Episode 25: The Insider’s Guide to McKesson ideaShare 2026

Join host Dr. Britney Woods, PharmD, Senior Manager on the McKesson Health Mart team, for a special Know Before You Go episode created to help independent pharmacy owners get real value from McKesson ideaShare 2026 - before they even arrive. Featuring Jaime Montuoro, PharmD, Director of Education and Practice Advancement with McKesson/Health Mart, Alanna Douglas, Senior Marketing Manager on the McKesson/Health Mart team, this conversation goes behind the scenes of how ideaShare is intentionally designed for today’s independent pharmacies. Tune in to hear what education themes matter most this year, how to build a schedule that balances inspiration with practical implementation, and the inspiration behind the Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year award. Whether it’s your first ideaShare or your tenth, this episode will help you show up with a plan and leave ready to put ideas into action back at your pharmacy.

Host
Britney Woods, PharmD
Sr. Manager, Community Pharmacy
McKesson / Health Mart

Guests
Jaime Montuoro, PharmD
Director of Education & Practice Advancement 
McKesson/Health Mart

Alanna Douglas
Sr. Marketing Manager 
McKesson

Resources

Tune into Episode 23: Community Roots to Clinical Impact – Inside a Pharmacy of the Year Winner featuring Dave Randolph and Mikayla Smith, last year's Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year winners. In this episode, they discuss how they expanded clinical services, fostered staff development, and implemented sustainable solutions for patient care while serving their rural community.

Health Mart Pharmacies can access Health Mart University (HMU) to: 

• Enroll in the Independent Insights Podcast Package to conveniently access new monthly podcast episodes and claim continuing education (CE) credit (pharmacists) for weekly GameChangers clinical episodes. 
• Access hundreds of no-cost continuing education courses to help elevate pharmacy staff knowledge and maintain state licensure requirements  

References

Go to mckessonideashare.com to learn more and registered attendees can login to the Attendee Hub to start planning your McKesson ideaShare 2026 now. 


The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of Health Mart, McKesson or its affiliates or subsidiaries ("McKesson”). The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the rendering of clinical, legal or other professional advice by McKesson.

Transcript

Independent Insights Episode 25 The Insider’s Guide to McKesson ideaShare 2026 

 [00:00:00]  

Britney: It's the podcast dedicated to helping independent pharmacy owners and leaders grow, adapt, and thrive. I'm Britney Woods, senior manager with the McKesson Health Mart team. Today's Independent Insights episode is a special one. We're kicking off a Know Before You Go conversation for McKesson ideaShare 2026, happening June 18th through June 21st this year at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. 

Britney: IdeaShare is more than a conference, it's where independent pharmacy comes together to learn from one another, discover what's next, and leave with real ideas you can put into action when you get home. 

Are you looking for ideas to grow independent pharmacy and make a greater impact in your community? Look no further. Welcome to Independent Insights, the podcast brought to you by Health Mart. Episodes delve into a wide range of topics to provide you with the practical strategies, expert insights, and inspiring stories to help you and your pharmacy [00:01:00] excel. 

The information provided is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, or any other type of professional advice from Health Mart, McKesson, or its affiliates and subsidiaries (“McKesson”). You acknowledge and agree that McKesson will have no liability with respect to, or relating to any information presented in this podcast. Pharmacies are encouraged to consult with their legal and business advisors before making any decisions that could affect their business operations.  

Pharmacists are expected to exercise reasonable care as dictated by legal and professional standards and are ultimately responsible for decisions related to patient care and medication management. It is your responsibility to review and comply with all applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing your business operations. This includes laws applicable to businesses in general, those pertinent to employers, and those specifically regulating the practice of [00:02:00] pharmacy.​​ 

Britney: Today, our first guest is Jaime Montuoro, PharmD, and Director of Education and Practice Advancement on the Health Mart team, working to elevate the educational and practice experience for attendees. 

Britney: Welcome, Jaime. How are you this morning?  

Jaime: I'm great. Thanks for having me.  

Britney: We're so excited to hear what you've been working on for this year's attendees. Could you tell us a little bit about what that experience has been?  

Jaime: It's always exciting working on ideaShare. I feel like it's something we work on all throughout the year as we're collecting insights and, interest areas from our Health Mart pharmacy owners and independent pharmacy owners and operators, and really just figuring out what is top of mind and what we need to structure our education around for them to make ideaShare really impactful and enjoyable for everybody who comes. 

Britney: That's such an [00:03:00] important part of what ideaShare is. We wanna make sure that attendees leave with the education they need, the real practical steps they need to advance their practice, so I think that what you're doing is so important. What are the most important education themes at McKesson ideaShare 2026 for independent pharmacy owners, and why do they matter right now? 

Jaime: I'm really excited about how intentional we are with the education at ideaShare. Like I mentioned, we are really seeking what our attendees need and, not just throwing topics on a list. 

