University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Students Win in National Competition.

Each year the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) offers a national competition in pharmacy business plan development.  This contest, named the NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition, is now in its fourth year and challenges pharmacy students to create a comprehensive and creative business plan to either buy an existing pharmacy or to develop a new pharmacy.  Any school of pharmacy with an NCPA chapter may submit one team’s business plan.  The team must consist of current pharmacy students (NCPA members) and a faculty advisor (also an NCPA member). 

This year, plans were judged based on a several criteria, most notably originality and creativity, format, financial pro forma statements, marketing plan, professionalism, and feasibility.  Three school teams were chosen as finalists and were invited to attend the NCPA 109^th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition Conference

 in Anaheim, California held from October 13-17. 

The UBSOPPS NCPA Team, along with those from the University of Washington and Washington State University Schools of Pharmacy were chosen to compete live in front of more than 500 people at the Anaheim Convention Center on October 13, 2007.  The UBSOPPS NCPA Team consisted of four Pharm D candidates, all from the class of 2008:  Kathryn Jones (Captain), Liliana Yohonn, Alexandra Centeno and Christina Ramsay with Karl D. Fiebelkorn as their advisor.  They presented a very comprehensive and convoluted plan about establishing a junior partnership with an existing pharmacy and developing a new, unique concept for a pharmacy:  a pharmacy dedicated to women.  Their mission statement:  “Making a Difference One Woman at a Time” enlightened the panel of seven judges on the health needs of women, most notably of the baby-boomer generation.   The judges were very impressed with their relaxed, dynamic and polished presentation that served to establish the UB team as the first place finisher. 

Karl D. Fiebelkorn said: “I am immensely proud of how these young women handled themselves in researching, developing and presenting their plan”.  This is the third consecutive year that UBSOPPS has entered this competition with teams finishing second, fourth and first, respectively.  “All these teams comprised individuals who are excellent ambassadors for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as the University at Buffalo”, Fiebelkorn noted.

The UBSOPPS team will receive $3,000 for its NCPA student chapter and an additional $3,000 for its school to use to promote independent pharmacy practice. The team, team advisor and school dean also receive complimentary registration, travel and lodging for the NCPA Multiple Locations Pharmacy Conference to be held in February in Cancun, Mexico.  More information may be found at: http://www.ncpanet.org/studentsvcs/competition.php.

The University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (UBSOPPS) has entered teams in the last three years finishing second, fourth and this year, first. 

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A team from the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has again reached the finals of a major student competition.

The UB team is one of three finalists in the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. The other teams are from the University of Washington and Washington State University.

The competition, now in its fourth year, "provides a tremendous learning opportunity for pharmacy students to get hands-on experience in creating solid business plans in today's extremely difficult reimbursement environment for prescription drugs," according to NCPA Executive Vice President and CEO Bruce Roberts, R.Ph., who noted that several participants have gone on to successfully utilize their plans after graduating from pharmacy school.

The finalists, chosen from 32 entries submitted by U.S. colleges and schools of pharmacy, will compete live during the NCPA's 109th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 13-17.

This is the third year that UB has entered the competition, according to team advisor Karl Fiebelkorn, assistant dean for student affairs and director of professional relations for the UB pharmacy school. UB finished in second place in its first competition two years ago and in fourth place last year.

Members of the current UB team include Alexandra T. Centeno of Rome, team captain Kathryn Jones of Rochester, Christina Ramsay of Clarence, and Liliana Yohonn of Fairport.

"The women in this team are extremely determined to win the competition this year and their plan is very comprehensive and quite unique," Fiebelkorn said.

The national student competition is the first of its kind in the pharmacy profession and is named to honor two champions of independent pharmacy, the late Neil Pruitt, Sr., and H. Joseph Schutte. Their families support the competition along with the NCPA Foundation and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

NCPA representatives, as well as pharmacy and drug company personnel, serve as the judges. Schools with NCPA student chapters are eligible to compete.

The winning team will receive $3,000 for its NCPA student chapter and an additional $3,000 for its school to use to promote independent pharmacy practice. The winning team, team advisor and school dean also receive complimentary registration, travel and lodging for the NCPA Multiple Locations Pharmacy Conference to be held next February in Cancun, Mexico.

New this year, the NCPA will recognize the top 10 winners in the competition.

The National Community Pharmacists Association represents the nation's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 24,000 pharmacies. The nation's independent pharmacies, independent pharmacy franchises and independent chains employ over 300,000 employees and dispense nearly half of the nation's retail prescription medicines.