Pharmacy Technology & Management Review Audio Content

“Your AI technology is only going to be as good as the data that you are able to train the model on... Just start to think about it, start to embrace it. I am excited to see how we can use AI to make our pharmacy teams more efficient so that they can really focus on the things that they really want to do, which we all know is patient care.” — Melanie Christie

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Pharmacy Technology & Management Review Podcast, host Will Lockwood of Pharmacy Technology & Management Review talks with Melanie Christie, President of Pharmacy Systems at RedSail Technologies, about how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving from a futuristic concept into a practical necessity for modern pharmacy management.

Christie breaks down what needs to happen for the strategic integration of AI in the pharmacy landscape, outlines RedSail’s pragmatic “build vs. partner” approach, and offers crucial advice for pharmacy owners navigating this technological shift.

From ensuring data security and HIPAA compliance to overcoming staff skepticism, this conversation provides a roadmap for using AI to enhance efficiency and return focus to what matters most: patient care.

Key Topics & Timestamps

* [00:27] – RedSail’s AI Strategy

* [01:59] – The Security Imperative

* [03:08] – Practical Integration for Pharmacies

* [04:03] – The Data Quality Reality

* [04:41] – Developing an AI Policy

* [05:17] – The Future Outlook (2026)

Our Podcast Guest

Melanie Christie is the President of Pharmacy Systems at RedSail Technologies. She focuses on leveraging technology to solve meaningful problems in the pharmacy space, improving patient care while ensuring safety and security.

Links & Resources

* RedSail Technologies: Leading Pharmacy Software & Solutions

The function of long-term care pharmacies is continually advancing. Senior living communities are increasingly seeking collaborative partners rather than purely transactional vendors. These communities value pharmacy partners who can optimize medication management, alleviate staff workload, and contribute to enhanced resident outcomes.

At the same time, LTC pharmacies are feeling the weight of tightening margins, staffing constraints, rising resident acuity, and increased pressure to operate more efficiently. The ones that will succeed will be those that implement optimized workflows, foster stronger collaboration, and leverage technology that delivers lasting value.

Pharmacy Technology & Management Review is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this episode, we talk with Doris Page, VP of Customer Care and Compliance at PharmcareUSA and Murry Mercier, Solution Architecture Director at PointClickCare to explore how leading pharmacies are becoming embedded partners in the senior living communities they serve. From aligning with wellness teams to reducing delays in care, we uncover what it takes to stand out in a market that expects more and rewards those who deliver. Learn how PharmcareUSA is using PointClickCare’s Pharmacy Connect to strengthen collaboration and become an indispensable partner to the senior living communities they serve.

* Understand how regulatory shifts and market pressures are reshaping the LTC pharmacy landscape

* Learn how pharmacies are using technology to adapt and stay competitive

* Explore strategies for becoming a trusted, long-term partner to senior living communities

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Content developed in partnership with and sponsored by PointClickCare.

Independent pharmacies all over the country have been receiving sunset notices about their pharmacy software over the last decade and it has not stopped.

Kevin, as many in the industry already know, is a staunch believer in the power of independent ownership – not just for community pharmacies, but for pharmacy management systems too.

With all the consolidation happening, Kevin and Sarah

It's your chance to explore vendors who truly understand the unique needs of independent pharmacies like yours — vendors who are genuinely invested in serving and supporting your community on a personal level.

Kevin and Sarah will share their expert advice on what to consider when a sunset notice lands on your desk.

This isn't just about keeping the lights on; it's about empowering your pharmacy to thrive.

Read More…

In addition to the interview, you can read the article:

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Sponsored

In this interview, Pharmacy Technology & Management Review’s Will Lockwood talks with Anwar Kazmi, President of DAA Enterprises, and Karen Davis, CPhT, a seasoned pharmacy technician, instructor, and textbook author, and owner of SEPhT, a pharmacy technician educational company. Davis is also a pharmacy solutions consultant for KbPort, a software and hardware development company focused on improving educational outcomes.

