Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS, discusses what sessions he is looking forward to and key themes he expects to be the topic of conversation at NCPA 2024.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Annual Convention and Expo is quickly approaching, set to kick off this Saturday, October 26 and run through Tuesday, October 29 in Columbus, Ohio. The Drug Topics team will be on-site at the Greater Columbus Convention Center bringing the latest news and updates from NCPA’s business education sessions.
This year’s theme—Growth. Performance. Success.—aims to help pharmacy teams navigate the many obstacles and opportunities in today’s pharmacy landscape. Ahead of the meeting, Drug Topics sat down with Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS, to discuss what sessions he is most looking forward to, what big themes he thinks will be the topic of conversation, and the importance of the conference to the independent pharmacy community.
Garofoli, who is the director of experiential learning and a clinical assistant professor at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, and a clinical pain management pharmacist at the West Virginia University Integrative Pain Management Center, said he always enjoys going to NCPA’s Annual Convention and Expo.
“There are always good sessions at NCPA, and quite frankly, there are good receptions and [other events], too,” Garofoli explained. “But…it’s what happens in the hallways—or maybe on the sidewalk if there’s nice weather. It’s the folks you want to talk to, the folks you might not have seen for a year or a few months. It’s those moments where you’re all in the same town, the same building, having conversations and catching up [while] sparking new professional relationships and networking.”
“I genuinely look forward to that at NCPA this year,” he added. “Not to sound like [it’s] an amusement park, but it’s the place to be.”
Be sure to follow along with all our NCPA conference coverage here. If you are attending, make sure to stop by booth #1034 to meet the Drug Topics team, sign up for our eNewsletters, grab a copy of our latest issue, and take our readership survey, exclusive to NCPA attendees.