To expedite and encourage the growth of independent local pharmacies in an evolving health care atmosphere, the Alexandria, Virginia-based National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) recently launched a new Innovation Center designed for outreach and education.
"The U.S. health care system is shifting toward a greater emphasis on value and quality of care," NCPA’s CEO B. Douglas Hoey said. "Many independent community pharmacists are already at the vanguard of this movement. This new Innovation Center will bring many of these community pharmacists together with partners under an organized and flexible structure.”
Hoey, who will serve as the Innovation Center’s SVP and board chairman, stressed that the center’s mission is to enable autonomous pharmacies to thrive apace of systemic changes rather than falling behind in best practices. The program will communicate information about potential opportunities in the sector and identify and realize new, expanded roles for community pharmacists.
The NCPA Innovation Center board of directors is comprised of community pharmacists and partners of independent community pharmacies. Peer-to-peer exchange is envisioned as the go-to method, NCPA spokespersons, who expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, said.
"I am excited to be a part of this new initiative," Board Bember Mike McBride, VP-Partner Relations for Upsher-Smith Laboratories Inc., said. "We believe that community pharmacists are uniquely suited to help improve outcomes at lower overall cost because of their strong relationships with patients, and that they will play a critical role in the delivery of tomorrow's health care."
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