July 2026
As my term as Chair of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders (SPPL) comes to a close, I have been reflecting on what has been an incredibly rewarding year. Throughout my term, we’ve seen that pharmacy leaders continue to navigate a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex healthcare landscape—balancing workforce challenges, financial pressures, supply chain disruptions, rapid technology advances, and growing expectations for pharmacy's role in improving patient outcomes. Through it all, SPPL has consistently demonstrated resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to advancing our profession and supporting one another. I am tremendously proud of what we have accomplished together. Throughout the past year, Section members have continued to lead meaningful conversations and develop resources supporting pharmacy leaders across health systems of all sizes. I am particularly proud of our efforts on the deliverables below:
Publication of the “Pharmacy Executive and Mid-Level Manager Perceptions of Leadership in Contemporary Health-System Pharmacy” in AJHP and the early engagement opportunities to discuss results with members, including MCM presentations, network sessions, and podcasts. This publication was inspired by the initial work completed by Sara White, and the new survey includes information associated with the successes of health system pharmacy over the last two decades in growth, innovation, and new leadership demands.
Web Resources:
- Employer Resource Center: Managing Generational Differences
- Pharmacy Forecast Workshop – A Toolkit and Faculty Guide for Leaders
Webinars and Podcasts:
- A Tale of Two Cities: Comparing Diversion Detection and Inventory Integrity in Health Systems
- Living Medicines, Real-World Logistics: A Panel Discussion on Health-System Pharmacy Infrastructure to Support Cell and Gene Therapies
- National Trends in Prescription Drug Expenditures: Projections for 2026
- Micro-wellness: Strategies to Promote Your Workday Wellbeing
Virtual Networking Roundtables:
- World Cup Preparedness: People, Processes, and Penalty Kicks
- Resilient Scheduling—Building Agile Staffing Strategies for the Expected and the Unexpected
Surveys:
- Revenue and Cost survey results shared with system CPOs
- Launched Centralized Shared Services survey (3rd edition)
Our accomplishments this year would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of our volunteers. Every advisory group member, chair, vice chair, committee member, presenter, author, and mentor contributed to advancing the Section's goals and its success. The outcomes achieved are a direct reflection of your commitment to serving your colleagues, strengthening our profession, and advancing pharmacy leadership. On behalf of the Section, I extend my sincere gratitude for your time, talent, and commitment.
I would also like to recognize the outstanding development opportunities that continue to shape future pharmacy leaders, including the ASHP Leadership Conference Managers Boot Camp, and the Pharmacy Forecast Workshop programs. These initiatives remain vital components of our profession's leadership pipeline and exemplify the Section's commitment to preparing the next generation of pharmacy executives. Congratulations to my mentor and friend David Chen for being selected as the recipient of the 2026 John W. Webb Lecture Award. I am looking forward to his presentation and words of wisdom at the upcoming ASHP Conference for Pharmacy Leaders in Chicago this Fall.
Serving as Chair of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many exceptional leaders. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our executive committee members, whose dedication, insight, and collaboration have guided the Section throughout the year. Thank you to Kat Miller for your mentorship as Immediate Past Chair, and I look forward to supporting the same for Becky Taylor’s transition into the Chair role.
Again, thank you for all that you do to support our Section, our profession, and the patients and communities we serve. Together, we continue to demonstrate the power of pharmacy leadership to transform healthcare.
With gratitude and respect,
Tony Scott, PharmD, MBA, DPLA, FASHP
