In part two of our exclusive three-part series, host Todd Eury continues the conversation live from the 2025 FrameworkLTC Innovation Conference. This episode dives deeper into the real-world challenges and innovations shaping long-term care (LTC) pharmacy today—from elevating customer support and sustaining business growth to strengthening cybersecurity and optimizing delivery operations.
At the center of it all is a shared purpose: to deliver better care through smarter collaboration.
For Daniel Fuller, Director of Customer Support at SoftWriters, that collaboration begins with every customer interaction. His team works daily to anticipate problems before they arise and resolve issues quickly, always striving for “world-class service.” Daniel credited his department’s broad knowledge base and teamwork as key to creating a seamless experience for users, an example of how operational excellence and customer trust go hand in hand.
That same sense of foresight was echoed by Chad Worz, CEO of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), who discussed the financial pressures reshaping the LTC pharmacy landscape.
“I think the biggest thing, whether you're a pharmacist in the long-term care space or a pharmacy, it's how are we going to generate enough sustainable revenue… how are we going to survive as pharmacies.”
Chad pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act as a “significant threat” to the industry, explaining that changes in reimbursement rates could make it difficult for LTC pharmacies to maintain stability.
“The government doesn’t do these things well… but we’re trying to stay positive and be a bridge for pharmacies.”
Even amid these challenges, Chad emphasized the importance of coming together as a community, noting the upcoming ASCP Conference in San Diego as an opportunity for collective problem-solving and idea sharing, a theme that resonated throughout the Innovation Conference.
That spirit of shared responsibility extended into discussions on cybersecurity, where the digital side of patient care took the spotlight. Dakin Updegraff, Informatics Pharmacist at Lifespan Pharmacy, participated in a session with ECW Solutions and reminded attendees that vigilance must match the sophistication of modern threats.
“There are people out there working just as hard to compromise your data as you are to protect it.”
Dakin stressed that maintaining security requires more than technology—it takes connection and communication.
“Trusting your vendors, leveraging your relationship with your vendors, and networking at conferences like this is huge for protecting patient information and learning what other pharmacies are doing.”
While technology and security often dominate conversations about innovation, Doniyor Sattarov, VP of Operations at Rx4Route, drew attention to an equally vital—but often overlooked—piece of the pharmacy experience: delivery.
“Imagine if you were to do everything correctly from top to bottom... but you do something wrong with the delivery part. Everything you have done previously will not matter to the patient if the delivery is messed up.”
He explained that Rx4Route was designed specifically for LTC pharmacies, with tools like order batching and nurse messaging to ensure precision and efficiency in the last mile of care—proof that innovation doesn’t stop at the pharmacy door.
Across every conversation in part two, one message stands out: progress in LTC pharmacy depends on people working together—whether that means teams anticipating customer needs, leaders navigating financial headwinds, or partners safeguarding patient data. The Innovation Conference once again proved to be a space where collaboration fuels solutions that move the entire industry forward.
Listen to part two now, and stay tuned for the final episode of our Innovation Conference podcast series where we’ll hear even more perspectives on what’s next for long-term care pharmacy.
Part two of this three-part series includes the following interviews:
- Daniel Fuller, Director Customer Support, SoftWriters (1:40 - 5:41)
- Chad Worz, CEO, ASCP (5:52 - 14:16)
- Adam Brown, Director of Solutions, Airos (14:23 - 17:17)
- Dakin Updegraff, Informatics Pharmacist, Lifespan Pharmacy (18:26 - 23:25)
- Doniyor Sattarov, VP of Operations, Rx4Route (23:30 - 29:06)
In addition to the player above, you can also listen to the full episode using one of the links below:
FrameworkFocus is focused exclusively on Long-Term Care Pharmacy. We release a new episode every month that addresses the hottest topics in LTC pharmacy through timely interviews with industry trailblazers, thought leaders, and LTC pharmacists. Follow and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen so you do not miss an upcoming episode.