KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2022) – A team of student pharmacists from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy was named the winner of the 19th annual Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. A team from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy was the runner-up, and a team representing the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy finished as the second runner-up. The winners were announced as part of the National Community Pharmacists Association’s 2022 Annual Convention, which was held Oct. 1-4.
“In developing their business plans, student pharmacists gain invaluable experience that can help them later become successful pharmacy owners and entrepreneurs,” said NCPA President Michele Belcher, owner of Grants Pass Pharmacy in Grants Pass, Ore. “We applaud each team participating in this year’s Student Business Plan Competition, and in particular would like to recognize the three teams that made it to the live competition. Each did strong work, and after an intensely competitive event, we congratulate the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy as this year’s winner. If these thoroughly considered plans are any suggestion, the future is in very capable hands!”
The 2022 competition drew participants from 25 schools and colleges of pharmacy across the United States. The business plan competition is the first national competition of its kind in the pharmacy profession. The contest is named in honor of two great champions of independent community pharmacy, the late Neil Pruitt, Sr. and the late H. Joseph Schutte. Its goal is to motivate student pharmacists to create a business model for buying an existing independent community pharmacy or developing a new one. Through this competition, NCPA is helping to prepare tomorrow’s pharmacy entrepreneurs. The competition is supported by Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, and the NCPA Foundation.
The three finalist teams presented their business plans in a live competition on Oct. 1, 2022, at the NCPA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo. The judges for this year’s live competition were Greco De Valencia Y Sanchez, Melissa Jostand, Ira Katz, Bill LaRose, Bill Osborn, and Gabe Trahan.
“The NCPA Foundation helps cultivate the next generation of independent community pharmacy owners and the Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition is our crown jewel in those efforts,” said Jerry Shapiro, PharmD, president of the NCPA Foundation. “Many past participants in the competition have gone into ownership and point to this experience as being an important steppingstone in achieving that goal.”
The winning team, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, is comprised of team captain Tanner Cooper and team members Riley Caraway, Lindsey Cooper, and Hannah Howard. The team adviser is Seth Heldenbrand, PharmD, and the dean is Cindy Stowe, PharmD. Their chapter received $3,000, and an additional $3,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy. The team members, team advisers, and dean will also receive complimentary registration, travel, and lodging to NCPA’s 2023 Multiple Locations Conference this February in Florida.
The runner-up, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, is comprised of team captain Mohit Kumar and team members Stephen Ansel, Noah Gurr, Brooks Patterson, and Drew Smith. The team adviser is Ashley Hannings, PharmD, BCACP, and the dean is Kelly Smith, PharmD. Their chapter received $2,000, and an additional $2,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy.
The second runner up, the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, is comprised of team captain Jessica Chen and team members Rebecca Axson and Christina Lin. The team adviser is Patti Fabel, PharmD, and the dean is Julia Sease, PharmD. Their chapter received $1,000, and an additional $1,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy.
The teams rounding out the top 10 of the competition, listed alphabetically, are Ohio Northern University; Rutgers University; Sullivan University; University of Iowa; University of Missouri-Kansas City; University of Texas at Austin; and Washington State University.
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The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953 to honor John W. Dargavel, who was executive secretary of the National Association of Retail Druggists (NARD), now NCPA. Contributions to the foundation are tax-deductible as charitable donations to the extent permitted under federal tax law. The NCPA Foundation promotes the sustainability and growth of independent community pharmacies through scholarships, grants, and ownership development. For more information, go to www.ncpafoundation.org.
Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing over 19,400 pharmacies that employ nearly 240,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America’s most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
