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ORLANDO, Fla. – A team of student pharmacists from the University of South Carolina was named the winner of the 20th annual Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. A team from the University of Georgia was the runner-up, and a team representing the University of Texas at Austin finished as the second runner-up. The winners were announced as part of the National Community Pharmacists Association’s Annual Convention, which was held Oct. 14-17 in Orlando.
“For independent pharmacy owners, having a solid business plan helps you confront whatever challenges inevitably arise,” said NCPA President Hugh Chancy. “Students participating in this competition grow both personally and professionally; they move into their careers better equipped to roll with the punches and be successful owners and leaders in the industry. While we applaud each team that took part, one was a cut above the rest. Congratulations to the University of South Carolina for rising to the top of a very strong group!”
The business plan competition is the first national competition of its kind in the pharmacy profession. The contest is named in honor of two great champions of independent community pharmacy, the late Neil Pruitt, Sr. and the late H. Joseph Schutte. Its goal is to motivate student pharmacists to create a business model for buying an existing independent community pharmacy or developing a new one. Through this competition, NCPA is helping to prepare tomorrow’s pharmacy entrepreneurs. The competition is supported by Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, and the NCPA Foundation.
The three finalist teams presented their business plans in a live competition on Oct. 14, 2023, at the NCPA Annual Convention in Orlando. The judges for this year’s live competition were Mike Bollinger, Melissa Jostand, Bill LaRose, John Schutte, Ken Thai, and Gabe Trahan.
“The NCPA Foundation helps cultivate the next generation of independent community pharmacy owners and the Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition is our crown jewel in those efforts,” said Jerry Shapiro, PharmD, president of the NCPA Foundation. “Many past participants in the competition have gone into ownership and point to this experience as being an important steppingstone in achieving that goal.”
The winning team from University of South Carolina is comprised of team captain Jacob King and team members Farehaa Hussain and CharLeigh Steverson. The team adviser is Patti Fabel, and the dean is Stephen J. Cutler. Their chapter received $3,000, and an additional $3,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy. The team members, team advisers, and dean will also receive complimentary registration, travel, and lodging to NCPA’s 2024 Multiple Locations Conference this February in Florida.
The runner-up, the University of Georgia, is comprised of team captain Noah Gurr and team members Dallas Hardin, Will Marquess, and Jack Reynolds. The team advisers are Ashley Hannings and Matt Lastinger, and the dean is Kelly Smith. Their chapter received $2,000, and an additional $2,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy.
The second runner up, the University of Texas at Austin, is comprised of team captain Daniel Flores and team members Weston Esplin, Samantha Padilla, and Vraj Patel. The team advisers are Terry Weaver and Nathan Pope, and the dean is Samuel Poloyac. Their chapter received $1,000, and an additional $1,000 was contributed to the school in the dean’s name to promote independent community pharmacy at the college of pharmacy.
The teams rounding out the top 10 of the competition, listed alphabetically, are Harding University College of Pharmacy; Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Ohio Northern University College of Pharmacy; Palm Beach Atlantic University; Rutgers University; the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy; and the University of Oklahoma.
