🎙️ This Week in Pharmacy – Friday, December 5th Strengthening the Pharmacy Workforce: A Conversation with Crystal Lennartz Cutting Through the AI Confusion: Shaun Jensen on Smarter Pharmacy Operations The New 340B Reality: Allison Arant on Navigating HRSA’s Rebate Model Welcome to another episode of This Week in Pharmacy, where we bring together the most important conversations, industry insights, and breaking pharmacy news shaping the future of healthcare. Today’s show features a powerhouse lineup of leaders driving innovation across retail pharmacy, technology, consulting, and 340B health-system strategy. 🟦 Segment 1 — Interview with Crystal Lennartz, President of Health Mart & Health Mart Atlas We open the show with a conversation with Crystal Lennartz, President of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas, about the evolving role of workforce management in independent pharmacies. 📰 TWIRx News — Friday, December 5th A fast roundup of the top stories impacting pharmacy this week: 👉 Humana Exploring Partnership with Mark Cuban Humana is reportedly in discussions with Mark Cuban to explore a potential pharmacy partnership that could disrupt traditional PBM and drug-supply models. The collaboration may reshape how medications are priced and accessed—another sign that alternative pharmacy models are gaining traction. 👉 New Migraine Therapy: Symbravo Pharmacists should be aware of Symbravo, a new dual-action migraine therapy combining meloxicam and rizatriptan. Importantly, the product is non-substitutable, meaning pharmacies must dispense exactly as written. The therapy adds a new tool for acute migraine care but requires careful patient counseling on cardiovascular risks, medication-overuse headaches, and NSAID interactions. 👉 Walgreens Expands Automated Fulfillment Centers Walgreens continues restructuring by expanding its automated micro-fulfillment pharmacy network. Robots are now filling a growing percentage of maintenance prescriptions, allowing pharmacists to refocus on clinical services. The move signals accelerating automation across retail pharmacy as chains seek cost savings and operational efficiency. 🟦 Segment 2 — Interview with Shaun Jensen, CEO of JB Consulting Group Next, we speak with Shaun Jensen, CEO of JB Consulting Group, about the rising confusion many pharmacy operators face around AI adoption. We discuss: Where AI adds true efficiency versus where it’s misunderstoodPractical steps for pharmacy owners to implement AI toolsHow data-driven automation can improve workflow, inventory, prior authorizations, and patient communicationThe mindset shift required for pharmacies to thrive in an AI-supported future 🟦 Segment 3 — Interview with Allison Arant, SVP of Client Development & Marketing, Clearway Health Our final interview is with Allison Arant from Clearway Health, focusing on the new challenges hospital systems face as HRSA launches the 340B rebate model. Key discussion points: How the rebate model changes operational and financial dynamics for 340B hospitalsWhy safety-net hospitals caring for large uninsured and underinsured populations are feeling heightened pressureStrategies Clearway Health is deploying to help health systems navigate rising medication costs, compliance demands, and shrinking marginsWhat health-system pharmacies must prepare for heading into 2026 This week’s conversations underscored a unifying theme: the pharmacy industry is entering a period of rapid transformation, driven by new reimbursement models, automation, innovation partnerships, and evolving expectations from both patients and payers. Independent pharmacies, health systems, and specialty operators all face challenges—but also significant opportunities for reinvention, collaboration, and leadership. Thank you for tuning in to This Week in Pharmacy. Stay informed, stay inspired, and keep pushing our profession forward. Walgreens doubles down on automation to reshape pharmacy operations. The retail pharmacy giant is dramatically expanding its network of robot-powered micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) — facilities that dispense maintenance medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The goal: serve 5,000+ stores by the end of the year, up from earlier coverage of around 4,800 stores. https://chainstoreage.com/news-briefs/2025-12-05?article=walgreens-expands-automated-pharmacy-fulfillment-network New migraine therapy raises key practice questions for pharmacists. Symbravo — a fixed-dose oral tablet combining meloxicam (an NSAID) and rizatriptan (a triptan) — has been approved for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura, offering a dual-mechanism option targeting both inflammation and serotonin-mediated pathways. Pharmacists now play a critical role: they must identify patients at risk for medication-overuse headaches, screen for contraindications (e.g., cardiovascular disease, GI risk, or NSAID...
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