What You Can Read About In This Interview

* Revolutionizing Pharmacy Technician Training

* Cloud-Based Training: A Game Changer for Pharmacy Techs

* Essential Skills for Pharmacy Technician Certification

* Mastering Insurance Claim Adjudication in Pharmacy Technician Training

* Advanced Modules for Comprehensive Pharmacy Technician Training

We’ll take a look at how DAA Enterprises is revolutionizing the training landscape for certified pharmacy technicians (CPhT) programs through DAA’s Visual SuperScript Cloud Edition pharmacy management software, designed to provide aspiring pharmacy technicians with an unparalleled, realistic training environment and practical experience.

Find out how the system bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering students individual "pharmacies" to manage with robust simulation of complex workflows that provide crucial experience with tasks like insurance claim adjudication and medication synchronization — all vital for success in today's demanding pharmacy settings and for meeting rigorous certification standards.

Revolutionizing Pharmacy Technician Training

PTMReview: We're going to be talking with Anwar Kazmi and Karen Davis about DAA Enterprise's efforts to provide training solutions for certified pharmacy technician programs. Anwar, do you want to start off by introducing yourself?

Anwar Kazmi: Sure. Thank you, Will. I am the president of DAA Enterprises. We have been in the business of pharmacy management software systems for a little over 40 years now. We were asked by the president-elect of what was then called the National Association of Retail Drug to develop a computerized system for their members. And it was referred to or described as a “smart typewriter” in those days. Of course, pharmacy management software has come a long way since then. And DAA has been part of that evolution at every step of the way. In the year, around 2005, 2006, we partnered with one of the nation's leading publishers of educational materials to adapt our pharmacy software to the educational environment for pharmacy technicians.

And our most recent offering in this area, both in the commercial as well as in the educational environment, is a cloud-based system, which is very sophisticated and has many benefits for pharmacists, for instructors and for students. And we can go into the details of that when you think it's appropriate, Will.

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PTMReview: Okay. Wonderful. Thank you for that background. And before we jump into talking about that cloud-based system and how it supports training pharmacy technicians, we also have Karen Davis with us today. And Karen, would you just introduce yourself?

Karen Davis: Sure. I've been working with DAA for a long time, about 17 years I think at this point. I am a pharmacy technician. practicing since 1983 and I have been certified since 1995, which was the first test. I write textbooks for several publishers. I have served as a guest surveyor for ASHP for about five years.

I'm an instructor as well, and I own my own business now that sells TeachMEDS and aligns with different companies to provide software for training. I know this is an area that is needed in technician training programs because they need real world experience.

This program allows them to basically use and demonstrate techniques before they get to be out in the workforce that is actually dealing with patients. Been working with DAA for a long time. The software has been a long time coming and I think it's great for the programs.

Cloud-Based Training: A Game Changer for Pharmacy Techs

PTMReview: Okay. Thank you so much for that. So we'll jump into talking about this pharmacy software that DAA offers and how it's used in a pharmacy technician training program. And in particular how it can represent the workflow of a pharmacy in a realistic way that allows the students to develop practical skills.

"This program allows them to basically use and demonstrate techniques before they get to be out in the workforce that is actually dealing with patients."

So Anwar, if we can, let's start with you and let's talk a little bit about that. The way that the software, your cloud-based software, offers the ability to create a real world pharmacy workflow in the training environment with all the various queues and dashboards. And tell me how you've designed this to create the optimal learning experience.

Kazmi: Yes. It would be a pleasure to do that. First of all let me also just add here that we are very fortunate to have Karen Davis as a partner. Her knowledge, her experience in this business. And she is just a joy to work with and we feel blessed to have her as a partner.

Now coming back to your question. Let me first mention that the system is designed in such a way that for each student it's like they're operating their own pharmacy. The whole database is replicated as soon as a student's record is created, a student is added to the institution.

All the different files and patients, doctors, drugs, and so on and so forth are replicated for that student and it's as if they are operating their own full fledged pharmacy. I think that's a unique feature of our system and it's very different from other systems. Even for the educational environment where it may be like a demo version of a company's software and it's installed on the school network, for example, with maybe one or two terminals.

"For each student, it's like they're operating their own pharmacy. The whole database is replicated... it's as if they are operating their own full-fledged pharmacy."

