The Cardinal Health™ Counter Talk™ Podcast with Pharmacy Podcast Network is for independent pharmacists to learn about the state of the industry, innovative services and solutions, and the future of pharmacy. Subscribe to our monthly podcast for conversations with pharmacists, Cardinal Health leaders and industry experts sharing best practices, discussing industry trends and showcasing Cardinal Health™ Products and Services.
You can subscribe to the Cardinal Health™ Counter Talk™ Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Learn about the host.
Jason Callori is a senior advisor, Marketing Operations, and host of the Cardinal Health™ Counter Talk™ Podcast. Jason has worked at Cardinal Health since 2014 and has used his passion to connect with pharmacists for the annual Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference. He started his career back in 1999 with Kinray Inc., a pharmaceutical wholesaler in the state of New York. He was hired to create the company’s first website which blossomed into a 22-year career in marketing to independent pharmacists. While working at Kinray, he learned about challenges the pharmacists, the patients, and how important independent pharmacies are to healthcare. Jason’s passion for the independent pharmacy filters into everything he does.
Episode 43 – Fueling Independent Pharmacy Advocacy with the 2025 NCPA Digest
Pharmacy Listen Now: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The NCPA Digest, presented by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Cardinal Health, is a comprehensive analysis quantifying and profiling the state of independent community pharmacy. From benchmarking performance and implementing process improvements to identifying new strategies that have proven successful for their peers, there are many ways independent pharmacies can leverage this annual report.
In this episode, NCPA’s Doug Hoey and Lisa Schwartz join Cardinal Health’s Michelle Britt and Rebecca McGrath to discuss the findings from the 2025 NCPA Digest and how independent pharmacists’ collective voices help inform this industry publication. They also share examples of how readers can use the Digest as an advocacy tool in conversations with elected officials and policymakers.
You can listen to this episode on cardinalhealth.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
About the Guests
B. Douglas Hoey
B. Douglas Hoey is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Community Pharmacists Association. The National Community Pharmacists Association represents the owners of over 18,900 pharmacy small businesses. These pharmacies are important to local economies providing jobs for 205,000 people in their communities and consumers consistently rank them as the top-rated pharmacies in the country.
Hoey is a licensed pharmacist in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas and practiced in a variety of community pharmacy settings including his own family’s pharmacy before coming to NCPA. Hoey was NCPA’s first chief operating officer and in 2011 was named CEO. He is widely quoted by media as an industry expert on community pharmacy practice issues including drug supply and prescription drug pricing. Hoey also developed and taught pharmacology courses at George Washington University and Marymount universities. He is president of the World Pharmacy Council, co-chairman of the Surescripts Board of Directors, chairman of the NCPA Innovation Center, and vice-chair for the CPESN® USA Board of Managers. Hoey served on the Pharmacy Quality Alliance board for six years and was chairman of the Mirixa board for eight years. His pharmacy degree is from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and his MBA is from the Oklahoma City University graduate school of business.
Lisa Schwartz
Lisa Schwartz is Senior Director, Professional Affairs for the National Community Pharmacists Association. Schwartz is a pharmacist licensed in Minnesota and Virginia. She is knowledgeable on pharmacy practice issues including pharmacy operations, pharmacy quality measurement, DSCSA, pharmacy automation, and health IT. She contributed to the NCPA Digest for many years and is now the project director of the publication. She utilizes her unique skills to support pharmacy owners nationwide on a variety of practice transformation and business issues.
Michelle Britt
Michelle Britt is the Senior Vice President of Retail Independent Sales. She has 25 years of experience with Cardinal Health. Previously, she served as a Territory Sales Manager, Director of Sales and Vice President of Sales for the East Region of the Retail Independent business. Michelle also currently serves as a member of the Women’s Impact Network (WIN) steering committee.
Rebecca McGrath
Rebecca Freedman McGrath is the Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy and at Cardinal Health, a Fortune 15 healthcare services company. Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and specialty products; a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products; a supplier of home-health and direct-to-patient products and services; an operator of nuclear pharmacies and manufacturing facilities; an operator of management services organizations supporting multiple medical specialties; and a provider of performance and data solutions.
Rebecca has a track record of success in the healthcare industry. She currently leads federal, state, and global government relations for Cardinal Health, managing a team of advocacy professionals and consultants. With expertise in legislative and regulatory strategy, stakeholder engagement, and crisis management, Rebecca has a history of legislative wins and bringing groups together to navigate public policy issues. She has a proven ability to build consensus and achieve favorable outcomes on complex issues such as medical device regulation, pharmaceutical policy, and trade. With a robust network spanning policymakers and industry leaders, Rebecca drives meaningful collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Prior to joining Cardinal Health in April 2016, Rebecca served as the Vice President of the District Policy Group and as a Government Relations Director with Drinker Biddle’s Lobbying & Advocacy team. She also held roles on Capitol Hill and at Boston Medical Center.
Rebecca earned a B.A. from Skidmore College and J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. She serves on the Cardinal Health Foundation Board and is the Treasurer of the Cardinal Health Political Action Committee.
