Unscripted

Josh Blackwell, PharmD, MS, BCSCP, is the Co-Founder of Pharmacy Initiative Leaders (PILs) and is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

We talk through the power of mentorship and how PILs was designed to fill a gap in mentorship for pharmacy professionals. PILs has helped pharmacy leaders to be at their best for every stage of their career. He has great advice for new and seasoned practitioners on being both a mentee and a mentor! 

This episode of small scripts highlights the 2025 impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Thanks to Dr. Molly Powers and Dr. Kristel Geyer for bringing the topic up! 

Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer, PharmD, BSPharm, BCPS, FASHP, serves as President of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). She has also served in various organizations and professional societies in New York. 

We talk through her current presidential year with ASHP and her message of telling your stories that coincides with ASHP’s ‘We Are Your Pharmacist' campaign. She is passionate about pharmacy and you’ll hear the top issues she is focused on this year!

Alex C. Varkey, PharmD, MS, FAPhA, serves as President of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and is the Director of Pharmacy Services at Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Medical Center.

We talk through his involvement in APhA as a health system pharmacist and his goal for his presidential year of being all in and having APhA represent every area of pharmacy!

Jolynn Sessions, PharmD, CPP, BCOP, FHOPA, serves as President of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA). She is an EXCLAIM Pharmacogenomics Pharmacist and an Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System in Asheville, NC. 

We talk through her top three priorities for HOPA this year. You’ll hear the top issues in oncology pharmacy and how HOPA is finding ways to solve them!

Ryan Mezinger, RPh, is Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at MetroHealth in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Ryan and his team have built an impressive outpatient pharmacy strategy and have grown their footprint immensely in the last few years. We also talk through the automation they implemented to help increase their capacity. You’ll hear how successful they have been and get tips on how to justify a similar strategy with urgency in your own health system!

Stephanie Jean, PharmD, MS, BCPS, is an Assistant Director of Pharmacy at UNC Health. She oversees the Medication Assistance Program for both pharmacy and medical benefit teams and the Pharmacy Revenue Integrity Team.  

She has worked and managed teams remotely for the past four years, developing best practices along the way. Whether you lead teams remotely now or in the future you’ll hear great tips for engaging team members and building a cohesive culture. We also talk through ways to be successful as an individual working remotely. Remote work continues to thrive post-pandemic and here is to...

Champ Burgess, PharmD, MBA, is Vice President, Health System Strategy for Shields Health Solutions. 

You’ll hear about the Shields Care Model and their impact on health system specialty pharmacy. We also discuss top issues impacting specialty pharmacy. Dr. Burgess and I previously worked together so we talk through this career path including our time as Assistant Directors together. Enjoy all things specialty pharmacy in this episode!

Dr. Julie Kennerly-Shah is the Associate Director of Pharmacy at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the James Cancer Hospital. Dr. Kennerly-Shah and her team worked to develop and implement an oral drug repository program in which patients who have leftover oral drug - which could occur from switching treatments or finishing treatment - can then be provided to other patients in need instead of the traditional method of wasting the medication. You’ll hear the details of their program that won an ASHP Best Practice Award last year! 

Ryan Craynon, PharmD, MS is the Director of Pharmacy Operations at Cincinnati Children's. His team won an ASHP Best Practice Award for their innovative creation of a Pharmacy Technician Leadership Residency. You’ll hear the structure of the program including the requirements of it, the selection process, and how it has impacted their technician staff!

Dr. Ryan Forrey and Dr. Angela Yaniv are co-editors with me on ASHP’s Compounding Sterile Preparations, 5th edition book that was recently published. This was a labor of love as many hours went into the book as it includes all the updates from USP including and . Many thanks to all the wonderful authors and ASHP staff who helped bring it to life. In addition to the book, we reflect on our own experiences with sterile compounding and the new items to consider in this space. 

Ryan Forrey, PharmD, MS, is the Global Clinical Solutions Director for Sur...

Jo Ellen Rodgers, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP, FCCP, FHFSA, FAHA, CPP, is Professor and Vice Chair of Professional Education and Practice for the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She was also the recipient of the 2022 ACCP Cardiology PRN Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Rodgers has always been a joy to talk to and you’ll see why on this episode. We talk about how her clinical practice drives her research and teaching in academia and how she transitioned from UNC Medical Center’s acute care cardiology to ambulatory care cardio-oncology. As with...

John Armitstead, MS, RPh, FASHP, is the System Director of Pharmacy Services at Lee Health and a Past President of ASHP. 

Throughout his career John has been an avid proponent of continuous professional development (CPD). We talk through CPD including goals to set for yourself and how they change overtime as well as some philosophies of practice. This is a great episode to start off the new year as you are planning out new goals!

Jill Bates, PharmD, MS, BCOP, DipACLM, FASHP, is the Deputy Executive Director of the National Pharmacogenomics Program within the National Oncology Program Office of the Veterans Affairs (VA). Dr. Bates is an expert in oncology and pharmacogenomics and has led the VA’s Pharmacogenomics program that is being rolled out nationwide. We talk through her background in both areas as well as the  VA’s investment in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine. As part of their investment, they are hiring 120 pharmacists in this space across the country. Enjoy all things pharmaocgenomics in this episode! 

