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Last month McKesson and Health Mart announced a broad expansion of its Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs) as part of the many new clinical-performance initiatives introduced at 2016 McKesson ideaShare. The program, which was first introduced last fall in two states, now covers 37 of the 40 states that require a CPA to prescribe and administer eligible immunizations to patients.

Many accomplishments were highlighted and goals were set at this year's McKesson ideaShare 2016. From 50% growth over the last three years to 4,700 Health Mart stores to being recognized for superior customer service, McKesson and Health Mart executives praised owners and operators.

Pharmacy advocacy makes a difference.

And while independent pharmacy owners also got perspective on key legislation that could have a profound and lasting impact both on their businesses and the profession of pharmacy, that message was perhaps the most important takeaway from the McKesson ideaShare Public Policy Forum last month in Chicago — advocacy matters.

Since it began in 2008, McKesson’s RxOwnership has helped more than 3,500 pharmacy owners buy, sell or start their own pharmacy business in an attempt to, as RxOwnership national VP Chris Cella told Drug Store News, “keep independents independent.” Cella participated in an “Ask the Experts” panel with three longtime RxOwnership collaborators at McKesson ideaShare 2016 to help potential pharmacy owners and sellers understand RxOwnership’s services and the work required to break into being a small business owner.

McKesson ideaShare 2016 wrapped up Tuesday and Wednesday, June 28 to 29, with more CE sessions, Sunrise Sessions, peer networking events, the RxOwnership luncheon and the Public Policy Forum. The event ended with a historic bang for owner/operators and their families at the Final Night Party at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History.

For complete coverage of McKesson ideaShare 2016, click here.

McKesson’s Health Mart pharmacy network hosted its Annual Meeting in Chicago Tuesday morning, at McKesson ideaShare 2016, unveiling an important new program — the Health Mart Pathway to Better Performance and Profit(SM), which provides a strategic roadmap to help independent pharmacies shift the way they approach their clinical and financial performance and pharmacy operations, and demonstrates the value they can contribute to the local healthcare ecosystem.

McKesson ideaShare 2016 may have officially kicked off Monday afternoon with the conference’s Opening General Session, but even before McKesson executives took the stage and this year’s Pharmacy of the Year award winners were announced, many attendees already had been busy in continuing education sessions, lea