From President Randy McDonough
I wanted to take a moment, post-APhA2025, to introduce myself to anyone who might not know me. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as APhA’s president. I have spent my life preparing for this leadership role; as a co-owner and CEO of Towncrest Pharmacy Corporation, co-founder and co-owner of Innovative Pharmacy Solutions and professor of pharmacy management and innovation at Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy.
The theme for my presidency this year is “Create Your Own Destiny.” I chose this theme because of my own experiences, career-defining moments, and the need for all of us to exert control over our own destiny, especially in times of uncertainty. And this seems especially relevant in our current times with a health care system that is undergoing tremendous disruption—with pharmacy being affected greatly. The problems confronting pharmacy are diverse and complicated, ranging from workplace issues, pharmacy closures, lack of recognition as providers, and insufficient reimbursement to name just a few. This affects all facets of our profession, and as a profession, we need to come together to overcome these challenges. One of the attributes of this profession that I remember from my student days is that we have autonomy; we are self-governed. We have the ability to determine our future and create our own destiny.
Given the challenges mentioned above, it may not always feel like we can control our future, but this is where I want to challenge that thought. It is during disruption that I have found the most opportunities. It may mean finding a new path or course, it may mean stepping out of your comfort zone, or it may mean starting a new business or practice. Regardless, we are only bound by our own limitations, and I have way too much faith and belief in the resilience of the human spirit—that we are capable of so much more than what we may even believe.
So, this year as your president of APhA, I will continue to challenge the status quo, and that means finding better payment models for our profession—both for product and professional services. It means getting pharmacists paid as providers for patient care services on the medical side of reimbursement. It means getting pharmacists credentialed with health plans and ensuring parity of payment for services. It means providing pharmacists and technicians with education so they can practice at the top of their license/registration/education. It means creating innovative practice and business models. It means advancing the role of technicians, so they are duly recognized for their important role in health care delivery. It means promoting our profession to key partners that we are the drug therapy experts and have tremendous value to the health care team and the health care system. And lastly, it means promoting our profession to the public so that their perceptions are changed in that they see us as the drug therapy expert—helping them achieve their therapeutic goals with safe and effective medications.
I cannot predict or determine the future, but I can engage in productive activities to influence it. My promise to all members of APhA is that I will use this year in the most productive way possible to influence the future of our profession so that our destiny is created and controlled by us—pharmacy!
Randy McDonough is the 170th President of APhA