In every issue of America's Pharmacist® we highlight a member of NCPA who is making a difference in their community. In this month's issue we share the story of John Bellitti, RPh, the owner and CEO of HB Pharmacy in North Arlington, N.J. We cover how he runs his pharmacy, what it was like moving from a chain to independent pharmacy, and how the industry is evolving. He also has some choice words about PBMs, saying they've changed massively since they were introduced:
"Their role was not necessarily welcome, but it saved people from laying out money. It was easier for the patients at that time. Over time, though, as they realized what they were in the middle of, they went from somebody who was helping facilitate these claims to, honestly, becoming pirates," he says. "I'm in North Jersey. To me, a lot of these guys are no different than the mob."
You can learn more about John in America's Pharmacist, where you can also find stories on how to succeed in long-term care as a pharmacy, medication safety advice on the harms of cutting clonidine patches, and a profile of Ronna Hauser, PharmD, NCPA's senior vice president of policy and pharmacy affairs. NCPA members can read the latest issue online here.
