Pharmacy Podcast Network

Lumicera runs ONE Journey end to end for specialty pharmacy services — patient engagement, the physician portal, and the patient CRM all operating as a single connected system rather than as separate tools bolted together.

That makes Lumicera the only guest who can close the argument. The first two episodes each show one layer connected, and each ends by pointing at what remains disconnected. Your episode is where the pieces come together: what changes when the patient, the prescriber, the pharmacy workflow, and the data layer are no longer separated by handoffs. Pairing Lumicera's pharmacy leadership with Navitus also brings the payer and PBM lens — including the transparency and incentive dynamics that determine whether a connected journey is even economically possible.

My guest today is a dear friend of mine whom I met in Marie Forleo’s dream club. I have personally experienced a breath work and cold plunge session facilitated by her and her husband/business partner, and it was absolutely phenomenal! I felt reborn and ready for anything after emerging from that process.

The husband/wife duo believe resilience isn't about pushing through stress, but about learning to regulate your nervous system so you can meet challenges with clarity instead of reactivity. Tune in to this episode to learn (and get a demo of) practical tools you can use in real time, at work, at home, under pressure, to feel more grounded, present, and fully yourself.

Kathy and Michael are the wife-and-husband team behind Terranuma, where they help individuals and organizations build resilience, regulate their nervous systems, and perform at their best under pressure. Their work blends evidence-based breathwork, nervous system training, and mindset practices to support mental clarity, emotional steadiness, and sustainable performance, and they've brought these experiences to executive leadership groups, Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), first responders, and educators navigating high-stress environments.

Michael specializes in breathwork and stress resilience, trained directly under Wim Hof in the Wim Hof Method, as well as in Oxygen Advantage (Patrick McKeown) and XPT Performance Breathing (Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece). Kathy brings over a decade of experience in high-demand environments, including 14 years as a New York City public school teacher, and is trained in reiki and somatic practices, known for creating grounded, psychologically safe spaces where real transformation can happen.

Together, Kathy and Michael create powerful, science-backed experiences that blend presence and human connection, helping people reconnect to themselves so they can lead, perform, and live with more resilience and ease.

Connect with Kathy via:
Email: kathy@terranuma.co
Website: https://www.terranuma.co/
Linked In: http://linkedin.com/in/kathy-ha-112927338

Episode 1: A New Playbook for PBM Appeals: https://youtu.be/0ItsA4iQ3zo?si=d_VPQ-P1VVm0f3uR

Episode 2: Maximizing Your Pharmacy Management System: https://youtu.be/JycgM_eZFVs?si=Lz2ZWQJRWkGVFoLO

Episode 3: Financing Your Pharmacy’s Growth Story: https://youtu.be/Uqgoh3k2bpU?si=O3PeI75iLCqs11Gp

Episode 4: Surviving the Invoice Audit: https://youtu.be/LF9hVaPB_pk?si=ahp_jkQcG_w2s9Qu

Episode 5: New SBA Rules for Pharmacy Acquisitions: https://youtu.be/2WmVjtZRBVc?si=lNhCDGXCBM1PhCXX

Stay connected with us:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sykesandco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sykes-company-p-a-/?viewAsMember=true

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sykescompanyp.a.

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sykesrxaccounting

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sykescpa/

Blog: https://www.sykes-cpa.com/blog/

October 30, 2026 | Pharmacy Podcast Network

Sponsored by CurifyLabs and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC)

Pharmacy benefit managers are facing new scrutiny, controversial peptides are making headlines, and two pharmacy leaders are joining Todd Eury for a special edition of This Week in Pharmacy.

This week's episode features the finale of the 31 Day Challenge, an exciting announcement about the upcoming WORLD PHARMACIST CHALLENGE, and an exclusive in-studio interview with the 2025 Pharmacy 50 winner, Dr. Grant Harting, PharmD, founder of CRUSH COST.

