Announcing The 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy

BROWNSVILLE, Pa., Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Fifty pharmacist and industry professionals just found out they have been listed as one of The 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy. The honorees were singled out by thousands of voters in the industry as being among those that are forging a new and better future for pharmacy.

Sitting at the top of this impressive list is Dr. Nadia Ahmad, PharmD. Ahmad works as a dispensing pharmacist for Walgreens in Middlesboro, KY. She is cited for exemplary leadership, customer care and for her support for mental health issues, writing a book about being a pharmacist, and even incorporating a successful pet medication aspect of the pharmacy. 

The Pharmacy 50 program was launched in 2021 by The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN). According to Todd Eury, CEO and founder of PPN, the program is designed to recognize individuals that have had a significant impact on the thoughts, behaviors and accomplishments of others in pharmacy. Honorees come from a variety of practice backgrounds and are elected via a social media campaign that allows people to vote for leaders they know in 14 categories, such as: health system, retail chain, independent community, association management, academia, entrepreneurs and others. Eury says he feels the scope and format of the Pharmacy 50 programs makes it possible both pharmacist and non-pharmacist professionals to be honored. He adds, “I think this makes the Pharmacy 50 program the most inclusive awards program in the industry.” 

Here’s the complete list:

1. Nadia Ahmad PharmD 
2. Jay Phipps PharmD
3. Amtus Sami Shafiq PharmD* 
4. Joy Morrow PharmD, Candidate 2024
5. Matt Lewis BA 
6. Shahida Choudhry PharmD
7. Joseph Friedman RPh 
8. Shane Jerominski PharmD
9. Haley McKeefer PharmD, Candidate 2024
10. Ben Heiser PharmD MBA 
11. Sharon Faust PharmD, MBA
12. Patrick Hussey PharmD, MBA 
13. Darshan Kulkarni PharmD, Esq 
14. Aniqa Azad PharmD 
15. Brittany Radomski PharmD 
16. Shannon Reidt PharmD
17. Easton Bryant PharmD 
18. Libby Shelton PharmD, RPh
19. Ilisa Bernstein PharmD 
20. Nhu Truong PharmD 
21. Kenneth O’Shea PharmD
22. Eric Huckins PharmD 
23. David Randolph BS Pharm
24. Bled Tanoe PharmD
25. Jill Boyett PharmD
26. Nadia Malik PharmD
27. Tamar Lawful PharmD
28. Courtney B. Smith PharmD 
29. Jessica Nouhavandi PharmD
30. Fiona Sartoretto Verna 
31. Josh Pirestani BS 
32. Myla Marshall PharmD, RPh
33. Jesica Mills PharmD 
34. Reuben Saba PhD
35. Sue Ojageer PharmD
36. Olivia Buckoski PharmD 
37. Daniel Bundrick RPh 
38. Hussam Hamoush PharmD 
39. Shaun Jensen BS
40. Chris Antypas PharmD 
41. Janan Sarwar PharmD 
42. Lisa Faast PharmD 
43. Robert Kress BS Pharm 
44. Sammy Yafai PharmD MBA 
45. Tara Schneider PharmD 
46. Lindsay Dymowski Constantino PharmD
47. Behnaz Sarrami PharmD
48. DeArcy Vaughan, PharmD, MBA
49. Leslie Banuelos PharmD
50. Nancy Banoub RPh BSc 

A complete list of the Pharmacy 50 can be found at: http://www.Pharmacy50.us
(https://pharmacypodcast.com/2024/01/03/the-50-most-influential-leaders-in-pharmacy-awards-2023/) 

Michael Houge, EVP and CEO of the American Pharmacist Association had this to say about one of his colleagues and this year’s honorees coming in the 19th position, Senior Vice President Dr. Ilisa Bernstein PharmD: “The profession is fortunate to have such a strong advocate at work every day fighting for our profession. Ilisa’s dynamic, collaborative and inclusive approach to addressing some of the toughest challenges facing our profession in the federal and state regulatory world has a significant impact on pharmacists and pharmacies. I’m delighted she’s been recognized in this way.” 

Eury is excited that this year, Cardinal Health and the Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) joined in as program sponsors. He says, “the extra promotional support these two companies provided generated a 300% increase in the number of votes cast.” He added that the financial support they provided made it possible for PPN to host a formal Awards Ceremony at their corporate headquarters in Brownsville, PA scheduled for Wednesday January 17th at 12:30PM ET. The event will be streaming live on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Darren Thieding, Chief Operating Officer at Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) commented: “The excellence demonstrated by the winners of the Pharmacy 50 awards should give everyone confidence that pharmacy is poised to succeed in 2024 and beyond. With such great operators, healthcare professionals, and innovators at the helm we can work collectively towards tackling and overcoming the challenge of moving the industry forward. IPC is proud to be a partner in recognizing the excellent work done by these award winners.”

Eury adds, the mission of PPN is to provide a diverse mix of podcast hosts and programs for all aspects of the profession. PPN, which currently features more than 40 podcast hosts, is the largest podcast program dedicated specifically to the pharmacy industry and was first launched in March of 2009. Eury adds that the podcasts are downloaded more than 100,000 times each month. 

Plans are already underway to expand and improve, The 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy, with elections scheduled for December 2024.

Media Contact: Todd Eury, CEO, Publisher@PharmacyPodcast.com (412) 585-4001

About Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN): The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN) is the industry’s largest and most trusted source for pharmacy-related podcasts, providing education, information, and thought leadership for pharmacists and healthcare professionals. PPN’s mission is to inspire, educate, and connect pharmacy professionals across the globe, promoting innovation and excellence within the field of pharmacy.

SOURCE Pharmacy Podcast Network