This Week in Pharmacy

November 6, 2026 | Pharmacy Podcast Network Sponsored by Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) and U.S. News & World Report This week on This Week in Pharmacy, Todd Eury welcomes an outstanding lineup of pharmacy leaders, healthcare advocates, and industry experts to discuss four major developments shaping the future of pharmacy: CVS Health's historic restructuring, federal PBM reform, GLP-1 patient outcomes, and innovation in specialty medication access. Segment 1: CVS Health's Historic Separation — What Happens to 9,000 Pharmacies? CVS Health has announced plans to separate its retail pharmacy business from its PBM, insurance, and specialty pharmacy operations. What does this mean for community pharmacy profitability, patient access, and the future of vertically integrated healthcare? Guests: Greg Reybold — APCI Chichi Ilonzo Momah, PharmD, RPh — Owner, Springfield Pharmacy Alec Ginsberg — Chief Operating Officer, C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries https://drugstorecowboy.com/ The big question: If CVS is separating its pharmacies from Caremark, what does that signal about the future business model of community pharmacy? Segment 2: PBM Reform Becomes Federal Law — What's Next? Major PBM reforms were enacted through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed February 3, 2026, introducing new requirements for transparency, PBM compensation, and pharmacy access. Congressman Buddy Carter joins IPC's John Covello to examine the legislative victory, the work ahead to implement these reforms, and the fight to protect independent pharmacies. Guests: U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA) John Covello — Vice President of Government Relations, Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) The big question: Will federal PBM reform finally deliver meaningful financial relief and fairer competition for community pharmacies? Segment 3: GLP-1 Success — Beyond the Prescription A new U.S. News & World Report survey explores how patients select GLP-1 telehealth providers and why behavioral support, affordability, and ongoing engagement matter to long-term weight-management success. Guests: Gretel Schueller — Managing Editor, Health, U.S. News & World Report Kelli Stovall, RPh, MBA — Vice President of Clinical Strategy, Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) The big question: How can independent community pharmacists help patients achieve better outcomes beyond dispensing GLP-1 medications? Read the U.S. News GLP-1 survey Segment 4: Breaking Down Barriers to Specialty Medications — Sonexus™ Special Guest: Josh Marsh, Vice President & General Manager, Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support, Cardinal Health Josh Marsh joins Todd to discuss how Cardinal Health's Sonexus™ helps patients overcome barriers to specialty medications. The conversation explores pharmaceutical Hub Services, benefits verification, prior authorization assistance, financial support, and the growing role of AI and automation in accelerating treatment access. The big question: How can technology and personalized patient support work together to make specialty medications more accessible? Report here: https://cardinalhealth.scene7.com/is/content/corpmarketdms7prod/corp/web/documents/cardinal-health-2026-insourcing-and-outsourcing-trends-report.pdf   About This Week in Pharmacy Hosted by Todd Eury, This Week in Pharmacy delivers news, policy analysis, and exclusive conversations with the professionals shaping the future of pharmacy. Sponsored by IPC and U.S. News & World Report Listen and subscribe at PharmacyPodcast.com

PBMs Under Fire, the World Pharmacist Challenge & CRUSH COST 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.

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 

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?”

