Expert: Independent Pharmacies Express Unique Value to Providers, Community

In an interview with Pharmacy Times®, Tripp Logan, PharmD, reflected on his career and discussed the importance of independent pharmacies upon being named the 2024 NCPA Willard B Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year at the National Community Pharmacist Association (NCPA) Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Logan also highlighted some of the initiatives of NCPA and the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) that help strengthen independent pharmacies.

Pharmacy Times®: What does it mean to be named the 2024 NCPA Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year?

Tripp Logan, PharmD: Yeah, that award’s pretty humbling. I know a whole lot of really good pharmacists that are doing great work every single day of the week, and to be even in the same company as all those people, it's a really humbling honor. You know, you get a national award and there’s the whole “Why me?” But again, I’m just humbled and honored and proud to be chosen for what they chose me for.

PT: How has your work throughout your career led you to this point?

Logan: Yeah, I don't know; somebody nominated me, I guess, based on some of the work that's been done. I’m not really super sure how all that comes about. What I can tell you is that I've surrounded myself with a lot of really good people over the years and found myself in some circles where I've been able to work with a lot of other great folks to do what I consider some pretty cool things that otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do. Most recently, through the CPESN initiative. I know without CPESN, the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network, and a lot of the wonderful work that this group of clinically integrated pharmacies are producing, I wouldn't be talking to you right now about this. And again, that's not really about me. I just happen to be surrounded by some really good people doing really good work with some opportunities, being in the right place at the right time, and pushing the right buttons when we need to push the buttons. But I'm hopeful for the future of community pharmacy practice because of groups like CPESN. And then, NCPA is the organization that facilitated not only their annual conference but facilitates a lot of the work that that CPESN does as well. So those 2 organizations and working with some great people in there is really, not only been an honor, but it's been really a lot of fun.

PT: Can you discuss the value of independent pharmacies, and the pharmacists that comprise them, to the community?

Logan: Yeah, it's real interesting. Since I'm a community pharmacist, I'll talk about the pharmacy and all that comprises that. So, you've got a pharmacist, you've got pharmacy technicians. A lot of pharmacies like mine might have other people, like community health workers and care coordinators and so on, that are in there. Depending on who you ask in the health care system, the value of the community pharmacy is just completely different. You get somebody that's discharged from the hospital on a Saturday night, an independent community pharmacist comes out, opens the doors, and meets them in the pharmacy to fill their prescriptions that they otherwise would have to wait till Monday in a rural area or a pharmacy desert. That pharmacy has got a lot of value. When you look at how pharmacies are contracted now, all pharmacies are really contracted as like the same. A lot of times, when somebody goes to the doctor and they say, “Where do you want me to send your prescription? Which pharmacy?” They're all really considered the same, but we all know that all pharmacies are not the same. The value in the community pharmacy is expressed in different ways. But going back to the work that NCPA facilitated and what we've done with the CPESN group, we're working really hard to have pharmacies express value, not only to payers, but to communities and to providers, and to have that value be measured so we can differentiate ourselves as we go out there. Otherwise, just being the same as everybody else, the value is not expressed the way it should be.

PT: How does NCPA help strengthen community and independent pharmacies?

Logan: So, there are a few things that I think are really important. Advocacy is a big one, and NCPA does a great job with advocacy, whether that's supporting statewide advocacy and the work that's coming on through the pharmacy associations in the states or and even, most importantly, on a national level, to advocate for community pharmacies and the pharmacist and staff within. I hate to just say pharmacist, because when you go into a doctor's office for your annual checkup, there's a whole lot of people; the doctor, the physician, the MD, the DO, the one that checks you in and does all the work, checks your blood pressure. So, pharmacy is kind of the same way; it requires a really strong team, and NCPA has done a really good job, not only advocating for the pharmacist and the pharmacies, but the other people that are within the pharmacy. They do that on Capitol Hill with a lot of initiatives, but then, the soft spot in my heart is the support of CPESN and the work to really get out there and roll up your sleeves, work to help people in the community, express value, make people's lives better, save money, and keep people out of the hospital, and NCPA’s support of that is something that I'm always going to be thankful for.

PT: What is the value of being a pharmacist to you personally?

Logan: That's a tougher question, because it really depends on what hat I'm wearing. When I'm staffing in the pharmacy, and seeing people from my community every day, that's the most valuable thing that I feel I could give back, and it really keeps me grounded. You could be having the worst day ever, and show up in a community pharmacy to work, and there's always going to be something that humbles you, or you can see that somebody's needing help with something a lot worse than anything you're doing. So, it's a real rewarding feeling to be able to give back to your community that way. Just to step out a little bit further, I've felt very blessed to be able to help align a lot of other pharmacies around initiatives that can help more patients, more communities, help the pharmacies themselves. Aggregating like-minded pharmacies, pharmacy owners, staff, community health workers, around the idea of helping people in their community, it brings more opportunities to all of us. It's valuable to me to be able to help and take care of people in my community, but then also to help others expand their services in the communities where they serve. That just only helps all of us; so that's been really rewarding to me as well, personally.

PT: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Logan: No, I just appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do this. I appreciate NCPA for even considering me for this award. I hope that we just can keep on pushing forward in community pharmacy practice. It's tough times out there with product reimbursement, but there are a lot of silver linings we can find in the industry. I’m really positive about the direction, but we've got a continual rocky road ahead of us to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, which I firmly believe we'll get there.