NCPA Announces Finalists for 2016 Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition

PRESS RELEASE ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 25, 2016) The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) announced that three teams of pharmacy students have been named finalists in the 2016 Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. Teams of pharmacy students from University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy will present their business plans in a live competition Oct. 15, 2016 at NCPA's Annual Convention in New Orleans. This year's competition drew submissions from 46 schools and colleges of pharmacy, and over 200 student and advisor participants.

"Congratulations to the three finalists of this year's competition," said NCPA President Bradley J. Arthur, RPh, co-owner of Black Rock Pharmacy and Brighton-Eggert Pharmacy in Buffalo, N.Y. "Their impressive entries stood out among a very competitive field. I look forward to their live presentation in October and wish them luck on it. I also want to commend everyone who competed this year. I encourage all of the students to contact community pharmacists in their area and to continue to pursue their dream of independent community pharmacy ownership."

Team members and the advisor for the three finalist teams will receive complimentary registration, travel, and lodging to the NCPA Annual Convention Oct. 15-19, where they will compete for first, second, and third place in an exciting, live competition. The winners will receive the following awards:

• First Place: $3,000 to the NCPA student chapter and $3,000 contributed to the school in the dean's name to promote independent pharmacy.
• Second Place: $2,000 to the NCPA student chapter and $2,000 contributed to the school in the dean's name to promote independent pharmacy.
• Third Place: $1,000 to the NCPA student chapter and $1,000 contributed to the school in the dean's name to promote independent pharmacy.

The goal of the competition is to motivate pharmacy students to create a business model for buying an existing independent community pharmacy or opening a new pharmacy. Through this competition, NCPA is better able to prepare tomorrow's pharmacy entrepreneurs for a successful future. The Business Plan Competition is the first national competition of its kind in the pharmacy profession and honors two great champions of independent community pharmacy, the late Neil Pruitt, Sr., and the late H. Joseph Schutte. The competition is supported by Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Pharmacists Mutual Companies, and the NCPA Foundation.

The remaining finalists in the top 10 are Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy; University of Missouri Kansas City School of Pharmacy; University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy; University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; University of Washington School of Pharmacy; and Washington State University College of Pharmacy. The submissions were judged by a panel of 55 NCPA members, Good Neighbor Pharmacy Business Coaching consultants, and business team leaders from the Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA).

All participating schools receive a plaque commemorating their participation in the competition. Each year, competing schools receive an engraved plate to add to their plaque, and teams placing in the top 10 receive a special plate acknowledging this distinction. For more information about the Business Plan Competition, please visit NCPA's website.