Kick-start to Pharmacy Ownership

Bruce T. Roberts, RPh—Mr. Roberts is executivevice president and chiefexecutive officer of theNational CommunityPharmacists Association(NCPA).

Fall is here, and that means back to schooland thinking about a future in independentpharmacy. Come consider all of youroptions at the NCPA 110th Annual Conventionand Trade Exposition, October 11-15 inTampa, Florida.

Choosing the path of independent pharmacygives you the unique opportunity todevelop exactly the type of pharmacy practiceyou want. For the past 5 years, one ofthe highlights of the Annual Conventionhas been the live Pruitt-Schutte BusinessPlan Competition. Teams from SamfordUniversity McWhorter School of Pharmacy,University of Arizona College of Pharmacy,and the University of Kansas will presenttheir plans on how to buy an existing ordevelop a new community pharmacy. Sincethe inception of the competition, severalparticipants have become successful owners,and it is a great way to kick-start thenew school year and your own thoughts ofpharmacy ownership.

Is now a good time to become an independentpharmacist? Today, more independentpharmacies are opening due to thedemands of a growing and aging population.The pharmacy of the future is brimmingwith new technology, new concepts indelivering patient care, and innovative waysto launch your own practice that is bothfinancially and professionally rewarding.And as always, there is the satisfaction ofour customers.

A recent Consumer Reports article citesthat readers rank independents with highscores for service, knowledge, products instock, and customer satisfaction. So myanswer is the answer I gave my own daughterwho just graduated from pharmacyschool: absolutely yes.

NCPA is pleased to partner with PharmacyCareers, and we hope this issue piquesyour interest in independent pharmacy andNCPA. Visit us at www.ncpanet.org, or callus at 800-544-7447 to learn more.