McKesson ideaShare 2026 Brings AI, Advocacy, and a Packed Expo Floor to Denver

McKesson ideaShare 2026 will convene independent pharmacy owners, pharmacists, and their teams at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, from June 18 to June 21, 2026. This year's agenda pairs main stage keynotes on artificial intelligence (AI) and public policy with continuing education (CE) programming, hands-on Learning Labs, and an expansive exhibit floor. Pharmacy Times will be on the ground throughout, covering key sessions and conducting interviews with the experts and pharmacy owners shaping this year's conversation.^1,2

Main Stage Sessions Center on AI and Advocacy

Programming opens with the Health Mart Atlas Managed Care Summit and annual Health Mart meeting, with an executive panel featuring Brian Tyler, McKesson CEO, and Nimesh Jhaveri, McKesson executive vice president and chief impact officer. Jason Dorsey, a researcher with the Center for Generational Kinetics, returns to the McKesson ideaShare stage with "The Pharmacists' Rx for Balancing AI and Human Connection," a keynote that shifts the AI conversation toward the people and behaviors that determine whether new tools can actually deliver results. The conference closes with "Speak Up, Stand Out: Patient Stories Rewriting Policy," where McKesson's Nancy Lyons, BSPharm, MBA, CDCES, chief pharmacy officer, and Matt Williams, vice president of US government affairs, will preview the federal policy landscape heading into the 2026 midterms alongside state Standard of Care rulemaking, immediately following the announcement of this year's Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year.²

Beyond the main stage, a handful of breakout sessions stand out for community pharmacy audiences. "Your Neighborhood Health Hub: Chronic Disease Management Through Community Pharmacy" looks at how remote patient monitoring and community health workers can help close care gaps, "Opening the Door to Long-Term Care Pharmacy Services" outlines key considerations and the landscape for entering into the long-term care pharmacy space, and "Test, Treat & Beyond: Expanding Your Scope Through Point-of-Care Services" shares lessons from pharmacists already running point-of-care test-and-treat programs.²

Educational Programming, Expo Floor, and Show Specials

More than 20 unique CE courses across 32 sessions will be supplemented by Learning Labs and Pharma Talks on the exhibit floor, covering topics from Inflation Reduction Act reimbursement reconciliation to AI-driven workflow automation. Pharmacy Times will dig deeper into how that programming came together in a Q&A with Jaime Montuoro, PharmD, on the design of this year's CE, Pharma Talk, and Learning Lab tracks.

What Pharmacy Times Will Be Covering

Pharmacy Times will report directly from 3 Pharma Talk sessions: "Beyond the Bottle: How AI and Automation Are Reshaping the Dispensing Experience," "Excellence in Practice: Insights from Health Mart's Pharmacy of the Year Finalists," and "Diversification Through Specialty and Infusion Service." The team will also conduct video interviews with a roster of pharmacy leaders and McKesson executives, including the following:

• Nancy Lyons, BSPharm, MBA, CDCES, chief pharmacy officer of Health Mart and vice president of McKesson, on McKesson Amplify, Standard of Care legislation, and how pharmacists can get involved in advocacy;
• Crystal Lennartz, President of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas, on how Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas are supporting independent pharmacies;
• Sandie Kueker, owner of independent pharmacies in central Kansas, on her advocacy and leadership as president of the Kansas Pharmacists Association; and
• Shahida Choudhry, inaugural winner of the Trailblazer Award and owner of The Palms Pharmacy, on her path as an independent pharmacy owner.

Stay tuned to pharmacytimes.com and Pharmacy Times' social media channels throughout the week and look for a full event recap once the final session wraps.

REFERENCES

1. McKesson ideaShare 2026 invites independent pharmacists to learn, connect and grow. News Release. McKesson Corporation. Released March 19, 2026. Accessed June 16, 2026. https://www.mckesson.com/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/2026/mckesson-ideashare-2026-invites-independent-pharmacists-to-learn-connect-and-grow/

2. 2026 Schedule of Events. McKesson ideaShare. Accessed June 16, 2026. https://mckessonideashare.com/Plan/schedule