TWIRx News: The Vox Top 3

1. PBMs Forced to Open Their Books — and They're Fighting Back

The Department of Labor has finalized new PBM transparency requirements covering fees, rebates, spread-pricing revenue, and compensation arrangements involving employer health plans.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) argues that the regulation creates unnecessary burdens, threatens smaller PBMs, and could increase costs.

The big question: If PBMs are already transparent, why is additional financial disclosure such a problem?

Read PCMA's response

2. HHS Opens the Door to Six Controversial Peptides

HHS has announced an interim enforcement-discretion policy involving six peptides: BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax, and TB-500.

The policy could create a pathway for qualifying 503A compounding pharmacies under specific conditions, even as significant questions remain about the safety and efficacy of these non-FDA-approved substances.

The big question: Is this progress for personalized medicine or a dangerous leap ahead of clinical evidence?

Read the HHS Federal Register notice

3. Congress Investigates Alleged PBM Retaliation Against Independent Pharmacies

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is investigating whether CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx targeted independent pharmacies with burdensome audits after those pharmacies publicly supported PBM reform.

One allegation involves a medication costing just 99 cents that reportedly generated hundreds of hours of pharmacy staff work. The investigation is ongoing, and retaliation has not been established.

The big question: Are PBM audits protecting the system, or could they be used to intimidate pharmacies advocating for reform?

Read the congressional announcement

Special Guest: Dr. Jesse McCullough, PharmD

The 31 Day Challenge Finale & WORLD PHARMACIST CHALLENGE Announcement

Leadership starts with action!

Dr. Jesse McCullough, PharmD, CEO of Keystone Pharmacy Insights, returns to TWIRx for the final special feature of the 31 Day Challenge, reflecting on leadership, personal growth, accountability, and the importance of pharmacists stepping beyond their comfort zones.

Hosted live in Kansas City, MO – the NCPA held their annual conference this year from October 3rd to the 6th! The Pharmacy Podcast Network brings you this exclusive coverage from within the YARAL Pharma booth, where Todd Eury, Host and CEO of the PPN, talks to vendors, pharmacy owners, and longtime friends in the industry. Listen in as we capture the best moments in conversation at this year's Community Pharmacy Super Bowl, the NCPA 2026 Annual Conference.

Thank you to YARAL Pharma for sponsoring this episode of the NCPA 2026 Rewind!

https://yaralpharma.com/

In this episode, we hear from:

Mark Garofoli PharmD - PainGuy.us

Betsy Powers Reynolds PharmD - MethodRx

Bretton Walberg PharmD - Owner of Care-Fill

Mitchell Cusey P3 - WVU

Tamara Cisneros PharmD - Liberty Software

Jay Phipps PharmD - The Pharmacy Gladiator

Investigative reports, mount up! It’s time to question the longstanding pharmacogenic concerns for some prescription opioid pain medications!

Come one, come all, to the Pain Pod!!!

P.S. Want to contribute or hear about a pain pearl of your own? Message Pain Guy on www.painguy.us to directly reach Mark and have your voice heard!

Pain Guy
• www.painguy.us

Codeine Guidance in Doubt After Calls for Retraction of Pivotal Lancet Study
• http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s498

2006 Original Lancet Case Study
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16920476/

2020 The Implausibility of Neonatal Opioid Toxicity from Breastfeeding
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32378749/

2026 New Yorker Investigation
• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/did-a-celebrated-researcher-obscure-a-fatal-poisoning

2026 Lancet “Expression of Concern”
• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00245-X/fulltext

As always, we have the most interesting (and important) news from the pharmacy compounding world, plus this episode we’ve got a deep dive into a future for peptides that protects patients while giving them access to the medications they want and need.

Links from the episode

Overview of the peptides issue (and recommendations): a4pc.org/peptides

Overview of the ADT/DTE issue (and recommendations): a4pc.org/dte

APC letter to California BoP about proposed out-of-state fee changes (1-page PDF): https://fllw.me/3Ued75S

Washington Post story on potential (temporary) loosening of peptide regs: https://archive.is/fXroE

Join APC: https://a4pc.org/join

The NASP's Annual Meeting and Expo has evolved into the first annual inSPire!

inSPire is the one week each year where innovation, networking, Specialty Pharmacy expertise, insights, research, and education come together to empower, educate, and connect our community.

