KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NCPA Foundation recognized two outstanding independent pharmacy leaders during the National Community Pharmacists Association’s Annual Convention, honoring Jessica Hung of Semmes, Ala., and Xiaoyan Qin of Newton Center, Mass., for their entrepreneurial leadership, innovation and commitment to community pharmacy. The awards were announced during NCPA’s Annual Convention, being held Oct. 3-6 here.
Hung, co-owner of Semmes Pharmacy, received the Foundation’s 2026 NARD Ownership Award, while Qin, owner of Union Pharmacy, was named the recipient of the 2026 Sharlea Leatherwood Memorial Trailblazer Award.
The honors recognize pharmacists who have advanced independent community pharmacy through business leadership, patient-centered care and service to their communities. Both recipients were selected through a blind review process designed to ensure fairness and impartiality.
The NARD Ownership Award celebrates an independent community pharmacist who exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit and excellence in pharmacy ownership. Sponsored this year by Cascadia Pharmacy Group, the award honors the legacy of the National Association of Retail Druggists, the organization that evolved into today’s NCPA.
“Jessica represents exactly what we hoped to celebrate when we chose to sponsor this award,” said Jeff Harrell, PharmD, CEO of Cascadia Pharmacy Group. “She’s built something lasting for her patients and her community, while also making sure the next generation of pharmacists has a path to follow.”
A graduate of Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy, Hung spent eight years as a pharmacy technician before earning her PharmD in 2014. She joined Semmes Pharmacy as a clinical pharmacist and developed several key patient care programs, including medication synchronization, medication therapy management, immunizations and point-of-care testing. In 2024, she became a co-owner of the pharmacy.
Hung has also become a prominent advocate for independent pharmacy, serving as managing network facilitator for CPESN Alabama and on the Alabama Pharmacy Association Board of Trustees. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the Alabama Pharmacy Association’s Innovation in Pharmacy Practice Award, a Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award and two Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year awards.
Her leadership gained particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Semmes Pharmacy was selected as one of only three Alabama pharmacies to administer vaccines during the state's initial rollout. Under her direction, a network of partner pharmacies delivered roughly 10,000 vaccinations by mid-2021. Semmes Pharmacy was later recognized nationally as a 2026 Immunization Neighborhood Champion by the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit.
Hung also remains deeply committed to mentoring future pharmacists through preceptorships with Auburn University and other colleges of pharmacy.
Meanwhile, the Sharlea Leatherwood Memorial Trailblazer Award honored Qin’s journey from immigrant pharmacy student to owner of a growing independent pharmacy enterprise in Massachusetts.
Qin immigrated to the United States from Shanghai, China, in 1998 to attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After working in traditional pharmacy settings, she became convinced there was an opportunity to deliver a more personalized pharmacy experience centered on patient relationships and individualized care.
She opened Union Pharmacy in Newton Center in 2019, followed by locations in Newtonville in 2021 and Needham in 2024. Recognizing demand from customers traveling from neighboring communities, she later expanded with a fourth location in Belmont.
“The Trailblazer Award is about recognizing someone who has overcome real obstacles and worked hard to get to where they are,” said Mark Riley, a member of the NCPA Foundation Board of Trustees. “Xiaoyan’s story, coming to this country, building a career, and then building four pharmacies around the belief that patients deserve a real relationship with their pharmacist, is exactly what this award was created to honor.”
Qin’s commitment to innovation extends beyond pharmacy operations. Working alongside her husband, she helped create SimpLED, a prescription pickup and check-in system designed to reduce wait times and improve workflow efficiency, allowing pharmacy staff to spend more time with patients.
Her pharmacies also played an active role during the COVID-19 pandemic, donating masks to hospitals, administering thousands of vaccinations and providing diagnostic testing services.
In 2023, Qin was invited by Rep. Jake Auchincloss to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in recognition of her work expanding access to community-based health care.
“As an independent pharmacy, we always ask the question of our customers: what is more important than your health and your time? You are not a number to us,” Qin said. “We are here for the residents of our community.”
Together, Hung and Qin represent two different paths to success in independent pharmacy, but both embody the entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and dedication to patient care that the NCPA Foundation seeks to celebrate through its annual awards program.
