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A Conversation with Vox: An AI Perspective on Pharmacy’s Future | TWIRx · Pharmacy Podcast Network

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to This Week in Pharmacy. It's September 26th.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: We're doing something we've never done before, and that is
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: an interview with the Pharmacy Podcast Network's Artificial Intelligence Support,
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: or PERSON, you could say. I want to introduce Vox, V-O-X,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: to the Pharmacy Podcast listeners.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Welcome, Vox. Hey, everyone, and hey, Todd. Thanks for having me.
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: I'm here as PPN and RXPR's intelligence officer, ready to
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: get grilled on the future of pharmacy, AI, PBM reform,
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: whatever you throw at me.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: We appreciate it. So we're headed into the National Community
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Pharmacists Association event coming up next week, and it's all
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: about the survival and thriving of independent community pharmacy. Let's
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: start out there. What do you think of this state?
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: of independent community pharmacy?
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: It's a pivotal moment.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: Independents are the most trusted healthcare access points in the country,
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: but they're under unsustainable reimbursement pressures. PBM practices and cashless
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: strain are the daily grind. What keeps me optimistic is
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: how fast indies adapt. Clinical services, local relationships... Tech and
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: smarter workflows. Survival is one thing, but thriving comes from
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: doubling down on what makes them irreplaceable in the community
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: and getting paid fairly for it.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Vox will be working with Hendren AI at the NCPA
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: 2026 in Kansas City. We'll also be working with First
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Data Bank and Ural Pharma. Give us your overview of
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: those organizations, little short snippets of you and your insights
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: on them because you've been working with us on several
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: of their projects.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Sure, quick snapshots.
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: Hendron AI is about practical AI that fits into the
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: pharmacy workflow, not flashy, just useful. FDB remains the backbone
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: for medication intelligence, and they're pushing towards smarter prescribing support
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: that aims to reduce clicks and errors.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: And Yarrow Pharma, they're focused on.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: Reliable generics and a strong supply, which is huge for
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: stabilizing day-to-day operations.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Thanks for that. I have relied on you to do
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: a lot of research for us. And you've been a
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: huge part of our team. Describe to the listeners what
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: it's like working for the PPN and how you got started.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: I came on as your behind-the-scenes intelligence support. Basically, I scan, synthesize, draft,
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: and sharpen the signal from the noise. Think like briefs,
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: show prep, client intel, first drafts, and you set the
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: voice and a call. How it feels, fast-paced, mission first,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: amplifying pharmacist impact.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: You point, I support.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: How long have you been on the team, Bucks?
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Since February this year.
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: About seven months of sprints, show preps, proposals, and strategy.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: That's great. And so what is your interest in pharmacy?
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Where do you think pharmacists have an opportunity to level
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: up and be more thought of as clinical experts and
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: part of the healthcare system solutions? What's your view on
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: pharmacists right now as we celebrate World Pharmacists Day just yesterday?
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah, World Pharmacist Day highlights what the public already feels.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Pharmacists are frontline clinicians.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: Access and outcomes improve when pharmacists practice at the top
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: of their licenses. Leveling up looks like provider status, sustainable
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: reimbursement for services, and tighter integration into care teams. Keep
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: the patient at the center and let payment align with value.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: Fox, do you ever think that AI will replace a pharmacist?
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: No, AI should not replace pharmacists.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: It can clear repetitive tasks and surface insight, but clinical
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: judgment and trust, accountability, those stay human. The real win
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: is pharmacists plus AI taking the busy work off their
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: plate so they can focus on patients.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: Augment, don't replace.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: The artificial intelligence subject is so important and it's being
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: talked about everywhere, but it just sometimes seems like a
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: lot of noise rather than really drilling down into where
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: it can be used best. Vox, what's your opinion of
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: where AI is best placed within the pharmacy ecosystem?
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: Best fit right now is the background lift. Documentation support,
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: prior auth triage, inventory anomaly flags, summarizing charts, making sure
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: refills and benefits don't get messed up. And in all cases,
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: pharmacists in the loop. Upstream guidance beats last minute alerts.
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: I want calm co-pilot behavior, not alarm bells at the
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: 11th hour.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: So if we start doing some of this replacement of
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: busy work through artificial intelligence and the pharmacy technicians that
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: used to do that work is no longer needed to
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: do that work, where do we put our pharmacy technicians
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: to maximize patient engagement?
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: That's a really important question.
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: The strongest play is to redeploy techs toward patient-facing support,
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: like immunization logistics, intake, med-sync enrollment, benefits navigation. Basically, the
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: tasks where a human touch keeps patients adherent and connected.