Join host Todd Eury, Founder and CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network as he covers this event LIVE in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Thank you to our sponsors!

HendrenAI: https://hendren.ai/

First Databank: https://www.fdbhealth.com/

Clearway Health: https://www.clearwayhealth.com/

In today's episode, we hear from:

Richard Brook - Better Worldwide

Robert Giles - First Databank

Sam Medure - Inovalon

Shaun Jensen - JB Consulting

Srulik Dvorsky - TailorMed

Tim L Hommedieu - Plenful

Vivian Berni - Thermosafe

October 23, 2026
Sponsored by Independent Pharmacy Cooperative and YARAL Pharma

This week on TWIRx: peptide compounding policy, a new hepatitis B treatment, specialty pharmacy growth, a rare-disease breakthrough, and pharmacy workforce pressure — followed by three conversations focused on the future of independent pharmacy.

TWIRx NEWS 1. FDA Moves Peptide Policy to White House Review

The FDA has submitted an Interim Access Policy for Compounding Using Certain Peptides for White House review. No final policy has been announced.

Why it matters: A temporary pathway could move some patients away from gray-market peptide sellers and toward licensed pharmacies, while raising ongoing questions about safety and evidence.

TWIRx angle: Is regulated compounding safer than leaving patients to buy peptides online?

2. FDA Approves GSK’s Hibsago for Chronic Hepatitis B

FDA approved Hibsago, bepirovirsen, for certain adults with chronic hepatitis B.

In Phase III studies, about 19% of eligible treated patients achieved functional cure after therapy stopped.

Why it matters: This could move hepatitis B treatment beyond long-term viral suppression toward sustained disease control for some patients.

3. Carelon Specialty Pharmacy Helps Drive Growth

Elevance Health reported $19.3 billion in quarterly Carelon revenue and about $900 million in operating gain, citing CarelonRx growth and improved specialty-pharmacy profitability.

Why it matters: Specialty pharmacy continues to become a major earnings and strategic growth engine inside vertically integrated healthcare organizations.

4. Positive Phase III Results for Bitopertin

Disc Medicine reported positive Phase III results for bitopertin in rare disorders where exposure to light can cause severe pain.

Patients experienced improved light tolerance and fewer phototoxic reactions.

Why it matters: This could meaningfully improve daily life for patients whose disease forces them to avoid sunlight.

5. Pharmacy Technicians Describe Growing Pressure

A widely discussed Reddit thread featured pharmacy technicians describing prescription backlogs, nonstop phones, frustrated patients, and inadequate staffing.

Important disclaimer: These are anonymous accounts and cannot be independently verified.

TWIRx angle: Are pharmacy teams being asked to do more without enough staffing and infrastructure?

FEATURED CONVERSATIONS Mark Kinney — IPC

IPC is expanding its Government Relations team as independent pharmacies face major federal and state issues involving PBM reform, reimbursement, rural access, and patient choice.

Discussion focus: Why IPC is investing more heavily in advocacy and what pharmacy owners should expect heading into 2027.

Shelley Bailey — IPC Rural Health and Independent Pharmacy

Independent pharmacies often serve as critical healthcare access points in rural communities.

Discussion focus:

• Pharmacy closures and rural access
• Chronic disease management
• Pharmacist clinical services
• Reimbursement and provider opportunities
• Why rural pharmacies should be treated as healthcare infrastructure

Kelli Stovall, IPC + Brandon Haag, Tenovi Remote Monitoring Beyond the Pharmacy Counter

IPC and Tenovi are partnering to give independent pharmacies access to RPM and RTM technology, including blood pressure monitors, scales, smart pillboxes, and inhaler sensors.

