This Week in Pharmacy TWiRx

This Week in Pharmacy TWiRx This Week in Pharmacy TWIRx

The Pharmacy Future Leaders podcast is dedicated to all pharmacy students & aspiring pharmacy technicians with a passion for the pharmacy industry.

Modern Pharmacy Media and the Rise of Functional Medicine | TWIRxFeaturing Kris Rhea, MBA; James Maskell; and Marina Buk...
06/12/2026

Modern Pharmacy Media and the Rise of Functional Medicine | TWIRx
Featuring Kris Rhea, MBA; James Maskell; and Marina Buksov, PharmD

The future of pharmacy isn't one-size-fits-all — and this week's episode brings together three voices who are proof of that.

Kris Rhea, MBA, Contributing Editor at Dispense Times, brings a business-focused lens on independent community pharmacy — from navigating PBM pressures and regulatory challenges to building sustainable models that keep local pharmacies strong.

James Maskell, founder of Evolution of Medicine, shares how he's inspiring and equipping functional and integrative medicine practitioners to build thriving practices rooted in whole-person, prevention-focused care.

Marina Buksov, PharmD — pharmacist, herbalist, and holistic health consultant — shares her journey from traditional pharmacy to root-cause care, and how she's helping healthcare professionals explore natural-minded career paths that bridge pharmacology, herbal therapeutics, and wellness.

Together, they paint a picture of where pharmacy is headed: independent practice, functional medicine, pharmacist reinvention, and a growing demand for providers who connect science, prevention, and real-world impact.

Pharmacy’s future is being built by those willing to challenge the current model, support independent practice, and expand the role of pharmacists as trusted healthcare providers.

Listen to This Week in Pharmacy on the Pharmacy Podcast Network.

06/12/2026

On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we bring together three powerful voices shaping the future of pharmacy, independent practice, functional medicine, and healthcare transformation. First, we welcome Kris Rhea, MBA, Contributing Editor with Dispense Times, a digital publication dedicated to su...

In case you missed Friday's TWIRx 🎙️TWIRx | 05-29-26: We examine three major forces shaping healthcare today: the global...
06/01/2026

In case you missed Friday's TWIRx 🎙️

TWIRx | 05-29-26: We examine three major forces shaping healthcare today: the global impact of conflict on health security, the continued evolution of personalized specialty pharmacy care, and the over-the-counter products patients rely on most.

We open the show with Aman Gupta, Managing Partner, Asia-Pacific at SPAG FINN Partners, and contributor author at MedikaLife. Aman joins TWIRx to discuss his latest MedikaLife article, which argues that global conflict is quietly undermining health security by redirecting funding, attention, and infrastructure away from healthcare and toward defense priorities.

As military spending rises, health systems—especially in low- and middle-income countries—face growing pressure from shrinking access, rising costs, workforce shortages, disrupted supply chains, weakened disease surveillance, and reduced emergency preparedness. Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan demonstrate how attacks on healthcare systems, displacement, malnutrition, and shortages of essential medicines can rapidly turn health access into a survival issue. Aman urges policymakers to treat health as strategic security infrastructure, not as a secondary social expense.

TWIRx also gives a special shout out to the Indian Pharmaceutical Association, recognizing its continued leadership and advocacy for the pharmacy profession.

Next, we welcome Dr. Chris Antypas, PharmD, with Perigon Pharmacy 360, for a discussion on how specialty pharmacy is becoming increasingly personalized. As complex therapies continue to advance, pharmacists are playing a critical role in ensuring medications and treatment plans are customized to optimize patient care. We explore how technology, workflow processes, clinical expertise, and pharmacists who deeply understand specific disease states are essential to successful specialty pharmacy outcomes.

To wrap up the episode, returning guest Shanley Chien Pierce, Senior Editor, Health at U.S. News & World Report, joins us to review the latest OTC medicine and health product evaluations. Top-rated products include Children’s Delsym for coughs, Unisom for sleep, and Pedialyte for electrolytes, along with skincare favorites such as La Roche-Posay for retinol and Aquaphor for lip balm.

For the full list covering more than 128 categories, visit the U.S. News Best OTC Medicine & Health Products rankings.

Sponsored by Perigon Pharmacy 360

Listen & Subscribe
Stay connected with This Week in Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Podcast Network for conversations with pharmacy leaders, healthcare innovators, policy experts, and industry voices shaping the future of care.

Link to the episode in the comments.

05/29/2026

On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we examine three major forces shaping healthcare today: the global impact of conflict on health security, the continued evolution of personalized specialty pharmacy care, and the over-the-counter products patients rely on most. We open the show with Aman Gup...

