Safety and regulatory challenges/solutions for independent pharmacies
Mark Riffey October 31st, 2008
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
If you’re an independent pharmacist, you probably already know that 1152 independent pharmacies closed in 2007. That’s a big number, and big numbers sometimes don’t sink in too well.
That’s the equivalent of the closure of 23 pharmacies in each of the 50 states.
If you don’t want to be part of that statistic, I suggest you listen to today’s show about a topic that affects every citizen and business owner - safety, competitive and regulatory issues facing the independent pharmacist. <- Click that link to listen.
More specifically, the challenges from competition, safety, legislation, insurance, audits and enforcement agencies that are keeping the independent pharmacist busier than ever, and more worried and pressured than ever.
Mark’s guests for a panel discussion today were Ray Swanson of Centice, maker of PassRX and Mike James, an independent pharmacist in North Carolina and, among other things, an advocate for the independent pharmacist in Washington D.C.
Bio and contact information for the show’s guests
Mike James
A resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, Mike graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama with a B.S. degree in Pharmacy. He is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association, Association of Community Pharmacists, Fellow American College of Apothecaries, North Carolina Association of Pharmacists, Pro Care Association and the North Carolina Banking Commission. James is President of Person Street Pharmacy, Inc., President of Century Drug, Inc. Deerfield Beach, Florida as well as Governmental Affairs Director for North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company. Mike is very involved with National Government legislation and continually serves as an advocate for the retail independent pharmacist in Washington, DC.
To speak with Mike, email him at forestmjames *at* mindspring dot com or phone his office at 919-832-8671.
Ray W. Swanson
Ray W. Swanson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Centice, brings more than 20 years experience in the medical diagnostics and devices industry, with an emphasis on commercial and general management roles. Previously, Swanson was Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for TriPath Imaging, a publicly traded cancer diagnostics and device company based in Burlington, N.C. From 1987 to 2000, Swanson held senior management positions of increasing responsibility at Dade Behring, one of the world’s largest clinical diagnostics companies. Swanson was part of the team that formed Dade International through the acquisition of the diagnostic business of Baxter International Inc. in 1994. Prior to 1987, Swanson held positions with Johnson and Johnson, American Hospital Supply Corporation, Solvay Inc. and Washington University School of Medicine. Swanson has B.S. and M.S. degrees in zoology from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Iowa.
To speak with Ray, email him at rswanson *at* centice dot com or call his office at 866-498-7277.