Only one or two students can work with it at a time. And then a big disadvantage is that if there are some exercises that are either prescribed by the instructor, or that are in the accompanying workbook, as soon as one student performs that exercise, it preempts others from being able to do that. The others just basically stand there and watch. So I think this one is completely different in its approach. Each student has their own independent pharmacy. They can add patients, doctors, drugs, fill prescriptions and not have any impact on their fellow students.

So I think that's something which is unique. The other advantage, from having this cloud based architecture, is the fact that the students can use it or can access it from anywhere at any time. All they need is some sort of a device capable of running a browser.

It could be a laptop. It could be a PC. It could even be a tablet. Just a device that is capable of running a browser, that's all that they need. And they can access the system from anywhere, teachers as well as students. And so that's also a major advantage of this.

Another one, which I should mention here, is something that saves the IT people of that institution from a big headache. They don't have to give access to anybody to their computer network, because the system is not installed on their network.

The students do not access anything on the school’s computer network. And so that's a big relief to the administrators, as well as the IT personnel. So these are some of the advantages. Now, as I said, once the student is operating like their own pharmacy. They can go through all the tasks that have to be performed in a real pharmacy.

We also have what we call a mock service for adjudicating claims. We obviously don't actually send these claims to a priva…

Tune in as we discuss a growing challenge in healthcare access: pharmacy deserts. These are areas where access to essential pharmacy services is limited, impacting millions of Americans. We explore different ways these deserts are defined, from traditional distance rules to a new travel time metric used by Yale researchers, who estimated 17.7% of the U.S. population lives in one.

Discover how pharmacy deserts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including those with low income or education, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. Learn about the severe consequences for patients, such as being more likely to miss necessary medications and losing access to vital healthcare services beyond prescriptions, like vaccinations and health screenings. A major driver? Widespread pharmacy closures, largely due to an unsustainable business model heavily influenced by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). We detail how PBM practices like conflicts of interest, unfair reimbursement rates, and exclusionary networks are squeezing independent pharmacies out of business.

Finally, we touch upon potential solutions to address this critical issue.

In this episode, we talk about the topics covered by PTMReview columnists in the January-February 2025 issue of Pharmacy Technology & Management Review, narrated by AI-generated voices. Hear about the opportunity that smart rings present in wearable health and how pharmacies can benefit when their patients use this consumer technology; the impact on pharmacy of changes announced in the 2024 IRS high deductible health plan, or HDHP, notices; and key insights and opportunities from the 2025 American Society for Automation in Pharmacy conference.

Listen for…

Segment 1: Highlights From the Speaker Agenda at the 2025 American Society for Automation in Pharmacy (ASAP) Conference.

Segment 2: Smart Rings as a Wellness Opportunity for Pharmacies and Patients.

Segment 3: Take-Aways From the 2024 IRS HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) Notices.

In this episode, we explore key topics from the January-February 2025 issue of Pharmacy Technology & Management Review, narrated by AI-generated voices. We cover three main areas: fortifying pharmacies against cybersecurity threats with insights from leading experts; the benefits of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) for inventory security, efficiency, and patient trust; and the top 10 features to consider for selecting optimal compounding pharmacy software. Tune in to gain valuable strategies and insights to enhance your pharmacy operations and ensure compliance.

00:00 Introduction to January-February 2025 Issue

00:50 Cybersecurity in Pharmacies

05:01 Impact of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)

08:45 Top 10 Features for Compounding Pharmacy Software

12:03 Conclusion and Further Resources

Recently, a new player has emerged in the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) landscape: LucyRx. Founded in 2023 with a significant $500 million capital investment, LucyRx positions itself as a "next-generation" and independent PBM aiming to redefine the industry.

What might be of particular interest to community pharmacy readers is LucyRx's stated commitment to supporting independent pharmacies, especially those in underserved areas. To this end, LucyRx recently published a press release about the launch of the Sustaining Pharmacy Access & Rural Care (SPARC) Program, with the explicit goal of ensuring the viability of independent pharmacies in "pharmacy deserts" — regions with limited access to essential pharmacy services.

