PittPharmacy students were the team winners of the Achieving Independence Competition for the THIRD YEAR IN A ROW during the competition at Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA) Annual Conference September 2014. Class of 2016 team members were (pictured l to r), Meera Vachhani, Neil Turco, Shea Liput and Aaron Devanathan. Their faculty advisor was Karen Steinmetz Pater, PharmD and their coach was Independent Pharmacy Owner, David Cippel, RPh.
The Achieving Independence Competition is designed to complement the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) National Student Business Plan Competition. The competition is meant to spark the entrepreneurial spirit and serve as a stepping stone to competing on a larger scale.
The judges made their decision based on the following criteria: Innovative Concepts and Creativity, Feasibility/Ability to Implement, and Format. The University of Pittsburgh team impressed the judges with their business concept for Medstar Pharmacy, of U.S. Route 19 in the North Hills region. Their concept included purchasing a pre-existing pharmacy that is accompanied by a separately owned eat-in restaurant in the same building. The judges liked their financial plan and their highlighting of a simple concept that is easy to implement. The judges also enjoyed the team’s incorporation of classes in nutrition and wellness to assist with patient adherence for a healthy lifestyle, in which they could work in conjunction with the eat-in restaurant located in the same building.