This week on TWIRx, we head into NCPA 2026 with independent community pharmacy front and center — from artificial intelligence and consolidation to supply-chain economics and policy reform.   We start with the TWIRx Rumor Mill — Behind the Counter Intelligence, looking at three developing stories worth watching.   TWIRx RUMOR MILL — TOP 3   1. Another massive pharmacy transaction may be coming.   The owner of Walgreens Boots Alliance is reportedly nearing a deal to sell UK pharmacy giant Boots to the Weston family in a transaction valued at roughly $9 billion, including debt. The Weston interests already control Loblaw Companies and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. No final transaction has been announced, so this remains one to watch.   TWIRx Take: Pharmacy consolidation isn't slowing down. As major organizations continue reorganizing, buying, selling, and vertically integrating assets, what does that mean for independent pharmacy — and where does scale become too much scale?     2. Specialty pharmacy keeps getting bigger — and Cigna sees an enormous opportunity.   At its 2026 Investor Day, Cigna identified a specialty pharmacy and care-services market approaching $500 billion, with Accredo and its specialty operations positioned as major growth drivers.   TWIRx Take: Follow the money. Specialty drugs, rare disease, biologics, infusion and complex medication management continue to reshape pharmacy economics. The question for community pharmacy is: How much of this expanding market can independents capture?   3. AI is moving from pharmacy experiment to pharmacy infrastructure.   Just as NCPA prepares to make AI implementation one of the major topics at its 2026 Annual Convention, health-profession regulators are increasingly discussing governance and accountability surrounding AI. NCPA's programming includes real-world AI implementation and operational applications for community pharmacies.   TWIRx Take: The conversation is changing from "Should pharmacy use AI?" to "How do we use it responsibly, profitably and safely?"   And that takes us directly into our first featured conversation.   SEGMENT 1 John Boos, PharmD, MBA — HendrenAI AI Meets Independent Community Pharmacy   Sponsored by HendrenAI and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative   NCPA 2026 officially opens October 3 in Kansas City, with independent pharmacy owners and innovators gathering to focus on practical ways to increase efficiency, expand services and strengthen pharmacy profitability. AI implementation is specifically among this year's featured topics.   In Part One of our conversation with John Boos, PharmD, MBA of HendrenAI, we set the stage for NCPA 2026 and examine what artificial intelligence can realistically do for independent pharmacy.   This isn't AI replacing the pharmacist.   It's AI giving pharmacists and their teams additional capacity.   As margins tighten and workload continues to increase, the pharmacies that intelligently automate routine work may be able to redirect valuable human time toward the things pharmacists do best: patients, clinical care, relationships and growing the business.   SEGMENT 2 Yvonne Dominguez — Independent Pharmacy Cooperative IPC Acquires IntegralRx   Independent Pharmacy Cooperative recently announced its acquisition of IntegralRx, bringing together two organizations serving independent community pharmacies.   IntegralRx has supported thousands of pharmacies through purchasing opportunities, service and pharmacy relationships. IPC says the acquisition will expand access to products, services and resources designed to help pharmacy owners remain competitive and profitable.   We talk with Yvonne Dominguez about:   Why IPC made the acquisition What IntegralRx brings to the cooperative What changes — and what stays the same — for IntegralRx pharmacies How scale can strengthen independent pharmacy purchasing power Why independent pharmacies increasingly need collaboration without surrendering their independence   TWIRx Question: Can cooperatives create enough collective scale to give independent pharmacies some of the economic leverage enjoyed by vertically integrated competitors?   SEGMENT 3 David A. Hargraves — CEO, Pharma Logistics Jessica Daley — Industry Intelligence Pharmacy Supply Chain: Fighting for Every Dollar   Finally, we turn to an issue that doesn't always generate headlines but directly affects pharmacy profitability:   What happens to medication inventory after a pharmacy can no longer use it?   Pharmacies continue to face significant economic pressure, and many of the largest forces affecting reimbursement remain outside the direct control of the pharmacy owner.   But there are areas pharmacies — and policymakers — can change.   One is pharmaceutical return policy.   The Problem   Pharmacy economics are being squeezed from multiple directions.   Reimbursement pressure. Inventory expense. Expired medication. Operational costs. Supply-chain complexity.   When margins are razor thin, seemingly small inefficiencies become substantial.   The Opportunity   Medication return policies represent an area where pharmacies may have an opportunity to recover value that otherwise disappears from the business.   Virginia's regulations, for example, specifically address circumstances under which drugs can be returned within the supply chain while maintaining appropriate storage conditions, documentation and product integrity.   The Bigger Conversation   With David A. Hargraves, CEO of Pharma Logistics, and Jessica Daley of Industry Intelligence, we examine how smarter pharmaceutical returns and responsible policy reform could improve pharmacy economics.   Closing Thought   As we head into NCPA 2026, the independent pharmacy conversation isn't simply about surviving another difficult year.   It's about finding leverage.   Leverage through AI.   Leverage through cooperative scale.   Leverage through better supply-chain economics.   And leverage through policy change.   Independent pharmacy may not control every economic force affecting the profession — but this week's TWIRx demonstrates that there are still areas where pharmacy owners, innovators and advocates can take action.   We'll see you in Kansas City for NCPA 2026.