According to LucyRx, The SPARC program intends to provide much-needed support through several key initiatives:

The healthcare landscape is evolving, and pharmacists are poised to play a pivotal role in ensuring optimal patient outcomes. With their deep understanding of medications, they are uniquely positioned to bridge the care gap, especially for complex patients navigating multiple prescriptions and providers. Clarest Health, through its innovative technology solutions, is empowering pharmacists to step into this expanded role, streamlining workflows, improving communication, and ultimately enhancing patient wellbeing.

"Pharmacists are truly the kind of best educated experts in medication," says Erin Mattingly, VP of Marketing at Clarest Health. "All physicians know about medication, but they don't study it like pharmacists do." This expertise becomes crucial when patients are on multiple medications from various specialists, or when they transition between care settings, leading to potential medication discrepancies and adverse interactions.

Traditionally, retail pharmacists were the go-to medication experts. However, the sheer volume of patients in modern retail pharmacies has diminished their ability to provide in-depth consultations. This is where Clarest steps in, aiming to create a cohesive medication management plan across the post-acute care continuum.

Megan Wagnon, director of Products at Clarest Health and a pharmacist herself, echoes this sentiment. "The climate has shifted where that bandwidth is significantly less," she notes, referencing the challenges faced by retail pharmacists. She also highlights the gaps that often arise in hospital settings, where patients may be discharged with medications intended for short-term use, leading to potential misuse.

"Our goal is to really look at that entire patient journey and say, ‘where do we need to create that cohesive line and insert that medication expertise?’," Mattingly explains. "And how do we do it with technology that makes it easier across the board?"

Clarest’s approach is to follow the patient throughout their healthcare journey, addressing adherence gaps, preventing medication errors, and providing crucial education. This holistic strategy is exemplified by their key offerings:

Summary of recent content from the PTMReview columnists.

Read more at:

Independent pharmacies are facing a complex landscape marked by financial pressures, staffing challenges, and evolving service models. The 2024 NCPA Digest sheds light on these critical trends, revealing both the struggles and the resilience of these vital healthcare providers.

One of the most concerning trends is the decline in the number of independent pharmacies, dropping to 18,984 in June 2024. This decline is attributed to a broken payment system, particularly losses associated with GLP-1 agonists, and the decrease in COVID-19-related services. Despite this, independent pharmacies still constitute a significant 35% of all pharmacies in the U.S. While independent pharmacies represented a substantial $94.9 billion marketplace in 2023, their gross profit margins have fallen to a 10-year low, reaching only 19.7% due to low reimbursements and rising operational costs. To make matters worse, staffing shortages plague independent pharmacies, with 67% of NCPA members reporting difficulties in filling positions.

In response to these challenges, independent pharmacies are diversifying their services and embracing technology. Many offer services such as:

* Wound care (80%)

* Medication therapy management (81%)

* Smoking cessation aids (68%).

They are also adopting technology to enhance efficiency, including point-of-sale systems (89%) and automated dispensing counters (73%). Furthermore, many independent pharmacies are part of clinically integrated networks like CPESN USA, enhancing their ability to provide comprehensive patient care.

To improve patient care, AI scribes are being developed and used in other healthcare settings and may find use in pharmacies in the future. The anticipated benefits of AI scribes include:

Enhanced Efficiency: AI scribes automate the documentation process by accurately capturing conversations and generating summaries.

Improved Accuracy: AI scribes precisely transcribe and summarize conversations, reducing errors

Consistency in Documentation: AI-powered software standardizes documentation, ensuring that all healthcare providers have access to uniform and comprehensive patient information

However, the use of AI scribes also raises concerns regarding privacy and security, accuracy and reliability, integration with existing systems, and ethical and legal considerations.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing a $2 Drug List Model to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. This initiative aims to provide generic drugs for common conditions at a fixed copay of no more than $2 per month. While this model has the potential to improve medication adherence and health outcomes, its impact on pharmacies is a concern. With already struggling financially, the $2 Drug List program may further reduce compensation for pharmacies filling these prescriptions.

Independent pharmacies are actively advocating for PBM reform through the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and campaigns like "Finish the Fight" and "10 to Win". These efforts aim to address unfair PBM practices and ensure fair reimbursement for pharmacies. By engaging patients and voters, the NCPA hopes to influence legislators and drive meaningful change in the pharmaceutical landscape.