Ask pharmacy leaders to picture the elite team of the future and a common vision emerges: fewer workarounds, less time fighting the system, and more time spent on the clinical judgment and patient connection that only a person can provide.
Becker’s asked pharmacy leaders one question: What does the elite pharmacy team of the future look like? Their answers, below, describe teams built on automation, cross-functional collaboration and a culture that puts people, not just processes, first.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Chris McLaurin, PharmD. Director, Pharmacy Services, Sports Medicine Pharmacy (Jackson, Miss.): Leaders who are flexible within the needs of the organization and with the employees will continue to be needed. Employees who are cross trained outside our department will be essential as we have a smaller pool of employees than larger health systems. When they cross train, it helps them to grow and helps our organization to remain nimble without incurring additional overhead. The vision to see beyond our four walls and the impact we can make is vital to our growth and necessary for others to see our value and trust us with their personal and family needs.
Cathleen Cowden, PharmD. Administrative Director of Pharmacy at Augusta Health (Fishersville, Va.): The elite pharmacy team of the future is not defined by how hard it works; it is most successful by how little it has to fight its own systems to do great work. I frequently say, “Build a system that works for you, not the other way around.” Leverage automation, AI-assisted ordering and stocking, and intelligent EHR workflows to absorb the repetitive, error-prone tasks that can consume our best clinical minds, freeing pharmacists to practice at the top of their license rather than chase down alerts, overrides and workarounds.
An elite team is proactive by design, not by heroics. Standardized processes and a strong operational foundation mean the routine runs itself, quietly, reliably, with minimal oversight. The result is a team that spends its energy on what only humans can do: clinical judgment, complex decision-making and genuine patient connection, while the infrastructure around them handles everything else. Not a team putting out fires but a team that has built a building where fires rarely start.
Nishaminy Kasbekar, PharmD. Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of University of Pennsylvania Health System (Philadelphia): I envision the pharmacy of the future as collaborative, patient-focused and tech enabled. Every team member works at the top of their scope of practice, with pharmacists providing advanced clinical care and technicians taking on expanded technical responsibilities.
Technology, including AI tools, surveillance and predictive analytics, is all embraced to improve medication safety, optimize workflows and personalize patient care. To me, a successful pharmacy team is one that adapts, innovates and prioritizes better outcomes for patients while supporting professional growth and well-being.
Ashley Peekstok, PharmD. Pharmacy Coordinator, Procurement and Drug Shortage Mitigation, at Duke University Hospital (Durham, N.C.): To me, the best pharmacy teams are the ones that see the bigger picture. Patient care doesn’t start when a medication reaches the bedside — it starts much earlier with the people who make sure the right medication is available when it’s needed. That’s why I think the future of pharmacy depends on stronger collaboration between clinicians, operations and pharmacy supply chain.
The teams that will stand out are the ones that are curious, adaptable and willing to learn from each other. They communicate openly, share ideas and understand that everyone plays a role in delivering safe, timely patient care.
Technology will continue to change how we work, especially in areas like inventory management, forecasting and drug shortage management. Used well, those tools can take care of routine work and help us make better decisions, giving pharmacists and pharmacy technicians more time to focus on solving problems and caring for patients.
An elite pharmacy team is one that puts people first, embraces change and recognizes that great patient care is the result of every part of the pharmacy working together.
Joe Davis, PharmD. Pharmacy Operations Manager at ECU Health (Greenville, N.C.): The elite pharmacy team of the future combines clinical excellence with operational and business expertise. As pharmacy services become increasingly complex, pharmacy professionals must not only deliver outstanding patient care but also understand efficiency, reimbursement, supply chain management, technology and regulatory compliance. The strongest teams will be multidisciplinary, adaptable and focused on delivering high-quality outcomes while maximizing value for patients and the health system.
Jennifer Anderson-Fung, PharmD. Pharmacy Business Coordinator, Infirmary Health (Mobile, Ala.): An elite pharmacy team of the future comprises pharmacists and pharmacy technicians practicing at the top of their licenses to improve health outcomes. I believe that opening a centralized pharmacy services center will enable us to shift routine dispensing functions away from our pharmacists and technicians, allowing them to integrate more fully into our interdisciplinary teams.
Brandon Berkemeier, PharmD. Pharmacy Manager, Infusion Services, TriHealth: The elite pharmacy team of the future is one that can continuously research, analyze, adapt, and then repeat that process as healthcare continues to evolve. Technology will play a critical role, but technology alone does not create excellence—it must be evaluated and then applied thoughtfully. The teams that will thrive are those willing to embrace change, commit to continuous improvement, and leverage data and technology to better serve their patients and communities.
Nicole Brand. Director of Pharmacy, Hutchinson (Kan.) Regional Medical Center: The elite pharmacy team of the future includes pharmacy team members that are included in all aspects of hospital operations, including quality, risk, finance, education, chargemaster maintenance, infectious disease, critical care, the discharge process, information systems, oncology, care management, etc. I believe that collaboration across these departments is crucial to providing the safest and most effective patient care.
Curtis Hudson. Pharmacy Technician Education Coordinator, University of Kentucky HealthCare: The elite pharmacy team of the future is agile, adaptable, and designed so that every team member works at the top of their license, certification, and training. As healthcare continues to grow more complex, pharmacy organizations must move beyond traditional role boundaries and fully leverage the capabilities of pharmacists, technicians, and support staff.
I believe one of the greatest opportunities for the profession is the continued advancement of pharmacy technician roles. With support from boards of pharmacy and health system leadership, technicians can assume greater responsibility in operational, technology, medication access, and other specialized functions. This creates meaningful career pathways for technicians while allowing pharmacists to focus more of their time on clinical decision-making and direct patient care.
The pharmacy organizations that will lead the future are those that build robust teams where every member is empowered to contribute at the highest level of their expertise.
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