National Harbor, MD, Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced the election and re-election of members to its Board of Directors during the inSPire2026 Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
During his State of the Industry address, NASP Board Chair Scott Guisinger, PharmD, CSP, Vice President of Pharmacy, Northeast Shared Services, welcomed the newly elected and returning directors while also outlining the significant opportunities and challenges ahead for specialty pharmacy—and issuing an important call to action to NASP members and the broader specialty pharmacy community.
Guisinger welcomed the following accomplished specialty pharmacy and healthcare leaders newly elected to serve on the NASP Board of Directors:
Vivian Berni, MPH
Vice President, Business Development
ThermoSafe
Kevin Cast
Partner & Co-Founder
Archbow Consulting
Marc Choquette, PharmD, MBA
Specialty Pharmacy Operations Manager
St. Luke’s Health System
Cameron Franklin, MPA, CHC
Vice President, Specialty Pharmacy Compliance
Onco360
Caroline Girardeau, PharmD, MBA, PMP, BCPS
Pharmacy Program Director
ACHC
Prasad Karanam, MBA
Vice President, Product
Keycentrix
Grant Knowles, PharmD, CSP
Senior Vice President, Clinical Services & Payer Strategy
Senderra Specialty Pharmacy
Shannon Wiley, JD
Member
Bass, Berry & Sims
The following directors have been re-elected to serve an additional three-year term:
John Colaizzi, PharmD, FNJPhA
Group Vice President, Head of Pharmacy Practice
Walgreen Co.
Carmine DeNardo, RPh
Chief Executive Officer & President
Medix Infusion
Lori Grebe, RPh, CSP
Vice President of Trade Relations & Clinical Strategy
CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy
Jennifer Noonan, MSN, RN
Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Patient Engagement
Accessia Health
Angie Oster, PharmD
Specialty Pharmacy Executive
Micaila Ruiz, PharmD, MPH
Vice President, Clinical Operations, Pharmacy Care Services
Optum Rx
Karen Silverblatt, RPh
Vice President, Business Development, Pharmacy
Inovalon
Eric Sredzinski, PharmD
Specialty Pharmacy Executive
Tim Ward, Esq.
President
Hercules Pharmaceuticals
NASP also extends its sincere appreciation to PJ Agarwal, Benito Fernandez, Juliana DeFrancis, Joe Morse, and Kristin Williams, whose terms are concluding, for their dedicated service, leadership, and contributions to the organization. Their expertise, commitment, and generous volunteer service have helped advance NASP’s mission, strengthen the organization, and support the specialty pharmacy community.
“Our diversity has always been one of NASP’s greatest strengths,” said Guisinger. “There are fundamental principles around patient care, quality, access, and the value of specialty pharmacy where our collective voice can be incredibly powerful. That’s the opportunity NASP provides.”
A Critical Moment for Specialty Pharmacy
Looking ahead, Guisinger emphasized that decisions made over the next several years could significantly influence how specialty pharmacies participate in networks, how they are reimbursed, the contract terms they are expected to accept, and ultimately the sustainability of the comprehensive model of care surrounding patients receiving complex therapies.
One of those conversations is already underway.
Earlier this year, Congress enacted pharmacy contracting and network provisions that NASP advocated for, including provisions addressing participation by willing pharmacies in Medicare Part D networks. The evolving federal framework creates an important opportunity for the specialty pharmacy community to help inform how “reasonable and relevant” pharmacy contract terms are defined and applied.
“This isn’t theoretical,” Guisinger told attendees. “The decisions being made now have the potential to shape the future of specialty pharmacy.”
As part of that work, NASP is preparing to provide input to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on issues central to specialty pharmacy practice, including reimbursement, acquisition and dispensing costs, audits, performance measures, network access, contracting practices, and the characteristics that distinguish specialty pharmacy.
Of particular significance to NASP and its members is the opportunity to inform how specialty pharmacy itself is defined—an issue NASP has long emphasized should reflect the capabilities, services, standards, expertise, and accountability that distinguish the specialty pharmacy model of care.
Specialty pharmacy accreditation is an important component of that distinction, providing assurance that pharmacies have the clinical, operational, and technological infrastructure necessary to appropriately care for patients receiving complex specialty therapies. Accreditation establishes rigorous standards across areas such as clinical care, patient management, quality, safety, operations, and technology, helping demonstrate that an organization has the capabilities and systems required to support the unique needs of specialty patients.
As CMS considers how specialty pharmacy should be defined, NASP believes it is essential that the definition recognize these demonstrated capabilities and standards and reflect the comprehensive model of care that distinguishes specialty pharmacy—not simply the medications a pharmacy dispenses.
To build a strong, evidence-based record, NASP has engaged Frier Levitt and is calling on specialty pharmacy organizations to participate by confidentially sharing their real-world experiences and data related to reimbursement and contracting, acquisition and operating costs, and challenges encountered in relationships with payers and plan sponsors.
Frier Levitt will work directly with participating organizations to protect confidentiality and address antitrust considerations. Pharmacy-specific contracts, reimbursement rates, costs, and other proprietary information will not be shared with NASP, other participating pharmacies, or CMS. Information used to inform NASP’s advocacy will be aggregated and de-identified.
NASP is funding this initiative, and there is no cost to participating organizations.
With the federal comment period moving quickly, Guisinger urged specialty pharmacy leaders attending inSPire2026 to connect with the Frier Levitt team during the conference and encouraged NASP members unable to attend to contact the Association to learn how their organizations can participate.
“This is exactly why NASP exists—to bring the collective experience and expertise of this community into the conversations that will shape the future of specialty pharmacy,” Guisinger said. “But to do that effectively, we need our members engaged. We need the real-world evidence and experiences of specialty pharmacies represented in the record. This is our opportunity to help shape what comes next, and we need this community to be part of it.”
The composition of the NASP Board of Directors reflects the breadth and diversity of the specialty pharmacy industry. Together, Board members bring perspectives, expertise, and experience from across the specialty pharmacy ecosystem. Their collective leadership will help guide NASP as it continues to advance the practice of specialty pharmacy, advocate for policies that support patient access and high-quality care, and empower its stakeholders to elevate the standard of care for the patients they collectively serve.
About the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization and the only national association representing all stakeholders in the specialty pharmacy industry. NASP’s mission is to empower specialty pharmacy stakeholders to advance the standard of patient care.
Sheila M. Arquette, RPh National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) (703) 842-0122 sheila.arquette@naspnet.org
