NCPA Foundation Honors Independent Pharmacy Leaders and Awards $150,000 in Grants at 2026 Annual Convention

During the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo., the NCPA Foundation announced its 2026 national award honorees, scholarship recipients, and major grant awards. The announcements highlight both individual achievements across independent community practice and strategic investments designed to ensure the future viability of neighborhood pharmacies nationwide.

Individual Excellence & Professional Recognition

NCPA Foundation recognized five standout clinicians, business owners, educators, and advocates whose work exemplifies leadership, clinical innovation, and community stewardship across independent pharmacies.

Practitioner & Entrepreneurial Leadership

Danny Cottrell, Pharm.D. was awarded the Dargavel Medal. Sponsored by McKesson Corporation, the Dargavel Medal honors career-long leadership in independent pharmacy. Cottrell, owner of Medical Center Pharmacy and Flomaton Medical Center Pharmacy in Alabama and partner in 18 additional locations, was recognized for over four decades of service. He is widely known as the architect of Alabama's Medicaid Provider Tax, created in the early 1990s, which continues to generate millions in state funding and protect fair dispensing fees. Locally, Cottrell is celebrated for founding the 27-year-old BEAM student incentive program and launching the "Country Boy Stimulus Package," a civic initiative distributing $2 bills to employees to spend locally and donate to charity.

Xiaoyan Qin, Pharm.D., received the Sharlea Leatherwood Memorial Trailblazer Award. Dr. Qin, founder of Union Pharmacy in Massachusetts, received the Trailblazer Award for pioneering patient-centered community care. After immigrating from Shanghai in 1998, Dr. Qin rejected corporate healthcare models to establish four locations (Newton Center, Newtonville, Needham, and Belmont) centered on personal consultations. She co-developed SimpLED, an automated prescription-tracking technology designed to streamline will-call pickup and reduce wait times. Her efforts earned her an invitation to the 2023 State of the Union address as a guest of Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

Jessica Hung, Pharm.D.,received the NARD Ownership Award. Sponsored by Cascadia Pharmacy Group, the NARD Ownership Award recognizes entrepreneurial excellence. Dr. Hung, co-owner of Semmes Pharmacy in Alabama, transformed from a pharmacy technician into a leading clinical entrepreneur. She spearheaded Semmes Pharmacy’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign — one of only three initial rollout sites in Alabama — which administered approximately 10,000 doses across partner networks. Dr. Hung serves as managing network facilitator for CPESN Alabama and was named a 2026 Immunization Neighborhood Champion.

Academic Leadership & Experiential Mentorship

Blake Torres, Pharm.D., received the National Preceptor of the Year Award. Dr. Torres, co-owner and managing partner of West Side Pharmacy and Compounding in Benton, Ark., was selected through a blind process for exceptional mentorship. Over the past two years, every student on an APPE rotation at his practice awarded him a flawless 5.0 out of 5.0 evaluation rating, noting his commitment to explaining the business and clinical logic behind every decision. Dr. Torres launched Arkansas’s first independent monoclonal antibody infusion site during COVID-19 and was reappointed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the Arkansas State Board of Health through December 2029.

Megan Smith, Pharm.D., was named the Outstanding Faculty Liaison of the Year. Dr. Smith, associate professor and director of the PGY1 Community-Based Residency Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), was recognized for bridging academic education with real-world practice. A practicing clinician at the Pharmacy at Wellington in Little Rock, Dr. Smith directs one of the nation's largest community residency programs and served as a founding member of Arkansas CPESN. She has developed standardized point-of-care testing algorithms and co-advises the UAMS NCPA Student Chapter.

Programmatic Funding & Student Investment

The NCPA Foundation also announced awards that help fund the next generation of pharmacy owners and emergency support systems for independent practices.

2026 NCPA Foundation Scholarship Recipients

The NCPA Foundation awarded tuition aid, convention registration, and travel stipends to pharmacy students demonstrating leadership and an intent to pursue independent drugstore ownership. Key category awards include:

• J.C. and Rheba Cobb Memorial Scholarship in Government Affairs: Audrey Calvin (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
• Neil Pruitt Sr. Memorial Scholarship for Entrepreneurism: Jeremy Cates (Samford University).
• William B. Simmons Memorial Scholarship in Pharmacy Management: Tanvi Patel (Presbyterian College).
• Presidential Scholarships (Sponsored by McKesson RxOwnership): Awarded to 9 student leaders across the nation.
• Partners in Pharmacy Need-Based Scholarships: Four $10,000 awards given to students with demonstrated financial need and dedication to independent practice.

The Cardinal Health Foundation renewed support in the amount of $50,000 for the Disaster Relief fund. Renewal of this grant funds immediate emergency relief for independent pharmacies hit by natural disasters. Past funds provided generators for nine pharmacies impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, as well as Mental Health First Aid certifications and staff wellbeing micro-grants.

The Truist Foundation provided a grant of $100,000 to expand the NCPA Foundation’s Rural Pharmacy Ownership Accelerator, supporting the 2026 inaugural cohort through graduation while expanding recruitment, technical assistance, and curriculum for the 2027 cohort. The program addresses capital and mentorship barriers facing pharmacists seeking to open or acquire practices in underserved rural markets. PTMR