NCPA Launches www.PharmacyMatching.com to Connect Independent Pharmacy Buyers and Sellers

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National Community Pharmacists Association

Sep 01, 2010, 10:39 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Community Pharmacists Association today announced the launch of a new website, www.PharmacyMatching.com to bring together independent pharmacy owners preparing to sell their pharmacy, existing owners who desire additional stores and entrepreneurs searching for the right opportunity to become a pharmacy owner.

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"Now more than ever, the future of community pharmacy depends on the successful transition of ownership to independent owners," said NCPA President and Arlington, TX pharmacy owner Joseph H. Harmison, PD. "NCPA wants to be independent pharmacy's source for matching buyers and sellers to keep independents independent."

Harmison cited recent comments by CVS Caremark CEO Tom Ryan on the company's plans to purchase 200 independent pharmacies a year to increase market share.

"CVS isn't trying to save community pharmacies, but rather eliminate competition," Harmison continued. "The company that controls reimbursement for independents and can subject them to harassing audits at will now wants 200 of them each year to stop serving their communities. Meanwhile there are a number of aspiring entrepreneurs looking to own pharmacies and NCPA wants to be the source for bringing buyers and sellers together to continue our tradition of patient service." The website will offer listing opportunities for both potential pharmacy buyers and sellers, with listing discounts and preference for NCPA members. In addition, the site will help pharmacy owners list available job openings and help recent graduates find placement in independent pharmacies.

PharmacyMatching.com is the latest offering and part of the multi-faceted NCPA Ownership Academy, which helps pharmacists navigate every step of the entrepreneurial process from buying to selling a pharmacy, as part of the association's focus on increasing the number of independent community pharmacy owners throughout the country. The Ownership Academy also includes the popular Pharmacy Ownership Workshop for new owners, the new Jumpstart Your Pharmacy Workshop for existing owners, and the Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition, the first national competition of its kind, in which pharmacy students create independent community pharmacy business plans that are judged by a distinguished panel of pharmacy professionals. This year's finalists will compete for first, second, and third place in a live competition at the NCPA 112th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 23-27.

For more information and to register, visit www.PharmacyMatching.com

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents America's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 22,700 independent community pharmacies, pharmacy franchises, and chains. Together they represent an $88 billion health-care marketplace, employ over 65,000 pharmacists, and dispense over 40% of all retail prescriptions. To learn more go to www.ncpanet.org or read NCPA's blog, The Dose, at http://ncpanet.wordpress.com.

SOURCE National Community Pharmacists Association