Catalyst Pharmacy Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Fair Jones, Owner of Sav‑Mor Drugs & Gifts in Grenada, Mississippi, to talk all things ownership and advocacy. Fair shares her experiences stepping into pharmacy ownership in 2019, navigating curbside-only operations during COVID, and why reimbursement/PBM pressures pushed her to start speaking up online — including the moment she realized she made $0.88 on six prescriptions. In doing so, Fair shows how to balance meeting margins and pushing for reform in the industry. 

Follow Fair's Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/FairRx

00:00 – Welcome & Episode Intro 

00:23 – Fair’s Early Path Into Pharmacy 

04:55 – Retail Burnout & the Push Toward Ownership 

08:16 – Taking Ownership of Sav‑Mor in 2019 

11:53 – Six Months of Curbside‑Only During COVID 

17:21 – Med Sync, Inventory Control & Staying Afloat 

23:30 – The $0.88 Reimbursement Story 

29:17 – Becoming a Voice for Pharmacy Advocacy 

33:33 – Full‑Circle Moment at Ole Miss 

38:09 – Tech, Tools & Pioneer‑Driven Efficiency 

Hosted By: Johnathon Duhon | VP of PMS Sales, RedSail Technologies 

Guest: Fair Jones | Owner, Sav-Mor Drugs and Gifts 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

This week, we sat down with Valley Apothecary co‑owner Paula Shaffer to talk about building a community‑focused independent pharmacy in Ketchum, Idaho. Paula shares how their team expanded services like compounding, testing, supplements, and vaccinations—plus how they became a critical resource during COVID‑19. Along the way, she reflects on challenges facing independent pharmacies, the impact of technology on workflow, and how she supports better health in even the most remote of mountain towns. 

00:00 - Introducing Valley Apothecary 

03:15 - Paula’s path to pharmacy ownership 

07:58 - Serving a small mountain community 

12:34 - Compounding, supplements & added services 

15:40 - Becoming the town’s primary vaccinators 

18:56 - Overcoming barriers in independent pharmacy 

23:42 - Switching to new technology & workflow gains 

32:10 - The future of community-focused pharmacy care 

Hosted By: Johnathon Duhon | VP of PMS Sales, RedSail Technologies 

Guest: Paula Shaffer | Owner, Valley Apothecary 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

Alec Ginsberg, COO of C.O. Bigelow, takes us inside America’s oldest pharmacy to share its 187-year history (and why it’s still thriving today). From celebrity customers to the fight against PBMs, Alec shows how independent pharmacies can survive and why he launched Drugstore Cowboy to educate consumers and push for change. If you care about the future of healthcare, this is a conversation worth hearing. 

Subscribe to Drugstore Cowboy here: https://drugstorecowboy.com/  

01:50 - Inside America’s Oldest Pharmacy 

06:37 - Celebrities Need Pharmacists Too 

11:07 - Why I Chose the Counter Over the Stage 

18:10 - Staffing Like Service Actually Matters 

20:51 - The Business Beyond the Counter: Cosmetics & Hotels 

25:36 - Drugstore Cowboy: Why I’m Poking the Bull 

40:30 - The $80K Patient: What PBMs Do to Real People 

52:38 - The Mom Test: Why Service Still Wins  

Hosted By: Johnathon Duhon | VP of PMS Sales, RedSail Technologies 

Guest:  Alec Ginsberg | COO, C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

Autumn-Kyoko Cushman “AK” joins the Catalyst Pharmacy Podcast to share her journey from Navy hospital corpsman to co‑founder of ShiftRx. She talks about overcoming personal challenges, building a pharmacy staffing marketplace, and unveiling Holly, their new AI healthcare administrator launching in January. This episode is about resilience, innovation, and reimagining the future of healthcare. 

