New Kirby Lester advisory panel offers input on technology development

LAKE FOREST, Ill. Kirby Lester, the largest producer of automatic tablet/capsule counters in the United States, has assembled a new advisory panel of pharmacy leaders to help it understand and satisfy the needs of the pharmacy profession. These four market leaders represent a broad range of the retail community pharmacy market, and provide Kirby Lester with a tremendous amount of experience, insight and creativity.

The members are: Christopher Dimos, president of pharmacy operations at Supervalu; John Fegan, senior vice president of pharmacy at Ahold; Mark Gregory, vice president of pharmacy and government relations for Kerr Drug; and Mike Podgurski, vice president of pharmacy services at Rite Aid.

The company will look to their expertise in such areas as new product development, new market opportunities, current product enhancement and company stewardship in the pharmacy industry. Future input will also be sought, the company said, on topics such as medication therapy management and technology investment.

The advisory panel’s expertise already has been applied to the development of Kirby Lester’s new product offerings, which are specifically targeted for the retail pharmacy market to improve efficiency, accuracy, productivity and ease of integration. This new product line—available in 2008—will represent a cost-effective and easy-to-use dispensing method that Kirby Lester states does not currently exist in pharmacy automation.

 “This group consists of some of the most recognized and respected names in community pharmacy,” said Christopher Thomsen, Kirby Lester’s vice president of business development. “This is also a group of individuals who have dedicated their lives to the advancement of the profession and truly understand how automation and technology can and will be utilized to improve and move pharmacy forward.”