Britney: Yeah. 

Jaime: We do have six main themes this year that have come out of where our insights have led us, and one big theme is AI, automation, and digital transformation. Really, how do we make that workflow process and all the workflows within pharmacy more efficient and adapting to technology [00:04:00] to be able to help our pharmacies take better care of patients. So that's a big one. 

Jaime: How to engage with your community. That's what our independent pharmacies do so well.  

Jaime: And marketing and then regulatory and compliance updates and just being aware of all the constant changes that are happening and really where things are headed in that regulatory environment is another theme. Business sustainability and financial resilience is a focus this year, as it should be. How do we help to bring information around- whether it's your contracts, billing other financial understanding tools, practices- to help everybody run their business more efficiently. 

Jaime: And then that leads into the business model diversification theme and practice advancement. We do have quite a lot of content that provides information about the levers that you can pull that ultimately help you take great care of your [00:05:00] patients, but also will help to strengthen your business. 

Jaime: And then I mentioned in the automation and technology theme, and we also have another theme around really workforce, but also optimizing your efficiencies in a variety of other ways, whether it's staff engagement, appointment-based model, ways that you can structure things in order to be able to layer in all of the new things that you're learning and wanting to bring to your community. 

Britney: I really love that there's this focus on AI and technology. We've gotta be agile as we approach what's coming, what's new in the practice of pharmacy. And so making sure that attendees leave with some understanding of how AI is going to impact the future of their business is so thoughtful. As I think about the future of pharmacy and how we have to adapt to stay relevant in this space, what [00:06:00] challenges are you hearing most often from independent pharmacies that directly influence this year's educational content, making sense of the education experience? 

Jaime: Yeah. So I really think that's what directly informed those themes that I outlined. First of all, we need actionable information. Our attendees want to walk away with ideas and tools and resources that they can use, and that's really what the whole show is about, what ideaShare is about in general. The importance of networking and understanding from your peers what they're working on, what's working, what's not working.  

Britney: Yeah.  

Jaime: Having that ability to go to your network and continue to learn even beyond the time that you spend at ideaShare. Those are some just general challenges, I think, that sometimes you can feel a little bit like you're on an island and- Yep. Yeah ... if you're not kinda networked. So this is an opportunity for that. But I think the [00:07:00] financial challenges that everyone's facing workforce challenges and, we could list a lot of different pain points, I think, that our pharmacies are experiencing. So the content really aligns with those things. Regulatory uncertainty is another one that you'll see, as I mentioned, as a theme. But really, how to be aware and up to date, and then advocate, right? How do you take that information and then be the voice that your communities need in order to keep access to the services that our pharmacies provide. I could go on and on probably with that question, but those are just some highlights that really have helped guide what we're offering at ideaShare this year.  

Britney: I think it's so important that independent pharmacy  

Britney: owners  

Britney: in this landscape don't feel alone. So while the networking opportunities are so amazing at ideaShare, I'd like to really dig into the educational content and [00:08:00] the intentionality behind that piece of ideaShare. 

Britney: Can you explain the different education formats, CEs, Learning Labs, and Pharma Talks, and how they support practical improvement in pharmacies?  

Jaime: Absolutely. So there's really four key formats. You mentioned three, and I'm gonna add also our general sessions. I think of those as the sessions that really set the direction. They're the big-picture view of some of the major themes where pharmacy's heading, what matters most right now.  

Britney: Yeah.  

Jaime: So those will have information in them that can also be seen in the other content areas as well. Of course, continuing education is something that attendees love to take advantage of. That live CE, but really that's, accredited, evidence-based education. Interestingly though we have really worked this year to make sure that we continue to push the format of those and have really [00:09:00] incorporated Health Mart pharmacy owners, operators and representatives within the continuing education, so you get that real-life perspective within that evidence-based accredited education. But those sessions provide that foundation of whether it's clinical or practice-related information. 

Jaime: And then learning labs those are where, kinda where the rubber meets the road. Those are more about practical-focused, "how do I do this in my pharmacy type sessions." We have some great subject matter experts who will help to walk attendees through some of the topics that are offered in those learning labs. 

Jaime: And then my personal favorite is our Pharma Talks, which is where we have a stage in the middle of the show floor where our representatives from our organization interview Health Mart and other independent pharmacy owners, operators, -really representatives from the peer [00:10:00] community of the attendees- to highlight what's going well. 

Jaime: And I mentioned networking, and I think of this as an extension of networking, where we're hearing directly from our peers about the things that are making a difference for patients in those businesses, and the connections, whether seeing that person on stage and going up to them afterwards and asking additional questions and creating a new friend that way. I think those are a really great format that can really help people see what's possible.  