Learn more about ShiftRx: https://www.shiftrx.io/ 

00:00 — Intro and episode overview 

01:22 — Welcome, AK’s background, and episode goals 

03:28 — 2008 crisis, entrepreneurship at home, and path to the Navy 

06:45 — Executive medicine, healthcare reform insights, and COVID side gigs 

10:51 — IBM, precision medicine, mom’s diagnosis, and mission shift 

19:32 — Founding ShiftRx: marketplace challenges and impact 

23:36 — Meet Holly: AI healthcare administrator + January launch 

44:19 — Move to SF, funding, and the future of AI in pharmacy (closing) 

Hosted By: Johnathon Duhon | VP of PMS Sales, RedSail Technologies 

Guest: Autumn-Kyoko Cushman | CEO, ShiftRx 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

Jennifer Shannon, PharmD shares one of the most inspiring journeys in independent pharmacy. From opening Lily’s Pharmacy with no patients, to building a pioneering transitions-of-care program, to fighting PBM patient steering at the state level, Jennifer has pushed for better care at every turn. 

She walks through how FairRx saved their business, how her community rallied behind her, how her kids supported seniors during COVID, and how she and her husband now run a 39-stall equine farm. It’s a story of advocacy, resilience, and redefining what pharmacy can be. 

This episode also marks a special moment for our team — a heartfelt farewell to Mark Bivins, whose presence, leadership, and passion helped shape so much of what this podcast has become. 

00:00 — Jennifer Shannon’s Origin Story & Why She Opened Lily’s Pharmacy 

03:42 — Building a Pharmacy With No Patients: Community, Cupcakes & Persistence 

08:55 — The Transitions-of-Care Program That Changed Everything 

14:12 — Taking on CVS/Caremark & Testifying Against PBM Abuse 

21:40 — The Birth of FairRx and Fighting to Save Their Pharmacy 

29:03 — Kids Helping Seniors During COVID: A Community Moment 

34:28 — How Jennifer Became an “Accidental” Equine Pharmacist 

41:10 — A Heartfelt Farewell to Mark Bivins 

Hosted By: Mark Bivins 

Guest: Jennifer Shannon | Owner of Lily’s Pharmacy 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com

Pharmacists have been vaccinating for years—it's about time they get the recognition (and reimbursement) they deserve. Marc Ost, Co-Owner of Eric’s RX Shoppe in Horsham, PA, is here to make it happen. Marc joins us to talk about how he’s driving change in vaccine access and reimbursement, from advocating with the FTC and state legislators to pioneering at-home immunization billing codes. He also shares what’s new this year in vaccine administration, how pharmacies can adapt to new Part B service codes, and why telling your story to lawmakers still matters. 

👉 Learn how independent pharmacists are working to improve vaccination access and provide care to all communities. 

https://www.ericsrx.com/ 

 00:00 – Intro: Expanding Vaccine Access Through Independent Pharmacies
02:10 – Patient Confidence & Combating Vaccine Confusion
06:10 – Working With the State to Maintain Vaccine Access
10:00 – The Reality of Vaccine Reimbursement & Billing Medical vs. PBM
12:58 – Optimizing Workflow & Billing Efficiency in PioneerRx
18:00 – Starting an Immunization Program From Scratch
32:00 – At-Home Vaccinations: Using New Medicare CPT Codes
42:00 – Advocacy & PBM Reform: Making It About Patient Impact

Hosted By: Mark Bivins | Chief Growth Officer, RedSail Technologies 

Guest: Marc Ost | Co-Owner at Eric’s RX Shoppe & Community Pharmacy Services 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

Join us for an exclusive conversation with NCPA President Jeff Harrell, where we talk about the future of pharmacy and the leadership that’s shaping it. Jeff shares how he and the NCPA team are working to reshape pharmacy education, advocate for fair reimbursement, and foster unity among owners everywhere. He also shares how he’s scaling his own business, Cascadia Pharmacy Group, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and what he’s learned along the way. Tune in for an insider’s look at industry shifts, trends, and opportunities, and what they mean for pharmacies nationwide. 

