INSIDE
CLINICAL CHALLENGE Polypharmacy [43]
The Retail Pharmacy Questions Answered: Pharmacists Are Key to Achieving Value-Based Care In a recent interview with Inside Patient Care: Pharmacy & Clinics, Robert Thompson, Executive Vice President of Pharmacy at Rite Aid, discussed his responsibilities, the evolution of retail pharmacies, as well as innovative services offered at Rite Aid. What is your background in retail and role at Rite Aid? A: I became the Executive Vice President of Pharmacy at Rite Aid in 2009. Before holding this position, I worked in the chain drug industry offand-on since 1978, holding a variety of operational roles, including 20 years at Revco Drugstores as its Corporate Vice President of Pharmacy Operations. After Revco, I worked outside of retail pharmacy, including a period of time as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at DentalCare Partners, and for 5 years I served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Complient Corporation in Cleveland, OH. Complient was sold to a public company called Cardiac Science, and after that, I came to Rite Aid, where I have held a variety of positions.
InsidePatientCare.com
As the Executive Vice President of Pharmacy at Rite Aid, I am responsible for the pharmacy functions, including pharmacy operations, clinical services and healthcare initiatives, government affairs, pharmacy purchasing, and managed care and pharmacy financial services. I also oversee our 2 subsidiaries, RediClinic and Health Dialog. How have retail pharmacies evolved to accommodate changes in healthcare delivery? A: I always say chain pharmacies are community pharmacies, too. We want— and our pharmacists want—to be members of the community, and we work very hard to ensure that our pharmacists are providing a level of care and service that the community not only deserves but needs. As you look at the evolution
Robert Thompson
INSIDE PATIENT CARE: PHARMACY & CLINICS ❚ January 2015
39