Several popular cartoons feature a group of individual super heroes who unite when a supervillain can only be defeated with their combined strength. For community pharmacy owners, there are no shortages of threats and supervillains (insurance companies, PBMs, large box stores, etc.). Combating these threats is going to take unity between all the forces for good in pharmacy. Only then can we begin to turn the tide of this war.

I know war is a strong word (and I certainly do not want to show any disrespect to our military heroes), but I chose this word because I believe this is how the other side sees the current pharmacy landscape. They think of community pharmacies as adversaries to be forced into extinction.  

I recently had a pharmacy owner tell me the best and worst thing about being an independent community pharmacy owner is being an independent community pharmacy owner. The concept of independence is tremendous when applied to the right situations. But, fighting the powerful forces bent on undermining community pharmacy is not one of those situations.

Many owners we speak with tell us it is too late for them in their pharmacy lives to make a difference. I disagree. As Joel Osteen said in one of his books, "It is never too late to push yourself with new challenges." We feel now is the time for someone who wants to join the fight against these negative forces. Jim Valvano, the late North Carolina State basketball coach, said it best when he was fighting cancer, "Never give up, don't ever give up."  We can use a little more of this courage in our fight today.

The good news is community pharmacy is transitioning to the next generation of owners. We see this happening every single day in our work. Fortunately, the next generation of pharmacy owners are training to be better prepared to combat the forces seeking to destroy community pharmacy. They understand it will be part of their job as owners.

However, there isn't much support for successors within community pharmacies outside of a few seminars here and there. That said, we feel a support forum that helps successors long before they become pharmacy owners will make a vital contriution to the success of the next generation.

We see the forum as being like superman's "Fortress of Solitude"; a place where they can always be safe, find peace, rejuvenate and retool with new ideas and the encouragement of others.

The next generation of pharmacy owners faces many uphill struggles and we think they should have all the support they need to be successful. If we work together, the whole will be much stronger than the sum of our parts. 

If you are interested in joining a successors forum, please click the button below.

Who is Waypoint Pharmacist Advisors and Why do we do what we do?

Our vision and mission is to help community pharmacy survive long after we are gone.  In order to do this, we feel that there needs to be an emphasis on serving the needs of the next generation of pharmacy owners.

This is just one way we do this.  Another way is through our process for pharmacy owners. The Inspired Independence Process is designed to help pharmacy owners, no matter where they are in their pharmacy lives, achieve all their goals and dreams, inside, outside and after pharmacy.