This August marks three years since I joined Evernorth Health Services as Senior Director of Independent Pharmacy Affairs. After years as an independent pharmacy owner and community pharmacist, I came to Evernorth with a deep appreciation for the essential role community pharmacies play in improving patient care.
That experience continues to shape my work today. I have seen firsthand the challenges of balancing patient care with operational demands, evolving reimbursement models, workforce challenges, and broader community needs. It has also reinforced a belief that guides my work every day: the future of pharmacy care is strongest when independent pharmacies, PBMs and other health care stakeholders work together to improve access, affordability, and health outcomes.
Community pharmacies are critical access points
Improving health outcomes requires both innovation and strong community connections. As health care continues to evolve through new technologies, enhanced capabilities and greater scale, independent pharmacies remain an essential part of the care journey. Every day, they provide personalized support, medication expertise, vaccinations, chronic disease management and trusted guidance that help patients make informed decisions about their health.
During my time at Evernorth, I've had the opportunity to work alongside pharmacy owners and health care leaders who recognize the important role community pharmacies play, particularly in rural and underserved areas. By building these strengths and fostering stronger collaboration across the health care ecosystem, we can expand access to care, improve medication adherence and help more patients achieve better health outcomes.
Building better outcomes through partnership
Over the past three years, one lesson has consistently reinforced itself: the best solutions emerge when diverse perspectives come together around a shared goal. For me, that has meant creating stronger connections between independent pharmacy owners and Evernorth leaders to better understand challenges, identify opportunities and advance patient-centered care.
A great example is the Independent Pharmacy Advisory Committee (IPAC), a collaboration between Evernorth and independent pharmacy leaders designed to strengthen partnerships and identify new ways to improve patient care. Through ongoing engagement, IPAC provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing community pharmacies, helping inform initiatives that expand access, advance the role of pharmacists and better support patients, pharmacies and plan sponsors. The committee has also helped shape efforts to strengthen care delivery in rural and underserved communities, where independent pharmacies often serve as a critical point of access to health care.
This focus on partnership complements broader efforts across Evernorth to support independent pharmacies and enhance patient care. Through programs such as Evernorth MoreThanRx℠ Services, community pharmacies can play a greater role in helping patients manage their health through medication synchronization, condition management, care planning and personalized outreach. The result is a more connected care experience that benefits patients, supports plan sponsors' efforts to drive engagement and adherence, and reinforces the important role independent pharmacies play in improving health outcomes.
Looking ahead: The next chapter for independent pharmacies
While anniversaries invite reflection, my focus remains firmly on the future.
There is work to do, but I’m encouraged by the momentum we’re building. I’ve seen what happens when pharmacy owners, health care organizations, and plan sponsors move beyond traditional assumptions and focus on shared goals and mutual success.
That spirit of collaboration and innovation is essential as we work to create a health care system that better recognizes and rewards the value pharmacists bring to patient care.
I’m particularly excited about how Evernorth is helping advance that vision through approaches like Signature. Reflecting a broader shift toward value-based pharmacy care, the model recognizes the full role pharmacists play in supporting better patient outcomes. Rather than focusing solely on medication dispensing, it provides reimbursement that accounts for acquisition costs, dispensing activities and clinical services, creating opportunities to recognize and reward the care pharmacists provide. In doing so, it helps align pharmacy payment models more closely with the value delivered to patients and supports a health care system increasingly focused on outcomes rather than volume.
Ultimately, this evolution is about recognizing pharmacy for what it has always been: an essential part of the health care system. Pharmacists are trusted health care partners who play a critical role in improving access, supporting patients throughout their care journey and helping achieve better health outcomes.
As I look ahead, I’m optimistic about what we can accomplish together. By continuing to listen, collaborate, and innovate, we can strengthen independent pharmacy while improving the health and experience of the patients and communities we serve.