Register today for NCPA Annual 2025 in New Orleans on October 18-21: https://ncpa.org/annual-convention 

Cascadia Pharmacy Group website: www.cascadiapharmacygroup.com 

Cascadia Pharmacy Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cascadia-pharmacy-group 

Jeff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-harrell-a9670510/ 

Beyond Prescriptions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_4I_rR_ltU 

NCPA website: www.ncpa.org 

00:00 – Welcome Back & Jeff Harrell Introduction 
03:40 – Changing the Narrative in Pharmacy Schools 
07:05 – The “Premium Gas” Analogy for Pharmacy 
12:20 – Lessons from Around the World 
27:00 – The Cascadia Model: Owning and Growing Smart 
44:10 – Inside the Pharmacy: Efficiency, Systems, and Savings 
49:25 – GLP-1 Challenges and Looking Ahead 

Hosted By: Mark Bivins | Chief Growth Officer, RedSail Technologies 

Guest:  Jeff Harrell | President, NCPA 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

What does the future of pharmacy look like, and who’s leading the way? In this episode, Madeline Clark shares how she’s redefining what it means to be a pharmacist through a career that blends residency training, fellowship experience, and leadership across Moose Pharmacy, CPESN North Carolina, and CPESN USA. She also draws on her work with the NextGen pharmacist group to offer insight into how the profession is evolving and how we can keep the pace. Along the way, she shares new clinical service models, opportunities for payer engagement, and the importance of collaboration. Madeline’s message is clear: the future of pharmacy will be built by those ready to lead it.  

00:00 – Madeline Clark’s journey into pharmacy and hybrid role02:43 – Launching NextGen to empower new pharmacy leaders07:36 – Emerging leaders and mentorship across states08:42 – Exciting new payer opportunities and care hub program12:05 – How EHR access and collaboration improve patient care15:24 – Med Sync as the foundation for better pharmacy services19:06 – Building team buy-in for innovation and growth

Guest:  Madeline Clark | Director of Clinical Services for Monroe, Moose Pharmacy 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

In this episode, Kate Riddell shares how she bridges the classroom with real-world practice. From prescribing authority and patient accessibility to competing with mail order and fighting misinformation, Kate offers an inspiring look at the evolving role of community pharmacy and the next generation of pharmacists. 

00:00 – Introduction: Kate’s dual role in academia and practice 
02:49 – Expanding pharmacist roles: test-and-treat & contraceptives 
07:43 – Access, reimbursement & the future of community pharmacy 
09:08 – Competing with mail order through personal service 
12:43 – Innovating operations: med sync, inventory & student marketing 
16:18 – Teaching leadership and entrepreneurship to future pharmacists 
17:34 – Fighting misinformation online & guiding patients 
21:14 – What Kate’s reading: balancing beach reads and big ideas 

Guest: Kate Riddell | Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Butler University 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com 

When tragedy struck his family, Ritesh Shah asked himself a simple question: “How do I continue the oath I took as a pharmacist?” The answer became opening New Jersey’s first (and only) charitable pharmacy alongside President Joseph Howe, which has provided thousands of free prescriptions to uninsured and underserved patients since 2022. In this episode, Ritesh opens up about the loss that changed his life, the launch of his autobiography Pills to Purpose, and his mission to make sure that no one is left behind because of the cost of medication. 

Buy Now: 

Pills to Purpose: From the Pharmacy to the Frontlines: Healing Beyond the Counter: https://www.amazon.com/Pills-Purpose-Pharmacy-Frontlines-Healing/dp/B0FL26WT2Q/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 

00:00 – Introduction to Ritesh Shah & his mission  

02:23 – From India to independent pharmacy in New Jersey  

05:52 – Building seven pharmacies and leading Legacy Pharmacy Group  

07:44 – Losing his sister & the inspiration for a charitable pharmacy  

09:44 – Opening New Jersey’s first charitable pharmacy in 2022  

13:27 – Training the next generation: preceptor programs & students  

20:20 – How BestRx supported the mission during the pandemic  

26:05 – The vital role of his wife Asha in making it possible  

44:23 – Pills to Purpose: A pharmacist’s story 

Hosted By: Mark Bivins | Chief Growth Officer, RedSail Technologies & Hemal Desai | President, BestRx 

Guest: Ritesh Shah, RPh | CEO & Managing Partner at Legacy Pharmacy Group & NJLEAF  & Joseph Howe | President, Ritesh Shah Charitable Pharmacy 

Looking for more information about independent pharmacy? Visit https://www.redsailtechnologies.com