NCPA, GNP name finalists for annual Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Teams of pharmacy students from three universities have been named finalists in the Good Neighbor Pharmacy National Community Pharmacists Association's Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition, NCPA announced Tuesday.
"We are excited and proud to see the growth in the quantity and quality of the business plans each year," NCPA president Lonny Wilson said. "These plans are from some of the best and brightest of today's pharmacy students and I can't wait to see the live competition at the NCPA Annual Convention."
The 2012 competition drew entries from a record number of 40 schools and colleges of pharmacy. The finalists are from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy.
The Business Plan Competition is named to honor two great champions of independent community pharmacy, the late Neil Pruitt Sr. and the late H. Joseph Schutte. The goal of the competition is to motivate pharmacy students to create a business model for buying an existing independent community pharmacy or developing a new pharmacy. Through this competition, NCPA is better able to prepare tomorrow's pharmacy entrepreneurs for a successful future. The competition is supported by GNP, Pharmacists Mutual Companies and the NCPA Foundation.
"We continue to sponsor the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition as it is such a meaningful way to promote independent community pharmacy ownership," said Steve Collis, president and CEO of AmerisourceBergen, whose Good Neighbor Pharmacy program is the primary sponsor of the competition. "The students outperform year after year, showing the confidence and business knowledge to become successful pharmacy owners and an important resource in the care of their patients' health."
Team members and the advisor for the three finalist teams will receive complimentary registration, travel and lodging to NCPA's 114th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in San Diego, which will be held from Oct. 13 to 17, where they will compete in a live competition. The remaining teams in the top ten, in alphabetical order, include Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy; University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of Southern California School of Pharmacy and the University of Washington School of Pharmacy.
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