Below are article links of the...

Adam Bernstein, PharmD, BCPS, is the Founder and CEO of Sparx Analytics. He has a passion for data and analytics which is the foundation for his new company, Sparx Analytics. He is teaching healthcare professionals how to run and analyze their data. We talk through data, analytics, and AI in this episode! 

Check out Sparx Analytics for all your data needs! 

Julia Myers, PharmD, MBA, AAHIVP, is the Founder of Generational Wisdom, a real estate investor, and semi-retired pharmacist. She was previously the Ambulatory Manager at University of Missouri Health, but after an unexpected medical event moved her to a semi-retirement from pharmacy, she is focused on her next chapter. This includes getting into real estate and starting a new company called Generational Wisdom in which she is sharing with parents how to raise money-conscious kids. Learn about her new adventures and check out her websites below! 

Overall Website - Juliamyersrx.com 

Short-Term Rental: OBX La...

Alex Mills, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP, is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.

Gender-affirming care is a timely topic and one that has generated a lot of headlines this past year. We talk through what it is and how legislation against it has impacted patient care for transgender and nonbinary persons. He provides great advice for pharmacists and providers on how to make their spaces safe for patients. For more information on how to make our spaces safe and inclusive for transgender persons, check out episode 40 with Dr. Jay Holloway.
<...

Nish Kasbekar, PharmD, BSPharm, FASHP, is the President of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Dr. Kasbekar talks through her priorities for ASHP this year, her path through professional organizations and her advice to those looking to get involved! Read the article from The Philadelphia Inquirer where they covered what an ICU Pharmacist does as Nish describes in the episode! More pharmacists should be in the news highlighting the great work they do everyday!

On episode 35 with Dr. Megan Rech we dove into the reasons why clinical pharmacists are leaving health systems and on episode 53 with Dr. Alicia Lichvar we talked about the pressures on clinical pharmacists. This week I sat down with Dr. Bryan McCarthy Jr, System Director of Inpatient Pharmacy at Lifespan, to talk through how they are addressing the need for clinical pharmacist retention through a change in their practice model by including remote clinical pharmacists. You’ll hear how the model works and how it’s impacted their retention!

LeAnne Kennedy, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, FHOPA, is the President of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), co-founder of the North Carolina Oncology Pharmacists (NCOP) Association, and Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Manager at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. 

Dr. Kennedy talks through how NCOP started more than 20 years ago as well as her priorities for HOPA this year!

Presentations are a topic we are all familiar with and strive to improve upon. Whether it is for a discussion with your team and you are pitching an idea for a protocol or you are presenting at a national meeting, you want to be able to tell the story in a way that connects to the audience. We talk about ways to become a more effective presenter in this episode!

Dave Hager, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, is the Senior Director at Visante. He previously served as Director of Clinical Services at UW Health in Madison, WI. 

D...

On episode 35 with Dr. Megan Rech we talked through why clinical pharmacists are leaving health systems early. This week we are doing a parallel topic on the pressures on clinical pharmacists. 

Alicia Lichvar, PharmD, BCPS, is a Transplant Clinical Pharmacist at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Lichvar was the lead author on a recent publication titled ‘Acts of attrition: The pressure on our clinical pharmacists’ in JACCP. We talk through the article, the pressures our clinicians are facing and ways we can improve our models to retain our pharmacists. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss! 

This week we are diving into a topic involving a new care model. Hospital-at-home enables patients who need acute level care to receive care at home instead of in the hospital. There are many aspects to this model that require operational planning within the pharmacy. 

I was excited to be joined by our guest today, Joey Muscarella, PharmD, BCPS, the clinical pharmacist within the hospital-at-home program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We talk through the components of the program as well as Dr. Muscarella’s role within the care model. We’ll continue to shift toward these new m...

Annie Andrews, MD, MSCR, is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine, Pediatric Hospitalist at MUSC Health and ran for the Congressional seat of SC-1 in 2022. After the election she founded a political action committee (PAC), one of the first focused on children, called ‘Their Future. Our Vote.’ 

We talk through her decision to shift careers away from medicine and run for Congress as well as her campaign experience. In addition to being a pediatrician she is recognized as an expert in gun violence prevention. We also talk through her n...

Toyin Tofade, MS, PharmD, BCPS, CPCC, FFIP, is the President and Professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. 

Dr. Tofade won the ASHP Donald E. Francke Award in 2022, which honors pharmacists who have made significant international contributions to advance pharmacy practice. We talk about her career path from faculty member to Dean at Howard University to her newest role as President at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. While she has won multiple awards, you'll hear her humble nature as we also talk through her servant leader mindset, the importance of sponsorship and e...

Allison Baxley, PharmD, BCOP, is the Director of Oncology and Ambulatory Care Pharmacy at OU Health in Oklahoma City. She is also a romance author under the pen name Allison Ashley. 

