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Every October, at the 2025 Annual Convention, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) installs its new president. Meet Kristen Riddle, PharmD, the 2025-2026 President of the Association.
Kristen, of Greenbrier, Arkansas, is a 2nd generation pharmacist who grew up watching her dad and his business partners operate their own store. After graduating from the University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy, she went back to work with her father and eventually became partner. Today, she is a single-store owner of American Home Pharmacy, a combo shop providing both at-home services as well as a traditional retail experience.
Now, Kristen is the president of NCPA—a process that started over 11 years ago. Kristen’s journey started by getting involved in her state’s pharmacy leadership and joining NCPA steering committees. From there, she was asked to interview for the NCPA leadership track and join the board—which is a 14-year commitment. From serving as Chair of the Board, to serving on the Compounding and PBM Reform Committees, Kristen has dedicated herself to the advancement of community pharmacy and the success of its’ members.
The PioneerRx team sat down with Kristen to understand her vision for 2026, the challenges and opportunities community pharmacy is facing, and how one pharmacist or patient can be the change.
PRx: Congratulations on the presidency, Kristen! Can you tell us a little more about your vision for the year and what you hope to accomplish as NCPA President?
KR: My vision for this year is unity in pharmacy. We are so much stronger when we’re unified. When we are siloed, it does weaken us. There are very important issues that we must solve as pharmacists, as a profession. It's pharmacists at the state-level coming together and being united, and then all the states coming together as one.
Everyone is ready to work hard, ready for PBM reform. We're working really hard for PBM reform to be included in the January Continuing Resolution. Now more than ever, we have bipartisan support for PBM reform. And having that unification as a profession is ultimately about our patients and our communities. We love our patients so much. And so when we're fighting for our profession together as a unified group, then that patient wins and our community wins.
Prx: Can you tell us a little bit about what you see for independent pharmacy in the year 2026? What are the main headwinds and tailwinds?
KR: Outside of being hopeful for PBM reform, the MFP rollout and the cashflow crunch that comes along with it is certainly anxiety-inducing. In the meetings I’ve been in the last couple of weeks, all pharmacy leaders across the nation, across all industries, agree this is very challenging for independent pharmacy.
I do feel like we are going to be stronger on the other side of this. Ultimately, this gives manufacturers a platform where they can pay us directly, which they have not had in years. We know we pay the highest amount for drugs in any other country in the world, and it’s not going to be easy to fix us. It’s going to be painful. If we can all just stay strong through this, it’s going to open up some opportunities, I believe, that we haven’t had before.
PRx: You’re from Arkansas, arguably the most groundbreaking state in terms of PBM reform. Can you walk us through the process there and if you think it will be duplicated in other states?
KR: I absolutely feel like every state in the United States should pass this legislation [House Bill 1150]. This legislation puts the choice in the PBM’s hands to either be a PBM in our state or own a pharmacy. They cannot do both legally. Now it's been challenged and tied up in a legal battle.
We are ready for a fight. The Arkansas Pharmacist Association and NCPA have an amicus brief. We’ve got the patient advocacy groups fighting, we’ve got physician groups like The Community Oncology Alliance fighting, who wrote an incredibly powerful amicus brief about three different patients who could not get access to their life-saving cancer drug because of the current system. There was a pharmacy ready to give the drug to the patient, but they couldn’t. So this is being fought on all fronts, and we have been told by so many states that they’re watching this.
Prx: For those who feel overwhelmed at the prospect of getting involved, or just don’t know the best way, what would you recommend to them? How would you suggest they get involved?
KR: So, let’s take it back to the bill in Arkansas [House Bill 1150]. Everybody, and I mean pharmacists and patients, called their local House members to tell them they supported this bill. And when it came for committee meetings, we went. And yes, that means you have to have coverage to be present. My husband went to the House Committee meeting, and I was on the bench at our pharmacy. So, it’s important to have a significant group of pharmacists show up, both personally and monetarily, to continue to lobby, and do what we need to do. It’s a multifaceted effort to make this happen.
Grassroots [advocacy] is huge. Everybody should make calls, including patients. Support your state pharmacy association so they can advocate and lobby—then do the same thing at the federal level.
You also need to read the updates, read Doug Hoey's executive update. If there are pharmacy champions on the Hill, see what they have to say when they’re running a bill. Outside of NCPA’s QAM, my information is also coming from the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. But also, I receive information from my buying group, CPA. But you guys have a great podcast as well, so when I Iog on to PioneerRx or when I’m on the bench, you guys have a great channel to push information out to everybody too.
PRx: What’s been the most successful way to get patients involved in advocacy?
KR: Sure, it can be hard. You know, if they have a $0 copay and they’re getting their meds, the patient might not care. But sometimes, the patient is very interested, and they might do their own homework. For example, their drug plan paid X amount, but they heard this drug actually costs more than that. And I’ve had patients ask, “Is this actually paying less than what my drug cost?” And I’m honest and say actually, yes, it is. So, when things like that happen, you can get buy in.
In addition, NCPA has the Finish the Fight campaign running right now, and that has templates for patients and pharmacists to be a part of this push, because there are pharmacists who want to come to our events like Fly-In but just don’t have the coverage. We’ll never be able to outspend PCMA. We just can’t. But we can fight them. We are in the right. And as pharmacists, we just can’t give up that momentum.
PRx: What continues to drive you every day? What reminds you to push and keep fighting?
KR: I’m very strong in my faith and I absolutely love Proverbs 2:10 and 11: “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” I pray for that for myself, my family, my pharmacy, and for NCPA and our president. That is my true north star.
Keep up with Kirsten and NCPA’s efforts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and more.
*This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
