Becker’s asked pharmacy executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. to share how pharmacy c-suites will transform through 2030.
The 11 executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker’s Healthcare Spring Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit, from April 15 – 16, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
To learn more about this event, click here.
If you would like to join as a speaker or a reviewer, contact Mariah Muhammad at mmuhammad@beckershealthcare.com or agendateam@beckershealthcare.com.
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As part of an ongoing series, Becker’s is talking to healthcare leaders who will speak at our conference. The following are answers from our speakers at the event.
Question: How will health system pharmacy C-suites transform through 2030?
Mohamed Mahmoud, PharmD. Director of Specialty and Retail Pharmacy Services at Corewell Health (Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich.): One of the greatest advantages of having a clinician — whether a pharmacist or another healthcare professional — in the C-suite is the ability to bring a clinical perspective to business decisions. It can be challenging for business leaders to think with their “clinical brain,” as their focus often gravitates toward quarterly earnings or losses. However, healthcare is not merely a service or a product — it is an experience. Delivering a positive experience is what keeps patients coming back, and that loyalty ultimately sustains margins. A clinician’s insight at the executive level is essential, especially since pharmacy plays a critical role in both cost management and margin optimization. This perspective ensures sound, patient-centered decision-making at the highest levels of healthcare leadership.
Danielle Sestito, PharmD. Assistant Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): By 2030, the pharmacy C-suite will have fundamentally transitioned from primarily managing medication logistics to embodying strategic foresight, spearheading technological integration, and mastering data-driven decision-making. This evolution will solidify pharmacy’s indispensable value as a central pillar of patient care, financial sustainability, and population health. We’re already seeing this strategic elevation in practice at Northwell Health. Pharmacy leaders function as core health system strategists, fluent in both clinical and business vernacular, and are instrumental in driving clinical outcomes, optimizing revenue streams, and enhancing margin. In essence, the pharmacy C-suite is rapidly evolving into a foundational strategic partner, critical to future health system resilience and growth.
Luis Alfonso, PharmD. Director of Pharmacy Services at Jackson North Medical Center, Jackson Health System (North Miami Beach, Fla.): The big transformation opportunity is happening as the pharmacy executives present a vision of an enterprise strategist. We need to change the pharmacy business model from a traditional departmental model to an enterprise-integrated model. We need to own the systemwide medication strategy for all enterprise service lines (acute, ambulatory, home infusion, retail). That medication strategy is supported by integration with value-based care, data and AI fluency, Biosimilar and Cell and Gene therapy access, precision medicine, Workforce redesign, and Pharmaceuticals and Supplies central distribution hub models. One of the significant areas to look at is providing a solid strategic plan that navigates the system through the incoming healthcare policy changes and the associated revenue risks and vulnerabilities, which call for greater accountability in specialty pharmacy, infusion, and 340B optimization as margin centers shift away from inpatient care.
Lisa Mulloy, RPh, MBA. Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): Modern pharmacy C-suite has expanded and continues to expand far beyond its traditional boundaries, evolving into an important strategic partner. This expansion is driven by the financial impact of pharmaceuticals, the increasing complexity of regulatory compliance, and the disruptive innovation of emerging therapeutics. The involvement of the pharmacy C-suite is no longer optional; it is essential for an organization to maintain financial viability, ensure regulatory adherence, deliver cutting-edge patient care, and strategically position itself for the future of healthcare. The pharmacy C -suite continues to be crucial for making informed financial, clinical, and operational decisions that directly impact the bottom line and the well-being of the patient population.
Justin L. Vesser, PharmD, MS. Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy at UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.): Pharmacist leaders have moved out of the basement and into key positions in every aspect of the health system. We’ve shown that we can perform clinically, financially and executively, a trifecta that often eludes healthcare folks. By 2030, expect to see pharmacist CEOs and COOs across the country.
Onisis Stefas, PharmD. CEO of VIVO Health at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): The transformation of health system pharmacy C-suites through 2030 will be profound, driven by evolving healthcare landscapes and heightened strategic demands. As care continues its significant shift towards outpatient settings, we will increasingly see the integration of dedicated outpatient pharmacy leaders within the C-suite, ensuring seamless, high-quality pharmaceutical care across the continuum. Beyond this, the expanded pharmacy C-suite will embrace specialized expertise: leaders in digital strategy and informatics to leverage data and AI; finance leaders focused on optimizing pharmacy as a revenue-generating asset; business development leaders to drive strategic growth and external partnerships; procurement specialists to build resilient supply chains and manage costs more effectively; legal and regulatory experts to effectively navigate complexities like 340B, IRA, and PBM reform; and operational/HR leaders vital for talent management, employee engagement, and enhancing the overall consumer experience. This evolution reflects pharmacy’s growing strategic importance, positioning it as a core driver of both clinical excellence and financial health within the entire system.
