Chapman University hosted the fourth annual Southern California Pharmacy Mixer, a student-driven initiative of regional collaboration for dozens of professional organizations, companies, and pharmacy schools together to connect. This year’s event was a collaborative effort led by PharmD candidates across pharmacy schools and saw nearly double attendance compared to the 2024 mixer.

The theme, “Beyond the Counter,” challenged standard perceptions of a pharmacist’s role in healthcare and advocated for the visibility of their care in patient lives. The day-long event promoted opportunities for educational enrichment, personal growth, and professional development for rising and practicing pharmacists beyond the classroom or standard continued education sessions.

CUSP students were integral to the event’s success, contributing at every stage, from conceptual development to execution. Student initiative created interactive learning sessions, peer networking, and career exploration.

Program Highlights

The Mixer featured industry panels, career showcases, workshops, and the return of a popular mock Quiz Bowl. These sessions exposed students to current trends and nontraditional pathways within the profession, including Trends in Pharmacy, which focused on the forward-looking overview of industry developments not typically addressed in core curricula.

Students had the opportunity to learn directly from seasoned professionals representing diverse sectors within pharmacy, including corporate leadership, health systems, and managed care. Among the speakers included:

  • Amantha Bagdon, founder of RxPost and a veteran pharmacy technician, described her entrepreneurial journey in building a secondary pharmacy marketplace to reduce medication waste. She detailed the process of securing over $1 million in venture funding from firms such as Fabric VC to champion the need for sustainable standards for the future of pharmacy.
  • Ken Thai, PharmD, CEO of 986 Degrees Corporation and past President of the California Pharmacists Association, discussed the business side of pharmacy companies, the importance of mentorship, and his work with national pharmacy organizations.
  • Michael Pazirandeh, PharmD, Principal Medical Scientist at Gilead Sciences, drew on his extensive experience across managed care, pharmaceutical industry roles, and pharmacy benefit management. His insights into health economics and outcomes research provided context on the interplay between clinical practice and access strategy.

Over 30 companies and organizations participated in the career showcase, exposing attendees to opportunities across retail, academia, regulatory affairs, and clinical specialties.

CUSP alumni, including Jonathan “JJ” Way, PharmD, and Mary Ngo, PharmD, supported the event in representing both their respective organizations as alumni of Chapman University. Other notable guests included CUSP Dean’s Professional Advisory board member and Walgreens Healthcare Supervisor Tiffany Huynh, PharmD, and Martin Torres, PharmD, a Pacific Coast Patient Safety Conference planning committee member.

Looking to 2026

Students from southern California strengthened bonds between each school and connected with professionals outside of traditional networking opportunities. Chapman University School of Pharmacy students intend to remain engaged with the planning committee for the 2026 Southern California Pharmacy Mixer.