Cardinal Health Recognizes Excellence in Retail Independent Pharmacy At Retail Business Conference 2023

At this year’s Retail Business Conference (RBC), Cardinal Health brought together more than 4,000 retail independent pharmacies in Boston, MA, to celebrate the critical role they play in caring for their communities, demonstrate the power of advocacy and their collective voice, and empower them through education sessions, networking opportunities and solutions to help them thrive in a continually evolving landscape.

Throughout RBC 2023, Cardinal Health leaders recognized the role of retail independent pharmacies as cornerstones in their communities, delivering personalized care with passion and dedication to the families they serve.

Brad Cochran, executive vice president of retail distribution at Cardinal Health and president of The Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., commented on how retail independent pharmacies have expanded their workloads to provide more services than ever before.

“The personal attention, services and care you deliver every day are essential to driving improved health outcomes for your patients, and you’re doing it all while taking on more patient-facing responsibilities, working longer hours and facing some of your toughest challenges,” Cochran said.

Brad Cochran

Image credit: Alabastro Photography

Each year at RBC, the Community Leadership Award is presented to a pharmacy demonstrating community leadership and involvement, inspiring others, and going above and beyond to make their community a better place to live.

This year’s recipient, Joe Shunnarah of Joe’s Pharmacy in Harvest, AL, demonstrated an exceptional commitment to giving back, from donating products to EMTs in the aftermath of a tornado and providing shelter for those in need, to hosting fundraisers for local schools and helping school nurses ensure they have what they need to care for students.

Other nominees for this year’s award included Larry Webber, owner of Webber’s Pharmacy, Jackson Street Drug and Parkway Pharmacy in Mexico, MS, and Edna Lopez of Farmacia Aliadas Yarimar in San Juan, PR.

At RBC, Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., a Cardinal Health company and franchisor with hundreds of independently owned The Medicine Shoppe^® Pharmacy and Medicap Pharmacy^® locations across the U.S., recognized franchisees with several awards spotlighting excellence in community pharmacy at their annual reception.

Jason Wang, PharmD, owner of two locations in Afton and Pevely, MO, and Louisiana state Rep. Chris Turner, owner of The Medicine Shoppe^® Pharmacy in Oak Grove, LA both received the Professional Achievement Award, given to franchisees who exemplify what it means to be a community pharmacist by practicing at the top of their license, actively advocating for their profession and engaging with local, state or national pharmacy associations.

Jennifer Seltzer

Image credit: Alabastro Photography

This year’s Rookie of the Year award for this year was given to Jennifer Seltzer, PharmD, owner of The Medicine Shoppe^® Pharmacy in Bloomsburg, PA, for her commitment to becoming a healthcare destination for families and communities and working with her Franchise Business Consultant to enhance patient care by implementing new solutions and services.

Larry Schieber

Image credit: Alabastro Photography

Larry Schieber, RPh, owner of Schieber Family Pharmacy, a member of the Medicine Shoppe^® Family, in Circleville, OH, was named the Franchisee of the Year for enhancing his pharmacy by adding innovative new patient care and business solutions, engaging with his community, advocating on behalf of pharmacy and mentoring peers in the industry.

“Our 2022 franchise award winners are the epitome of an independent pharmacy owner – they provide exceptional care to their communities, discover new ways to serve their patients and champion the future of the profession,” said Cochran. “It is an honor to recognize them as members of our franchise network for their contributions and achievements.”