Brian Hose, EPIC Rx CEO and Owner of Sharpsburg Pharmacy in Maryland
Many pharmacists have grown up with a love for science. EPIC Rx CEO and Owner of Sharpsburg Pharmacy in Maryland, Brian Hose, shares this trait. Although he loved the subject, he was unsure of what he wanted his career to be. Brian was pushed into pre-med coursework because as he says “that’s what all the smart kids in science did,” but he was unmotivated to continue his pursuit after graduation. He started working as a consultant, managing data for clinical trials and public health programs.
It is very common that independent pharmacists today come from a lineage of pharmacists; however, this was not the case for our CEO. Brian’s independent pharmacy journey started with one caring pharmacist.
“A kind pharmacist helped my grandfather when he couldn’t afford his medication. That interaction opened my eyes to the impact that pharmacists could have,” says Brian.
Brian attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy soon after that. He became involved with pharmacy leadership and met EPIC Rx pharmacy owners.
“Two years after graduation, I purchased an EPIC Rx pharmacy and reached out to other EPIC Rx owners to help me navigate the challenges of being a new owner. I continued to stay involved in our state and national pharmacy organizations and use those connections to this day to advance my career and independent pharmacy in Maryland.”
Brian became an EPIC Rx member when he purchased his pharmacy in 2008. A decade later, he became a board member and understood just how special EPIC Rx was.
His advocacy on a state level got him involved as his passion for advocacy has been a theme in his career path.
“I worked with our state association for years to influence practice expansion and I frequently saw EPIC Rx’s lobbyist and my fellow owners in Annapolis. We started working more closely and I volunteered to help lead our Maryland EPIC PharmPAC. Later, when a seat opened up on the board, I was asked to join.”
When asked what has been the biggest challenge faced as EPIC Rx’s CEO, Brian states that it has been challenging ‘moving from a small rural pharmacy to a corporate structure.’ With an organization our size, there are many moving parts and constant decisions to make.
Brian asks himself, “What is best for our members?” when exploring different concerns. By keeping members as his focus, he can “help pharmacies care for patients on a daily basis in a thousand communities instead of just one.”
Continuing to own an independent pharmacy keeps Brian close to the issues that our members are facing and drives him to help. When asked how he balances owning a pharmacy and working as EPIC Rx’s CEO, Brian states that while he still manages the finances, he is lucky to have found ‘two great pharmacists to take care of the day-to-day operations so that I can focus on EPIC Rx and EPN.’
Brian believes that EPIC Rx’s value for “integrity and transparency” is what sets us apart.
“The better educated our pharmacy owners are, the more we can impact change in the system. EPIC Rx and EPN work hard to make it clear to members what we can do to help them and we are honest when we can’t.”
Interested in learning how EPIC Rx could impact your pharmacy? Contact us today!