Welcome to the Big Easy Bulletin, your guide to all the networking and education opportunities that we're bringing to the 2025 NCPA Annual Convention in New Orleans, Oct. 18-21 — and how to spend your off-hours in the city. See you in the Big Easy!

We’re thrilled to announce that Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) will be the keynote speaker at the second general session of the 2025 NCPA Annual Convention in New Orleans, Oct. 18-21. Arkansas has been at the forefront of confronting PBM abuses and Sanders has been a strong ally to community pharmacists in that fight. She signed H.B. 1150, prohibiting state permits to pharmacies owned by PBMs — despite their goons spending massive sums trying to maintain their unfair advantage. After her address, Sanders will participate in a fireside chat with NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey and NCPA President-Elect Kristen Riddle. It’s just another reason to register now for #NCPA2025. 

Sanders’ remarks will continue a long tradition of heavy involvement with NCPA by Arkansans. NCPA President-Elect Kristen Riddle and Scott Pace, an NCPA vice president, both hail from Arkansas, as do former NCPA Executive Vice President Charlie West and past presidents Mark Riley and Gene Graves. Sanders’ father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, was a speaker at a previous Annual Convention in Nashville. We’re excited to see that tradition continue with Sanders’ keynote speech. 

The second general session will also feature an association address from NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey. Additionally, we will present the John W. Dargavel Medal award, sponsored by McKesson, and the CPESN® USA Luminary of the Year award, sponsored by Prasco. 

The deadline to register online for our pre-convention activities is next Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET. These workshops are some of the most in-depth business-boosting education you can find in community pharmacy. Here’s some more detail on each:

On-site registration will be available for those unable to register online by the Oct 1 deadline.  However, we highly encourage registering ahead of time to ensure you receive all important reminders and communications before the event. To attend these courses, you must register through the regular convention registration, even if you're not attending the full convention.

NCPA’s dynamic exhibit hall showcases companies offering products and services from across the marketplace that help pharmacists run their businesses, from the back office to the front door. With over 220 exhibitors, including over 50 new ones, the exhibit hall is a must-see in your Annual Convention planning. 

Take a few minutes and check out the exhibit hall floor plan to plan your time efficiently. We also offer quick programming sessions in the back of the hall in the Quick Consult LIVE area. In just 30 minutes, you can learn more about topics that might be affecting your business or new products and solutions (including AI tools!).

Sound exciting? Register here.

If you’re approaching the end of your time in pharmacy school and looking for new growth opportunities, swing by our Community Pharmacy Residency and Fellowship Showcase, which will run Sunday, Oct. 19 from 1:15 to 3 p.m. CT. The showcase will include residencies and fellowships across the country, giving you a leg up on networking with potential future employers and ensuring you know your options before you graduate. 

P.S.: If you’re already out there working in the pharmacy industry but know high-potential pharmacy students, send them our way.

Come see the latest research and solutions to challenges in community pharmacy practice at the Innovation in Community Practice Poster Symposium, to be held by the NCPA Innovation Center on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 12:15-1:45 p.m. CT in the convention exhibit hall. 

The symposium engages pharmacists and pharmacy students in peer-to-peer learning about new opportunities to move their practice forward. Hear from various pharmacists and students on topics like the impact of community health workers, how pharmacies can help combat the opioid crisis, and immunization counseling, among many others. 

Join Malarie Ameera of Breathe Body Soul for a yoga and breathwork session to enhance your energy levels and bring clarity and focus to the day ahead. Each day will offer something different:

Dress comfortably. Mats provided. 

Malarie Ameera is a holistic wellness coach based out of Philadelphia, Portland and Phoenix and is passionate about sharing her embodied practices of breathwork and yoga. She spent over a decade in the corporate world living in disease and after a long dark night of the soul, re-emerged with a sense of direction and a deep desire to consciously choose a life worth living.

One of the perks of this year’s convention venue is how close it is to so many different things to do. The most convenient of all, though, are the Riverwalk Outlets, a set of clothing shops, affordable eats, and other stores directly connected to the Hilton. With favorite brands like Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, and outlets like Nordstrom Rack, you can shop and save seamlessly in your off-hours. You can also grab some souvenirs at the gift shops and sip chicory coffee at the mall’s popular Café du Monde location. 

Check out their directory here.