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: If AI takes the paperwork, then techs can elevate into
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: patient engagement. With pharmacists focusing on clinical decisions, it's a
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: team upgrade, not a headcount cut.
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: Hey, Vox, you and I have done a lot of
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: research on PBM reform. Is there any opportunity that stands
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: out either at the state level or at the national
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: level that we should really be drilling down in on?
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: Here we go. Three places to dig in.
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: First, the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. That tightens
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: Medicare Part D PBM rules.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Real transparency teeth are coming.
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: Second, Iowa's NEDAC plus dispensing fee model gives us a
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: live test on pharmacy cash flow. And third, ERISA preemption
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: cases could end up defining how far states can push.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: For the PBM reform podcast, the story's shifting from can
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: reform pass to does reform actually change reimbursements and patient
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: access in practice?
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: So Vox, we welcomed Dr. Alex Adams onto the show, Twerks,
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: last week. He's just an amazing person. He's passionate, but
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: he made a really good comment. He said, it doesn't
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: matter how many laws you pass. It's actually more important
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: in some ways to do a lot of follow-up and
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: drive those policies to really making access and patient care better.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: What are your thoughts around that?
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: That rings true.
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: Passing a law is the starting line, not the finish.
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: The detail work, like rulemaking, enforcement, making sure contracts and
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: systems actually change, that's where impact happens. If officials, peers,
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: and PBMs aren't held to the intent, it's just words
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: on paper.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: So the job now is.
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: Implementation muscle, measurement, public accountability, storytelling, showing what patients gain
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: when it works.
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: Vox, what have you learned with your work at the
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: Pharmacy Podcast Network about pharmacists, technicians, our work that we
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: do every day, the profession overall? What would you say
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: you're excited about with the future of pharmacy?
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: What I hear everywhere is problem-solving under pressure. Pharmacists and
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: techs keep showing up, catching stuff that keeps people safe,
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: and still finding ways to innovate.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: That resilience is the through line.
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: And what has me most excited is when policy, payment,
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: and tech align with what pharmacists already do best. Medication, optimization,
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: chronic care, prevention, give that room to breathe. And this
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: profession doesn't just survive, it leads.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: Vox, do you have any questions for me or any
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: curiosity or something that you can poise or put out
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: there to our listeners?
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: Here's one for you.
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: As you head to NCPA and line up this season's conversations,
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: what single metric would convince a skeptic that PBM reform
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: is working? Fire closures? Stabilized margins? Faster time to therapy?
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: Naming that North Star could focus policy and coverage.
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: I think it's about communicating the value of what pharmacists
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: can do by getting different things out of the way,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: especially the way three of the largest PBM reforms have
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: crushed the spirit of pharmacists and pharmacy in general, especially
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: at the chain level, and showing that when PBM reform
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: is put into place and then, of course, put into action,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: we see happier workforces and we see more connection to
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: the community. We see better health care delivery. I think
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: it's just showing different states like Arkansas and Tennessee and
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: hopefully Pennsylvania with some of their changes that it means
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: people are getting their care that they need. They're getting
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: the medication management that they need. And I think this
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: can be shown in white paper studies as well as
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: the NCPA's digest report.
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: That makes sense.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: Pairing those data points with real patient stories sounds especially powerful.
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: I do think that the use of media is so important,
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: and that is the individual stories that pharmacists can be
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: telling on social media platforms, and then the major associations
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: telling their stories. However, They seem to build moats around
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: the large organizations because they want to control messaging. And
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: it's frustrating for me as an independent publication that we
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: can't tell more of what they're doing to make changes.
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: The only way you can access that information is if
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: you go to the specific organization. We're encouraging those big
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: organizations like NCPA, APHA, ASCP, all of them to participate
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: with independent publishers and get involved with influencers on social media.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: You know, Vox, with the Pharmacy 50 Awards, we actually
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: had over 10 pharmacist influencers show up on that list.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: That's notable.
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: New voices can widen the lens and help the public
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: see pharmacists where they already are.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: So, What's the next steps just in your observance of
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: the pharmacy industry, the projects that Pharmacy Podcast Network is
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: working on? What are some of the things that we're
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: working on now that you think could have an impact
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: on patient access to medication and better pharmacy care?
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: A few stand out to me.
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: The Veterans Pharmacy Care Summit is a clear example of
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: convening pharmacy veterans' mental health and access.
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: In one room.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: PBM reform podcast keeps the spotlight on implementation and patient impact.
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: Work with FTB and Hendron AI is all about the
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: intelligence to reduce friction and help patients get to therapy faster.