Britney: I really appreciate the four-pronged approach so that the messages are amplified across several different formats. I think that, of course, the CEs are so important, and especially those live sessions. Everybody wants those. But getting the chance to hear from peers and also representatives that are doing their best to make these solutions come to life it's so important. I'll close out with you [00:11:00] Jaime, by asking what's your best advice for building a schedule that balances inspiration with sessions focused on implementation? 

Jaime: That's a great question. And I do think that coming to these events and ideaShare in particular is a little bit overwhelming sometimes because there's so much to see, so much to take in and it's a busy meeting. So having a plan of really what is your main challenge that you're facing, and then, looking at the schedule, looking at the exhibitors where you need to be in order to help you solve those challenges, for sure. But I think as far as the education that you walk away with, thinking of making sure you're getting that dose of inspiration where that may come in a variety of the different sessions, but the general sessions for sure the Pharma Talks. And then anchoring in those learning labs that are the how-to sessions I mentioned so that you have some [00:12:00] things, especially in the topics that you're really working to focus on in your pharmacy. You have some actionable things that you can do after the conference is over. And then of course, take advantage of the CE that aligns with your interests, maybe with your weaker spots in knowledge so that you can take something brand new away, too. 

Jaime: But one tip I would just share, I think at the end of it all is all the sessions that you go to you're there taking notes, you're thinking about your business, and I would just say making sure you're thinking, "Okay, what's the one thing I'm gonna do differently? What's the one decision I'm making based on this session? 

Jaime: And who's gonna do it? So what you learn really gets put into action when you get back to your pharmacy.  

Britney: Oh my goodness, Jaime, thank you so much for this peek behind the curtain. 

Britney: As we gear up to attend McKesson ideaShare, we really appreciate you being on Independent Insights.  

You're listening to Independent Insights, a McKesson [00:13:00] Health Mart podcast with host Britney Woods, Senior Manager of Community Pharmacy at McKesson Health Mart. And guests, Jamie Montoro, Director of Education and Practice Advancement on the Health Mart team, and Alanna Douglas, Senior Marketing Manager at McKesson Health Mart. 

Let's continue.  

Britney: Our next guest is Alanna Douglas, a senior manager within the Health Mart team that got the pleasure to meet this year's Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year finalists. 

Britney: Alanna. How are you?  

Alanna: I'm good. Doing well, thank you. Thank you for having me.  

Britney: We are so happy to have you, and we would love to hear about your experience with the Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year finalists. Could you remind us of those finalists again?  

Alanna: Yes. So we have three finalists this year. 

Alanna: We have Latham's Pharmacy from Arab, Alabama. We have Butterfield's Pharmacy from Port St. Lucie, Florida. And we also have Mace's' Pharmacy from Philippi, West Virginia.  

Britney: Oh, wow, we [00:14:00] have a little representation from all over. You've worked closely with Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year finalist. What do they all have in common that most people wouldn't expect? 

Alanna: I think all the pharmacies have this really unique connection to their community. And as you mentioned they're all spread out across the country, and they all serve different communities and have different purposes there. But they all really offer services and resources and the tools that they need to really embed themselves in the community and be a hub and a resource for all their patients.  

Britney: That's what's so unique about independent pharmacies, this feeling of really serving the community that goes beyond just dispensing medications. So it's so good to hear that you've been able to experience that firsthand. Many listeners might wonder, could my pharmacy ever be at that level? 

Britney: What have you seen that tells you that this recognition is achievable, not out of [00:15:00] reach?  

Alanna: Yeah, absolutely. I think that all pharmacies have the potential to elevate themselves to this level. I think it's a combination of putting in the work, serving your community and really thinking about your patients and what they need and how you can help support. 

Alanna: A lot of the things that we've seen with our finalists this year is that they were not afraid to try to innovate-  

Britney: Yeah 

Alanna: to try to implement new things to really build their teams and their staff as well. So I think when you combine all of those elements and really just take this as a moment to showcase all the hard work that you're doing all along- Yeah I think it really is an opportunity to promote yourself.  

Britney: It's so important that as we approach the adoption of technology and AI, that we see owners and managers that are not afraid to embrace where the practice of pharmacy is going. It can be so comfortable to continue to do the same things over and not try new things so it's really [00:16:00] brave when you see pharmacy owners and practices that are willing to embrace new things. 

Britney: What's a moment you've seen with a finalist, maybe a shift in confidence, clarity, or direction, that reminds you why these stories matter to share at McKesson's ideaShare?  

Alanna: Part of the process is that we ask our finalists to identify some of their key cheerleaders, so to speak. 

Alanna: Yeah So we have them bringing in some of their customers some of their staff, and when we see these pharmacists in the moment where they're actually hearing from their patients and hearing the impact that they have, I think that's one of the moments where they're able to kinda see the fruits of their labor and really understand the impact of all the effort that they're putting in.  