Her latest book, Would You Rather (check it out, it's so good!) was published in 2022. You can pre-order her next book, The Roommate Pact, that hits shelves August 1, 2023! We talk through her author world and how she taps into her creative side through writing!

Nabila Ismail, PharmD, is a pharmacist and solo traveler who started Dose of Travel, a brand, media company and boutique travel agency. Her company is curating trips for people of color with several planned for this year. She works remote as a pharmacist doing medical writing and marketing consulting. Hear her unique path and how she’s leveraging her degree and combining her passions to create the life she desires!

Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer at UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA. 

Dr. Horton is a pharmacist by training and talks about her career path through pharmacy and beyond. We talk through dual career couples, her advice for pharmacists and women leaders and the top challenges we are facing in healthcare!

Paul Walker, PharmD, FASHP,  is the current President of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and is a Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean of experiential education and community engagement at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and Manager in the Department of Pharmacy at Michigan Medicine. 

Dr. Walker describes his impactful year as President of ASHP as his theme of “Better Together” has resonated amongst the pharmacy community. He also talks through the next steps of ASHP’s Task Force on DEI and the impact that having diverse representation in professional organizations has on our prof...

Tony Scott, PharmD, MBA, DPLA, is the Director of Pharmacy at Emory University Hospital and Director-at-Large for ASHP’s Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders. 

Dr. Scott was the lead author on a recent publication titled ‘Leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within the pharmacy department’ in AJHP. We talk through the article and you’ll hear ways you can incorporate DEI in your work environments!

Welcome to the New Year! The start of another year is a great time to set new goals for yourself, both professional and personal. This episode of Small Scripts will walk you through three ways to set both professional and personal goals. 

Chase Pruitt, MD, DDS, is a former Oral Maxillary Facial Surgeon who sold his co-founded practice, Omaha Oral Surgery, to a private equity firm. After effectively retiring in his mid-30s, he is now pursuing bitcoin and software development through a new company, Omaha Healthcare Technology.

Dr. Pruitt and I are longtime friends from our undergraduate days at the University of Wyoming. He completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry and his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and oral maxillary facial surgery residency at...

Andrea Sikora, PharmD, MSCR, BCCCP, FCCM, is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and is a critical care clinical pharmacist at Augusta University Medical Center.

We talk through critical care pharmacist practice models, her recently awarded RO1 grant funding, and her new book “Pay it Forward: a map to mentorship in medicine.” You can purchase the book on Amazon!

Brent Reed, PharmD, MS, BCPS-AQ, is a PhD student in Organizational Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Reed practiced for ten years as a cardiology pharmacist specializing in the management of heart failure and was a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

We talk through his career shift to pursue his PhD in Organizational Science and how he hopes to help the profession of pharmacy through studying burnout. We also talk through burnout and attrition research that is applicable to all of us!

Jay Holloway, PharmD, is a Community Pharmacist at Heart City Drug in Ainsworth, Nebraska. He is a vocal supporter of improving transgender healthcare and making our work environments more inclusive. 

We talk through ways we can improve transgender health and small actions you can do to promote inclusivity!

Within the United States, reproductive rights have come back into the spotlight with the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade. On this episode, I asked two friends and colleagues to join me in discussing reproductive health and rights, Kat Miller, PharmD, MHA, DPLA, FASHP, and Meghan Swarthout, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, FASHP. 

We talk through the healthcare implications around reproductive rights and how to get involved with advocacy. Many thanks to Kat and Meghan for having this conversation and talking through the next steps! 

Dr. Kevin Astle and Dr. Kyle Wilby started RxSHARE which stands for Pharmacists for Sexual and Gender Health Advocacy, Reform, and Equity. Dr. Kevin Astle, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, AAHIVP, CDCES, is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Kyle Wilby, PharmD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Program Evaluation at the Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

They share their goals for RxSHARE and how they connected to form this collective. You’ll hear their thoughts on how we can work to be more in...

Jeff Little, PharmD, MHA, FASHP, FACHE, is the Director of Pharmacy and Outpatient Imaging at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO. He served as the 2021-2022 ASHP Chair of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders. 

Jeff has an extensive background in advocacy and focused the ASHP SPPL on advocacy this year. He talks through his experiences with congressional and state leaders and gives me advice on the Section for this next year!

Almut Winterstein, RPh, PhD, FISPE, is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, the Dr. Robert and Barbara Crisafi Chair for Medication Safety, and director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

As an expert in drug safety she has chaired the Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. She also leads the Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research created by Florida’s state legislature. I learned so much in talking with her and think you will as w...

Megan Rech, PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCCCP, FCCM, is an Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist and Research Director of Emergency Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center. 

Dr. Rech and colleagues published a recent article in JACCP titled “Premature attrition of clinical pharmacists: call to attention, actions, and potential solutions." 

We discuss the paper, reasons for the premature attrition and ways to prevent it. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and it made me think we need different practice models in our institutions to retain the talent that is leaving health systems.