passion for people, Dr. Dodd enjoys encouraging people to be their best and to get the most out of every opportunity that life presents.

Her favorite scripture is Luke 12:48...”to whom much is given, much is required” and Dr. Dodd endeavors to live life giving back from the abundant ways in which she has been blessed. #business #pharmacy #podcast #pharmacypodcast

The story behind the success of Ranger Ready Repellent.  Chris Fuentes is the Founder and CEO of Ranger Ready Repellents, and Evan Kesten is Ranger Ready's director of sales for Travel, Health, and Wellness. #business #pharmacy #podcast #pharmacypodcast #rangerready

Paul Lowndes is the co-founder of Mediapharm, the world's #1 pharmacy training platform that up-skills, empowers and motivates pharmacy teams. Mediapharm helps pharmacy businesses grow by instituting higher standards through regular and consistent training. They have helped pharmacy chains and independents for over 20 years to increase sales by improving their training processes and automating delivery.

#business #pharmacy #podcast #pharmacypodcast #UK

Bridget Hanna is the owner of Independent Edge Consulting. She is a  certified compounding pharmacy technician (CPhT) with over 10 years in Pharmacy. She is passionate about pharmacy compounding and helping all Independent pharmacies grow their retail and compounding practice and thrive in their community. Her background and experience in pharmacy marketing and compounding gives her extra insight into how to help each pharmacy overcome the struggles faced by implementing consistent and effective marketing practices while running an Independent pharmacy.

www.independentedgeconsulting.com

#business #pharmacy #podcast #pharmacypodcast #pharmacytechnician #CPhT #compounding

Ashlee Hayes, PharmD/MHA, is the founder of RX Ashlee, a career development company that focuses on teaching professionals on how to stand out in a busy marketplace. Ashlee has been in the nontraditional healthcare arena for over 16 years and rose to the level of Director of Clinical Operations, in a pharmacy software company, before moving to her current role in career strategizing and consulting. She is the Career Strategist at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy where she teaches students and alumni tools for career success. 

Terry Forshee has been an independent pharmacist for 42 years.  He has done pretty much everything one can do in pharmacy. He has owned five stores, two DME companies, two home infusion pharmacies, and an LTC pharmacy.  Terry and Angela started the TakeChargeRx program for pharmacists in 2005 and developed it for independent pharmacists.  Contact: dt4c@takechargerx.com For Mike Koelzer Consulting™ please visit www.mikekoelzer.com

After a successful career in theater, Adam Baillio decided he needed a career with more consistent work. Pharmacy was his choice. Never one to relax in his pursuits, he knew that even as a student, networking with current pharmacy professionals would get him a continual leg up on the competition. Listen as Adam discusses how he uses not only social media, but his own podcast to build his brand.

To be a guest on the show, please contact mike@mikekoelzer.com 

Dr. Asha Pai Bohannon helps other pharmacist entrepreneurs bring their dreams and passions to life and launch a business on their own terms.

https://www.paiwellnessgroup.com/

Erin Albert is an edutainer who helps pharmacists get to their best state.