The goal is to support:

• Medication adherence
• Hypertension and chronic disease management
• Weight management
• Respiratory care
• Cash-pay and reimbursable clinical services

Big question: Can remote monitoring help independent pharmacies improve patient care while creating sustainable new revenue?

Closing

Independent pharmacy’s future increasingly depends on three things:

A stronger voice.
A broader clinical role.
Sustainable new economic models that keep care local.

TWIRx is sponsored by Independent Pharmacy Cooperative and YARAL Pharma. Independent Pharmacy: Power, Policy & Patient Care | TWIRx

The NASP's Annual Meeting and Expo has evolved into the first annual inSPire!

inSPire is the one week each year where innovation, networking, Specialty Pharmacy expertise, insights, research, and education come together to empower, educate, and connect our community.

Join host Todd Eury, Founder and CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network as he covers this event LIVE in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Thank you to our sponsor, Clearway Health! For more information of what Clearway Health can do for your pharmacy, visit https://www.clearwayhealth.com/

In today's episode, we hear from:

Allison Arant - Clearway Health

Derek Dennis - Clearway Health

Ben Heiser - Lumicera

Chris Corsi - CassianRx

Chris Mayor & Candace Ewens - Kelly Services

Eric Huckins - Lumicera

Norma Castaneda - Fidelis Specialty Pharmacy

This episode discusses endometriosis- what it is, how it affects women, and the treatment options available. Plus, did you know that even Dolly Parton has shared her experience with endometriosis? Tune in as Dr Nadia sheds light on this often misunderstood condition and the importance of awareness and understanding.

In this episode, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Mel Nelson, PharmD, CSP, Vice President, Specialty Consulting Services of Fairview Pharmacy Solutions. They discuss how the health system specialty pharmacy landscape has matured over the past decade, and why many organizations are now asking a new question: is our current operating model still the right one for where we want to go next? Mel walks through the key strategic, clinical, and financial factors health systems should evaluate when reassessing accelerator partnerships, the circumstances that might prompt a move toward insourcing capabilities, and how to protect patient care continuity through any transition. The conversation also covers how Fairview Pharmacy Solutions partners with health systems to design and execute successful transitions while building sustainable, long-term internal capability.

Sponsored by Clinigen | Love Your Pharmacist Awards

What happens when patients need critical medications, but traditional supply channels cannot deliver?

Medicine shortages, global supply disruptions, and unmet clinical needs are placing increasing pressure on healthcare systems worldwide. Behind every delayed shipment or unavailable treatment are pharmacists working tirelessly to find solutions, maintain continuity of care, and protect patients.

In this special episode of the Pharmacy Podcast Network, presented in partnership with Clinigen's Love Your Pharmacist Awards, we explore the essential role pharmacists play in overcoming barriers to medicine access across the United States and Europe.

Our featured guests bring unique perspectives on the challenges and innovations shaping global pharmaceutical access:

Alfred L'Altrelli – Chief Pharmacy Officer, Memorial Medical Center Las Cruces, and recipient of the 2026 Love Your Pharmacist Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. With nearly three decades of pharmacy leadership, Alfred has pioneered initiatives to improve medication safety, expand clinical pharmacy services, and strengthen healthcare access for underserved communities.

Louise Morshead – Pharmacist and Portfolio Director at Clinigen, based in the United Kingdom. Louise brings expertise in navigating global medicine supply challenges, working with suppliers and healthcare stakeholders to help address unmet patient needs.

In This Episode:

• Why medicine shortages and supply disruptions continue to challenge healthcare systems worldwide.
• How hospital pharmacists navigate medication access barriers while protecting patient safety.
• What happens when essential medicines are unavailable through conventional supply channels.
• The importance of international collaboration, innovative sourcing strategies, and continuity-of-care planning.
• How pharmacists in the United States and Europe are adapting to increasingly complex medicine supply networks.
• Why recognizing pharmacy leadership is essential to advancing patient-centered healthcare.