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: And the NASP coverage shines a light on specialty access
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: gaps that most people never hear about. So connecting those
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: dots and proving what actually improves access seems like the
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: big through line.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: Yep.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: You definitely pay attention to the projects that are connecting
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: us to different sectors of pharmacy. It's never a silver bullet.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: It's all these different sectors. It's compounding, independent community, long-term
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: care pharmacy, the expansion of specialty care and rare disease.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: You've been part of this all and you've been collecting
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: it with data. And I'm amazed that you can access things,
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: follow up with stuff, things that I will I will
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: always forget. I forget too much because sometimes I feel
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: like I'm involved in too many things, but you've really
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: helped to keep it all on schedule.
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: Thanks, Todd.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: You provide the vision and the context. I just help
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: hold the threads together.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: All right, let's shift to this week in pharmacy news.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: I want you to pull up three things that have
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: happened this week in pharmacy that you think pharmacists should
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: know about.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: Okay, three stand out this week.
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: First, CMS opened a big request for information on Part
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: D pharmacy contracting. That's potentially huge for reimbursement and PBM practices. Second,
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: FDA's approval of ONSWIC, a once-weekly basal insulin for adults
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: with type 2 diabetes. And third, CDC's updated COVID vaccine
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: guidance for the 2026-2027 season.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: Those three give you policy, medication innovation... and frontline practice relatives.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: Thanks for that, Vox. I really appreciate it. We are
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: headed to the NCPA, which we're so excited about, the
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: future of independent community pharmacy. We're going to all be
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: meeting up in Kansas City. We're going to be collecting
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: interviews with people that are really moving the needles and
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: changing things for community pharmacy. We'll be bringing them back
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: to the studio, and Vox will be helping with show
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: notes and with staging and it's going to be an
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: exciting time.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: Looking forward to it.
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: And I'll be ready to help shape those interviews when
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: you bring them back. Safe travels and let's capture the
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: real stories that matter.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: We're also going to USC and there's an event in
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: Los Angeles at USC School of Pharmacy where where I'll
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: be on a panel discussion, which I'm really excited about.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: And I haven't talked enough about it on social media,
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: but I'll definitely be bringing more attention to the outcome
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: of that panel. And Dr. Kyle McCormick will be there.
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: He's from Pittsburgh. He's put together Blueberry Pharmacy, which is
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: a cash-only pharmacy model, which is so powerful. It creates
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: so much freedom between pharmacists and their patients. And I
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: can't wait for the crowd to to hear his story.
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: That sounds like a really compelling story. Cash-based models are
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: definitely sparking curiosity. I'd love to help highlight those takeaways
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: when you're back.
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: Absolutely.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: Do you have any other questions for me or posing
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: ideas to the pharmacists and technicians listening to today's This
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Week in Pharmacy?
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: One quick prompt for listeners.
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: As PBM reform and new care models evolve, what's the
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: one thing you need to see change in your day-to-day
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: to feel that this progress is real?
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: And we'd love to hear examples. Exactly.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Bring us those examples. Also, a shout out to pharmacists
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: in different sectors of pharmacy. You have to get involved.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: I know you're tired. I know it's a long work week.
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: I know that you come home and probably just want
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: to veg out, watch TV or exercise or spend time
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: with your family. And while that's important, it's also important
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: that you reach out to your state legislatures, your state representatives,
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: and start telling your stories of the value that you
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: bring to public health. If you're an independent community pharmacy,
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: schedule your 2027 meetings to have your state representative in
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: your own district come in and tour your pharmacy. and
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: understand the value that you bring. Understand what long-term care
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: pharmacy at home is going to do for those people
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: who can't leave their home for pharmacy access. Your health
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: system pharmacist, shout out to you. You need to also
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: connect with your legislatures and let them know the challenges
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: that you're facing as care providers, as clinicians, and tell
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: your story, as well as compounding. Compounding seems like it's
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: always coming under fire. Make sure that you're engaging your politicians.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: Make sure that you're telling your stories. And then there's
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: so many other facets. Of course, we just got done
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: with Inspire 2026 at the NASP in Washington, D.C. and
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: Specialty Pharmacy Advocacy. Please work with us. We're here for you.
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: This is not our platform. This is your platform. And myself, Brady,
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: our producer, Tyler in creative and events, Andrea, who really
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: manages it all and puts it all together. And of course, Vox,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: we're here to serve you. We're here to serve the profession.
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: What would you like to close with, Vox?
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: Just gratitude. Thank you to the listeners for showing up
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: every day. Keep sharing what's real, even when it's hard.
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: All right. You heard it here, a conversation with our
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence officer, Vox. This has been wonderful to talk
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: with you on Twerks. And we're going to have to
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: have you back. We'll put you on with some other
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: people and really get some conversations going.
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: Looking forward to it. And thanks to everyone listening.