In Case You Missed Last Week's TWIRx:Provider Status Reality Check — Erik Abel, PharmD, MBA broke down why pharmacy stil...
05/26/2026

In Case You Missed Last Week's TWIRx:

Provider Status Reality Check — Erik Abel, PharmD, MBA broke down why pharmacy still hasn't achieved provider status: the gap isn't clinical evidence, it's infrastructure — credentialing, payer contracting, revenue cycle management, and scalable business models.

DTC Drug Distribution & Legal Risk — Darshan Kulkarni, PharmD, Esq. unpacked the legal and regulatory risks around direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical distribution, telehealth-linked prescribing, and what pharmacists need to know as drug distribution moves closer to the patient.

📰 News You Should Know:

• ADHD Shortages Persist — Pittsburgh-area pharmacies still reporting uneven Adderall/ADHD med access, years after the 2022 FDA shortage declaration. Patients are still rationing, switching, or going without.
• MTM as a Safety Net — Pharmacists are using medication therapy management to flag high-risk meds in older adults (diphenhydramine, duplicate therapies, drug interactions, long-term PPI use).
• 340B Litigation — Major health systems are suing CVS Health/WellPartner over ~$250M in allegedly misappropriated 340B savings, intensifying scrutiny on PBM-contract pharmacy arrangements.
• TRICARE Pressure — Congress is pushing the DoD for annual audits of the TRICARE pharmacy contract amid ongoing PBM conflicts-of-interest and access concerns for independent pharmacies.

Listen here: https://vist.ly/55jdb

05/26/2026

On this episode of This Week in Pharmacy, we examine two major forces reshaping the profession: the unfinished business of pharmacist provider status and the legal landscape around direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical distribution. In part one, Erik Abel, PharmD, MBA, discusses his May 2026 analysis, ....

This Memorial Day, we bow our heads in honor of the fearless heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.We ar...
05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we bow our heads in honor of the fearless heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

We are forever grateful for their selfless service, unwavering courage, and the freedom they fought to protect. From all of us at the Pharmacy Podcast Network — they will never be forgotten.

Presented by CassianRx and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC)This week, This Week in Pharmacy examines several stori...
05/15/2026

Presented by CassianRx and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC)

This week, This Week in Pharmacy examines several stories shaping the business, clinical, and legal future of pharmacy practice.

First, the U.S. Supreme Court is taking up Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. v. Amarin Pharma Inc., a case that could significantly affect generic drug competition. At issue is whether Hikma’s marketing materials and public communications around its generic version of Amarin’s fish oil-based cardiovascular drug improperly promoted a still-patented use. Hikma and the broader generic industry argue the case is about protecting “skinny label” rules, which allow generics to carve out patented indications while still bringing lower-cost medications to market. For pharmacists, the decision could influence generic availability, substitution confidence, pricing pressure, and how manufacturers communicate with providers and pharmacies.

We also discuss a Pharmacy Times interview with Megan Maroney, PharmD, BCPP, FAAPP, focused on antidepressant use, withdrawal concerns, deprescribing, and shared decision-making. The key takeaway: patients should never stop antidepressants abruptly. Pharmacists can play a vital role in reducing stigma, educating patients, and supporting safe conversations about tapering, side effects, and long-term treatment.

In health technology news, FDB research presented at the 2026 AMIA Amplify Informatics Conference found that patient-specific, risk-based medication guidance reduced pharmacy alert volume by 70% in a high-volume community pharmacy setting. The model consolidates alerts into one actionable message tied to the patient’s most relevant risk, helping reduce alert fatigue and improve workflow.

Finally, we review a federal court ruling in Eli Lilly’s lawsuit against Houston-based Empower Pharmacy over compounded tirzepatide versions of Mounjaro and Zepbound. The judge dismissed key federal trademark and Texas unfair competition claims, while allowing other state claims to continue.

Thanks to our sponsors, CassianRx and IPC, for supporting independent pharmacy, innovation, and the future of patient-centered care.

05/15/2026

This week, This Week in Pharmacy examines several stories shaping the business, clinical, and legal future of pharmacy practice. In TWIRx News from Pharmacy Times from Megan Maroney, PharmD, BCPP, FAAPP, focused on antidepressant use, withdrawal concerns, deprescribing, and shared decision-making. T...

Want to stay ahead of what’s happening in pharmacy? From breaking industry updates to real conversations with pharmacy l...
05/14/2026

Want to stay ahead of what’s happening in pharmacy?

From breaking industry updates to real conversations with pharmacy leaders, This Week in Pharmacy brings you the stories that matter most.

Catch the latest episodes of TWIRx here: https://vist.ly/548ks

New episodes every Friday!

—
Have a message or story you want the pharmacy industry to hear? Let’s get it out there. Message us today!

Address

Brownsville, PA
15417

Telephone

+14125854001

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when This Week in Pharmacy TWiRx posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to This Week in Pharmacy TWiRx:

Shortcuts

Share

Category