Smith Drug taps Walmart, McKesson vet as SVP pharmacy solutions
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Smith Drug Co. announced Wednesday that it had tapped a former McKesson and Walmart executive as its SVP pharmacy solutions. Brian Purscell joins the company to provide his expertise in market analysis, strategy and development and business growth.
Purscell describes himself as a tech enthusiast, and has developed programs that focused on efficiency and productivity and created the first system that allowed the tracking of pseudoephedrine sales in a retail setting. He also developed a system that could be used in annual controlled substance inventory checks.
“Brian brings a wealth of experience to us,” Smith Drug Co. president Jeff Foreman said. "And that experience will be a great benefit to our customers. … Smith Drug Company will now be better able to assist our customers with staffing optimization, front-end merchandising, niche products and solutions, inventory control, workflow, systems optimization, specialty at retail, quality performance scores and much more. This will help our customers better serve their patients, increase their sales and grow their bottom line.”
Purscell started as a pharmacist in Ankeny, Iowa at Peoples Drug before moving on to work at McKesson and Walmart. At Walmart he was recognized for his work in the design and implementation of predictive prescription replenishment system, as well as improving pharmacy operations and increasing sales by using market analysis. Now he has moved to Spartaburg to start his career at Smith Drug Co.
“I am thrilled to be part of Smith Drug Co.,” Purscell said. “The business of pharmacy, of health care overall, is rapidly changing, and this means there are great opportunities for independent pharmacies to excel in what they have always done best — offer personalized care to patients in their own communities. Smith Drug Company believes, as I do, that independent pharmacies are unique, and incredibly important in the pharmacy landscape. I am looking forward to working with our customers and developing solutions with them that will ensure their success.”