Table of Contents
DENVER — Pharmacy veteran Robert Thompson received the Harold W. Pratt Award, considered pharmacy’s highest honor, from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores during a business program at the 2015 NACDS Total Store Expo.
Rite Aid’s Robert Thompson
Thompson’s pharmacy career spans nearly four decades. Joining Rite Aid Corp. in 2004, he served in a variety of management positions, including senior vice president of pharmacy operations and senior vice president of operations for the northeastern division. In 2009 he was named executive vice president of pharmacy and held that post until announcing his retirement recently.
“Robert Thompson has always devoted his full energy to serving our customers and supporting the employees we count on to deliver that service — in our pharmacies and in the rest of the business,” said Randy Edeker, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Hy-Vee Inc. and NACDS chairman, in presenting the award.
“Robert is fully deserving of NACDS’ highest industry recognition, and we are honored to bestow the distinguished Harold W. Pratt Award upon him. We thank him for his service to pharmacy, and we wish him well in his retirement,” Edeker said.
Harold W. Pratt, for whom the award is named, dedicated himself to many years of service at Walgreen Co., becoming the industry’s first director of professional services. During his 43 years of service at the chain, Pratt came to be recognized as the “dean of pharmacy professional service directors.”
In another presentation at TSE, the NACDS Foundation and IMS Health recognized two industry leaders with the Bernie Greenberg Pharmacy Partnership Award.
Darren Townzen, director of health and wellness billing, reconciliation and health care data strategy at Walmart, and John Leubker, senior director of third-party pricing and contracting at Sam’s Club, were honored with a $10,000 scholarship donated in their names by IMS Health to the foundation. The two leaders were cited for championing the use of information in driving business results and improving health care.