Pharmacists are more than medication experts. They are problem-solvers, patient advocates, and an essential connection between pharmaceutical supply and patient care.

Join us for an international conversation celebrating the pharmacists who go above and beyond to ensure patients aren't left behind when access becomes a challenge.

Presented by Clinigen and the Love Your Pharmacist Awards, in partnership with the Pharmacy Podcast Network.

Amplifying the Voice of Pharmacy.

#PharmacyPodcast #Clinigen #LoveYourPharmacist #MedicationShortages #MedicineAccess #HospitalPharmacy #PatientSafety #PharmacyLeadership #GlobalHealthcare #Pharmacists

The NASP's Annual Meeting and Expo has evolved into the first annual inSPire!

inSPire is the one week each year where innovation, networking, Specialty Pharmacy expertise, insights, research, and education come together to empower, educate, and connect our community.

Join host Todd Eury, Founder and CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network as he covers this event LIVE in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Thank you to our sponsors!

HendrenAI: https://hendren.ai/

First Databank: https://www.fdbhealth.com/

Clearway Health: https://www.clearwayhealth.com/

In today's episode, we hear from:

Jennifer Noonan - Accessia Health

Maggie Gahn - Andel

Matt Savard - Plenful

Maya Hajizada - Rx2Go

Mei Tang - Two Trees Consulting

Michael Depaz - Clarventa Lumicera

Michael Heimall - HealthWell Foundation

The NASP's Annual Meeting and Expo has evolved into the first annual inSPire!

inSPire is the one week each year where innovation, networking, Specialty Pharmacy expertise, insights, research, and education come together to empower, educate, and connect our community.

Join host Todd Eury, Founder and CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network as he covers this event LIVE in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Thank you to our sponsor, HendrenAI! For more information of what HendrenAI can do for your pharmacy, visit https://hendren.ai/

In today's episode, we hear from:

John Boos - HendrenAI

Andy Crawford - Keysource

Brandon & Jonathan Ogurhchak

Dusten Euebanks Plenful

Jennifer Iverson & Peter Bergen - AcariaHealth

Most people spend more time researching a new phone than reviewing their Medicare plan. But with benefits, costs, and pharmacy networks changing every year, staying in the same plan could mean paying more than you need to. In this episode, experts from Outcomes and Healthpilot break down Medicare in simple terms, explain why annual plan reviews matter, and discuss the key changes coming in 2027 that could affect healthcare and prescription costs. You'll walk away knowing what to discuss with your patients and why it matters.

In this special "Off Script" episode of CPhT Connect, host Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, goes solo to speak directly to pharmacists, owners, managers, and anyone who builds the schedule. With World Pharmacy Technician Day coming up on Tuesday, October 20th, Mike shares what technicians told NPTA when asked one question: what would make you feel seen? Last year, 47% of technicians said no one recognized Pharmacy Technician Day at all, and Mike argues that recognition matters for retention, not just for being nice.
Drawing on real responses from NPTA members, Mike explains why technicians aren't asking for a party. They're asking their employers to notice. He breaks their answers into two buckets: free recognition that costs only attention and recognition that costs something real, like pay that tracks the credentials, training, and responsibility they carry. Mike also speaks candidly to independent pharmacy owners working with thin margins, and closes with a simple three-step plan to use before October 20th.
In this episode, we discuss:

* It's a Noticing Problem, Not a Pizza Problem: Why the typical Tech Day pizza party is too generic to feel personal and too small to change anything, and why food showed up last on technicians' wish lists.
* Bucket One: Recognition That Costs Nothing: What technicians said noticing looks like in their own words: don't cookie-cutter the appreciation, be fair, celebrate when they hit the goal, and see the work nobody sees.
* Bucket Two: Recognition That Costs Something: Why technicians want pay that reflects their credentials, training, and responsibilities, and why keeping a tech is almost always cheaper than replacing one.
* The Hidden Cost of Unused Skills: How training that sits on a shelf creates a morale problem, a retention problem, and a skill you paid for and never used, and why letting techs use what they learn may be the loudest recognition there is.
* A Three-Step Plan Before October 20th: Write a specific sticky note for every technician, ask each one what would make them feel seen, and say it out loud to the whole team on Tech Day, then keep going on the 21st with one specific sentence to one tech every week.

