McKesson ideaShare 2026: Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas’ Role in Supporting Independent Pharmacies in 2026

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Crystal Lennartz, PharmD, MBA, president of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas, discussed how independent pharmacies are navigating regulatory, staffing, and operational pressures while remaining resilient and expanding patient-focused services, topics covered at McKesson ideaShare 2026. She highlighted Health Mart's #1 ranking in customer satisfaction from J.D. Power and the network's receipt of APhA's H.A.B. Dunning Award, crediting both honors to the work of individual pharmacies in their communities. Lennartz outlined new offerings announced at ideaShare, including an expanded Health Mart Perks vendor program with staffing support, enhanced Health Mart University education and CE resources, and new Health Mart Atlas tools for contract transparency and long-term care access. Looking ahead, she said the coming year will be an inflection point for pharmacy as pharmacists expand their scope of services and continue focusing on community and patient needs.

Pharmacy Times: Independent pharmacies continue to navigate a challenging environment — from reimbursement pressures to workforce strain and growing competition. How would you describe where independent pharmacy stands today and what it takes to sustain long-term viability?

Crystal Lennartz, PharmD, MBA: The independent pharmacy does continue to navigate a lot of increasing pressures, whether that's regulatory pressures, staffing challenges, or operational challenges. They're extremely resilient, and they continue to adapt their businesses, in particular those that are focused on services that meet the needs of their communities. I think that's going to be a differentiator as things continue to evolve and pharmacists expand their scope of services.

Pharmacy Times: Health Mart was ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among chain drug store pharmacies in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Pharmacy Study and received the H.A.B. Dunning Award from APhA—one of the profession's most prestigious honors. What do these recognitions reflect about the Health Mart network and the pharmacists behind it?

Lennartz: Health Mart was incredibly proud to be recognized as number one in customer satisfaction from JD Power, and this is really a reflection of the work that our pharmacies do every day in their communities to take care of patients. It was also a privilege to be recognized by the American Pharmacists Association for the H.A.B. Dunning Award, which really recognizes practice and care advancement. While it is great to be recognized as a network, this is really due to the efforts of the individual pharmacies and the communities that they serve.

Pharmacy Times: Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas together support thousands of independent pharmacies with everything from managed care contracting to clinical programming and business tools. What new offerings or updates are you announcing at ideaShare to help independent pharmacies grow and compete?

Lennartz: Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas continue to help support the business behind the pharmacy. A few of the things that are a focus at ideaShare this year is the expansion of our Health Mart Perks program. We now have more than 40 vendors our participating members can leverage at a discounted rate, and one focus in particular is a new vendor we added around staffing support for pharmacies, especially in those hard-to-reach areas where they need to open their doors or take an occasional day off for them to be able to get that support. We've enhanced our educational offerings at Education CE, as well as podcasts that are available through Health Mart University. Those offer basic training but also practice enhancement, as you think about technicians practicing at the top of their license. And then, on the Health Mart Atlas front, we're continuing to roll out new tools to improve transparency for our pharmacies, so that includes access to copies of all of their PBM contracts on our online portal, My McKesson, or My Health Mart, as well as access to additional resources and guides. We're also expanding access into the long-term care area for our Health Mart Atlas pharmacy. That's been a big focus this year at the show as well.

Pharmacy Times: Given where the independent pharmacy landscape is heading, what is your outlook for the coming year, and what should community pharmacists be focused on to position themselves for success?

Lennartz: I think this coming year is really going to be an inflection point for pharmacy, especially as it relates to expanded services. Continuing to focus on the needs of their community and serving those patients.