Podcast: Your ThoughtSpot 2022 Day 2 Recap

Hello and welcome to Over the Counter, a podcast from Drug Topics. I’m your host, Lauren Biscaldi, Managing Editor. Welcome back to Day 2 of our special coverage of the AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy annual ThoughtSpot Conference and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida.

Day two of this jam-packed event kicked off with a dynamic General Session, where attendees came together for a program of exciting announcements and insightful conversations. Let’s take a listen to the welcome message, delivered by Brian Nightengale, President of Community and Specialty Pharmacy and Long-Term Care at AmerisourceBergen:

Nightengale: “Good morning everybody and welcome to ThoughSpot 2022! It’s really incredible to see everybody here in person in Orlando. All I can say is: finally. Finally, we’re here in person. I know we’re all excited to be together once again. It just made me think [that] there’s really no substitute for connecting with one another face-to-face.”

Next up, AmerisourceBergen leadership joined moderator Gina Clark, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Administration Officer, for a fireside chat on the state of the pharmacy industry. From care access equity and advocacy to reimbursement and more, Bob Mauch, Rich Tremonte, and Ann Anaya shared some invaluable insights into the future of independent community pharmacy.

From there, Good Neighbor Pharmacy president Jenni Zilka sat down with this year’s pharmacy of the year finalists: Bushard’s Pharmacy and Apothecary of Laguna Beach, California; Roden-Smith Pharmacy of Clovis, New Mexico; and Gateway Pharmacy of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The stories of these 3 pharmacies are nothing short of inspiring and are a true testament to the value that independent pharmacies provide to their communities. Earlier this month, the Drug Topics team had the privilege of interviewing Marisa Fader, Micah Lansford, and Mark Szilagyi. Want to learn more about these exceptional pharmacists? Check out our coverage, linked in the show notes.

Speaking of inspiring stories, NFL legend, Pro Football Hall of Famer, best-selling author, winner of season 3 of Dancing with the Stars, and former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith took to the General Session stage as the day’s keynote speaker. This multihyphenate delivered a powerful speech focused on finding success through teamwork and perseverance.

Next, Jenni Zilka welcomed to the stage the 2020 and 2021 Pharmacy of the Year award winners for their moment in the spotlight. Congratulations to Sparky Hedden of McCoy-Tygart Drug and Jane Nicholson of Mahaska Drug on your well-deserved awards!

As it does every year, General Session ended with the announcement of the 2022 Pharmacy of the Year Award Winner. Let’s take a listen:

Zilka: “And the award goes to… Gateway Pharmacy!”

Szilagyi: “Thank you AmerisourceBergen for the many years of working with you guys at this amazing event every year. I've been here for the past five, six years and it's just a fantastic time, thank you for hosting it. A special thank you to Mark Ciarlone our business coach. You do not take no for an answer.

This job, as you know, is a lot of hours and a lot of frustration. Thank you to our families for your neverending support. Thank you Dad, thank you Mom, thank you Jen. And finally, Mr. Emmitt Smith… You’re a true inspiration. But I have to say, being from Philly… Go Eagles.”

Congrats to Mark, Jen, and the Gateway team!

Energized and refocused, ThoughtSpot attendees gained access to the expansive Exhibit Hall and Marketing Lab, where—in addition to exploring exhibitor booths and grabbing some sweet conference swag—attendees took part in interactive activities, networking opportunities, and educational presentations from AmerisourceBergen and good Neighbor Pharmacy leaders. And at the front of the exhibit hall, attendees were able to explore a fully-staged pharmacy front-end—a visual representation of pharmacies’ role as the beating heart of the healthcare system.

And at 2 p.m. the Good Neighbor Pharmacy-hosted Women in Pharmacy workshop kicked off, featuring veteran firefighter, World Champion Adventure Racer, Guiness World Record Endurance Kayaker, and best-selling author Robyn Benincasa. Benincasa is also the founder of The Project Athena Foundation, a nonprofit that helps survivors of medical or other traumatic setbacks achieve their dreams. Her insights on leadership, teambuilding, and extreme performance left attendees feeling energized, empowered, and ready to tackle any personal and professional challenges ahead.

Thanks so much for joining us over the last two days as we recapped this year’s ThoughtSpot conference and trade show. It’s been great to be back in person, and we’re already looking forward to next year. See you in Las Vegas!

You can follow Drug Topics’ coverage of ThoughtSpot 2022 on our website, drugtopics.com/conference/thoughtspot, or on your favorite social media feed.

As always, thanks for listening and we hope to see you next time—at the counter.