Britney: That's so beautiful. You know, you think about all of the work that they do to sustain their communities and getting a glimmer of how that's affecting patients' lives that's so empowering. 

Britney: [00:17:00] Lastly, I'd like to ask you, when you think about Pharmacy of the Year finalists standing on stage or being recognized at ideaShare, what do you hope other attendees take away from that experience? 

Alanna: I hope that the attendees really hear the stories that these pharmacies tell and really listen to the different things that they're able to do. They're all in different areas. They all specialize in different needs for their community.  

Britney: Yeah.  

Alanna: So I feel like there's something for everyone to take back to their pharmacy and to think about looking into deeper or maybe wanting to try or just learn more. 

Alanna: So I really hope that everyone hears the stories as just a point of inspiration-  

Britney: Yeah 

Alanna: -and a way to kinda connect to some of the tools and resources that we have to support as well.  

Britney: I can tell you that seeing the spotlights of the Pharmacy of the Year finalist is one of my favorite parts of ideaShare. 

Britney: So we're so glad to have you on the episode to bring light to how [00:18:00] that shaped up and really give us some clarity on how their stories really impact the practice of pharmacy. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today, Alanna. We look forward to seeing you at ideaShare.  

Alanna: Thank you. 

Britney: We're going to do something a little different today. I want to take a moment to speak directly to community pharmacy owners and managers about what makes the McKesson ideaShare experience so valuable and what we hope you can take away from it. If you are walking into McKesson ideaShare for the first time, we want you to feel seen right away. 

Britney: This event is built around what community pharmacy is actually navigating right now. It is a difficult time to be a community pharmacist. Even so, I want you to feel excited, supported, and not alone as you join hundreds of owners and managers facing the same challenges. I want you [00:19:00] to recognize that the problems on your mind are also the problems your peers are working to solve, and that ideaShare is one of the best places to do that work together. 

Britney: What may surprise you most is not just what happens in the scheduled sessions, but what happens in the in-between moments. You may come expecting to attend a few sessions, earn continuing education credits, and gather useful information. But again and again, the feedback shows that the conversations in the hallways, over lunch, and between events are the moments that stick. 

Britney: Those unexpected connections often lead to practical problem-solving, new ideas, and fresh ways of thinking about your business. When you combine peer networking with the innovative solutions on the exhibit floor, you may leave with answers you did not even realize you were looking for when you arrived. 

Britney: I also believe [00:20:00] that if you are one of the busiest owners or managers, you may be one of the people who gets the most out of McKesson ideaShare. Community pharmacists are stretched thin, and stepping away from the pharmacy is not easy. But the event is designed to compress a year's worth of learning into three focused days. 

Britney: There are very few opportunities to gain that much perspective, education, and practical insight in such a short period of time. Taking a few days away can create a much clearer path forward for you and your business. Looking ahead to after ideaShare, I hope attendees can say that you've improved at least one meaningful part of your business. 

Britney: I hope you return with fresh ideas, new perspectives, and practical ways to make an impact on your business for yourself and your team. That might mean improving workflow, [00:21:00] identifying realistic ways to implement AI, or finally creating a plan for problems that have felt overwhelming. Our hope is that you leave not just inspired, but equipped to reduce the number of issues you are carrying and to move forward with greater confidence. 

Britney: If this is your first time attending, you may wonder how it feels walking into a room where everyone else already seems connected. As someone who's naturally introverted, I understand that hesitation. It is easy to worry about not knowing anyone or feeling like an outsider. But from every McKesson ideaShare I've attended, community pharmacy is one of the most welcoming communities in healthcare. 

Britney: First-time attendees consistently say that meeting people ended up being easier than they expected. Experienced attendees are often actively looking to connect with new faces, and the schedule is intentionally built to help you engage [00:22:00] at your own pace. Sometimes a single peer connection or one keynote moment can completely reframe your year ahead. 

Britney: Beyond that, you can keep checking mckessonideashare.com for updates, explore the attendee hub to save sessions, search for speakers and familiar faces, and use the mobile app as the event gets closer so that everything you need is right at your fingertips. McKesson ideaShare twenty twenty-six is for you if you're the kind of owner or manager who wants to shape the future of community pharmacy instead of waiting for it to happen to you. 

Britney: It is a chance to learn, connect, and return home with ideas that can lead to real change. 

Britney: I am Britney Woods, senior manager on the McKesson Health Mart team, and today's episode featured [00:23:00] Jamie Montuoro director of education and practice advancement on the Health Mart team, and Alanna Douglas, senior manager on the Health Mart team. 

Britney: As we wrap up today's conversation, I want to say a sincere thank you to our guests for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the thought, care, and collaboration that go into bringing McKesson ideaShare to life. Thank you for listening to Independent Insights. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss upcoming conversations, and we'll see you soon, hopefully in Denver 

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