About Our Host:
Mike Johnston, CPhT-Adv, is the founder and CEO of NPTA and founder of BPTS. He has owned his own company since 1999 and has spent more than 25 years helping thousands of pharmacy technicians grow their careers.

This episode is part of CPhT Connect's partnership with the Pharmacy Podcast Network.

Listen now at CPhTConnect.com to hear why one sentence is all it takes to show a technician you notice them. For free planning resources, visit RxTechDay.org, and to learn more about making recognition a year-round habit, explore the new Rx Team Builder program at cpht.org/employers

Cell and gene therapy has entered a new phase. The science is advancing rapidly, but the harder question is increasingly becoming: How do we actually get these therapies to the right patient, at the right treatment center, with the financing, logistics, clinical support, and follow-up required?

That is the problem McKesson is trying to address through InspiroGene, its dedicated cell-and-gene commercialization business. McKesson built InspiroGene to connect manufacturers, payers, providers, treatment centers and patients across the CGT journey. McKesson

1. McKesson: Building the infrastructure around the therapy

A major area of focus for Joe and McKesson is what happens after a therapy proves clinically viable.

In 2026, Joe DePinto and Biologics by McKesson outlined the need for patient hubs purpose-built specifically for cell and gene therapies. These are more complex than conventional specialty-drug hubs because CGT may involve eligibility screening, treatment-center coordination, benefit investigation, financial assistance, scheduling, logistics, long-term follow-up and caregiver support. McKesson Biologics

McKesson has also developed an interactive map covering qualified treatment centers across 109 U.S. metropolitan regions, addressing another fundamental problem: patients may need to travel significant distances to receive CGT. McKesson

Question for Joe:
“Joe, the scientific breakthrough gets most of the headlines, but is the bigger challenge now building the infrastructure that allows a patient to actually receive the therapy?”

Follow-up:
“Where do you currently see the biggest friction — reimbursement, treatment-center capacity, logistics, patient identification, or ongoing follow-up?”

2. FDA is actively trying to speed cell and gene therapy development

FDA has made a noticeable regulatory shift in 2026.

In June, FDA issued draft guidance allowing gene-therapy developers to rely more heavily on existing platform knowledge and prior scientific information, potentially reducing redundant testing for products using similar genome-editing technologies. FDA has also issued guidance providing more flexibility around chemistry, manufacturing and controls for CGT products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA says it has now approved close to 50 cell and gene therapies, signaling that CGT is moving well beyond a small experimental category. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

TWIRx takeaway:
The regulatory conversation is shifting from “Can we safely approve these therapies?” toward “How do we safely accelerate an entire therapeutic platform?”

A patient's copay unexpectedly jumped to nearly $500. Upon investigation, it was discovered his plan design had changed, penalizing him for using our pharmacy.

He was now facing higher costs or needing to switch to a chain or mail-order pharmacy.

The NASP's Annual Meeting and Expo has evolved into the first annual inSPire!

inSPire is the one week each year where innovation, networking, Specialty Pharmacy expertise, insights, research, and education come together to empower, educate, and connect our community.

Join host Todd Eury, Founder and CEO of the Pharmacy Podcast Network as he covers this event LIVE in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Thank you to our sponsor, First Databank! For more information of what FDB can do for your pharmacy, visit https://www.fdbhealth.com/

In today's episode, we hear from:

Dr Stephen Miller, MD - First Databank

Angela Johnston - First Databank

Bonnie Duggie - VytleOne

Christine Tang Wilson - Lumicera

Heather Bonome - URAC

Heidi Polek - Outcomes

Amit Gir - Phox Health