Troy Shirley, PharmD. Vice President of Pharmacy at Bronson Healthcare (Kalamazoo, Mich.): In my view, we’re already seeing a significant evolution in pharmacy leadership. Core skills like medication safety, expense management, and inpatient clinical expertise remain critical. But, expectations for pharmacy executives are expanding rapidly. Beyond these fundamentals, leaders must show proficiency in revenue and margin growth and leverage the pharmacists’ role to support organizational priorities with quality and population health, and build strong data analytics capabilities. These emerging skills are re-shaping the composition of the pharmacy c-suite, but one timeless skill that stands out is relationship building. No transformative pharmacy initiative happens in a vacuum. The ability to collaborate and partner with key stakeholders across an organization is, and will continue to be, the cornerstone for achieving shared goals.
Barbara Higgins, PharmD. Director of Pharmacy at Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor): The clinical prowess of pharmacists is understood and valued by our medical partners in patient care. However, until recently, pharmacy was not considered a revenue generator, but rather a cost center. With the introduction of a large number of extremely expensive pharmaceuticals into the system, the need to understand reimbursement and payor strategies has strengthened the Chief Pharmacy Officers role in the C-suite. These products have allowed pharmacies to transition from purely a cost center and ancillary department to a strategic revenue generator and clinical partner in many health systems. As the pharmaceutical armamentarium continues to increase in both cost and availability of treatment options (i.e. moving away from surgical to medical options for some conditions), the importance and number of these C-suite roles will grow. It is unfortunate that the economic impact of pharmaceuticals is what is rapidly providing pharmacies a seat at the C-suite after decades of proving our worth as clinicians.
Jeffrey Akers, PharmD. Vice President of Pharmacy at UC Health (Cincinnati): I firmly believe that even with all the headwinds starting in 2026 with the Inflation Reduction Act and the 340B Rebate Pilot model, pharmacy remains a good investment. Therefore, it continues to be imperative that hospitals and health systems integrate pharmacy services into their overall strategic and tactical planning and consider how pharmacy can drive improved patient outcomes and overall financial improvement. Pharmacy executives must lead their operational teams to become much more forward looking as new agents enter the market and consider the impact on costs in expense-focused and margins in revenue-generating sectors. Additionally, pharmacy executives must encourage their teams to become much more nimble in monitoring medication cost and margin changes and implementing diverse strategies to maximize financial stewardship and improve patient care.
Victoria Lubarsky. Pharmacy Manager of TOC and System Medication Reconciliation at University Hospitals (Cleveland): As a leader working closely with pharmacy executives, it’s my personal belief that by 2030, these leaders will guide their health systems to transform into strategic engines for value-based care — driving technology adoption, care standardization, and financial sustainability. They will prioritize transitions of care, pharmacy post-discharge follow-up programs, population health integration, and predictive analytics to prevent penalties and optimize reimbursements. Pharmacy leaders can help facilitate this shift by bringing real-world insights from the field, identifying gaps, and implementing scalable solutions that improve outcomes, reduce readmissions, and convert clinical excellence into measurable financial advantage.
Bickkie Solomon, PharmD. Director of Pharmacy, and Director, Residency Program Director PGY-2 HSPAL at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital; Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at West Coast University (Irvine, Calif.): My perspective is that by 2030, health system pharmacy leadership will transform from a traditional operational role into a strategic enterprise function. Pharmacy C-suites will evolve into medication intelligence platforms, integrating AI-driven workflows, specialty and ambulatory strategies, continuous compounding compliance, and payer alignment under one unified command center. The Chief Pharmacy Officer will co-own clinical outcomes, revenue integrity, and supply chain and financial resilience, positioning pharmacy as a core driver of value-based care and financial performance. Health systems that adopt AI in their practice model from pilot to scaling including but not limited to data integration, automation, and governance will lead the market in safety, access, and margin protection. Clinicians will be elevated through AI integration and accept the changes for improved clinical outcomes over time when appropriately scaled with governance, accountability, adoption and auditability. Organizations who take on this major change could lead the industry and be the role model for others. New roles are likely to be created as the C-suite level such as chief intelligence officer, vice president of digital transformation covering the organization but with a pharmacy leadership and technology background.
