PDS Super Con: A Must for Pharma Professionals

February 2022 marks a significant milestone for those in the pharmaceutical industry with the return of The Pharmacy Development Services (PDS) Super Conference as a live, in-person event. For independent pharmacy owners, this is great news.

What Is It?

The PDS Super Conference is the largest gathering of high-performance pharmacy owners in the industry. Since 2005, the PDS Super Conference’s primary focus has been to help independent pharmacy owners grow their business while improving patient outcomes in their communities.

Because it’s a rapidly changing industry, independent pharmacy owners face many unique challenge, ranging from increasing DIR fees and decreasing reimbursement to adapting and transitioning to a digital world. In response to these challenges, the PDS Super Conference is put on to help pharmacy owners attract new patients, build and maintain patient base, innovate with a limited budget, and much more.

Why Does It Exist?

PDS was founded in 1998 by Dan Benamoz, an independent pharmacy owner. Mr. Benamoz noticed that, while pharmacy school students were graduating with the medicinal knowledge necessary for a pharmacy, they lacked the business skills needed to run it. Furthermore, no resources were readily available to address the unique challenges that Mr. Benamoz, and others like him, faced every day. So, he created PDS to provide independent pharmacy owners with the critical enterprise, leadership, and financial skills needed to run a thriving business.

Since founding PDS, Mr. Benamoz has helped many pharmacy owners advance their business to the next level. Lauren James, a pharmacy owner who attended PDS Super Con in 2020, says, “You meet great thinkers in the industry, and you will hear at least a dozen things that you can immediately take back to your pharmacy to implement.”

What All Is Included?

A highlight for every PDS Super Conference is the Showcase of Success. It’s an award show recognizing independent pharmacy owners who demonstrated outstanding achievements in their businesses over the prior year. PDS members submit a 700-word essay describing a significant business event or milestone for consideration to the Showcase of Success. The accomplishments vary from employee culture and performance to increased business volume in the form of prescriptions, revenue, etc.. Award winners step into the spotlight on stage to share their impressive stories with everyone in attendance.

“These stories of resilience, hope, and perseverance remind us to keep moving forward, especially in times of adversity,” Chip Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacy Development Services, said in a press release. “Our Showcase of Success winners exemplify what it means to be a PDS member: to thrive as an independent pharmacy owner.”

In addition to the Showcase of Success, there are keynote speeches and workshops, and more than 150 pre-qualified exhibitors will be on-site to showcase their innovative products and industry expertise. Some businesses confirmed to appear at the trade show include:

• American Associated Pharmacies (AAP)
• Altium Healthcare
• Balanced Health Botanicals (BHB)
• BestRx Pharmacy Software
• Datarithm
• Electronic Billing Services, Inc. (EBS)
• Euclid Medical Products
• KUNESA
• Letco Medical / Fourth Power Labs
• McKesson
• Micro Merchant Systems
• National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
• OmniSYS
• Paws 4 Liberty
• Pharmacy Services Group of America, Inc. (PSGA)
• Rx Message On Hold
• The Compliance Team
• Wellness Works

“The conference provides solutions and opportunities to address the exact problems you are having. It’s up to you to hear those opportunities and solutions and, more importantly, to act on them,” said Luke Snell, a pharmacy owner and PDS member.

Why You Should Attend

According to their 2022 theme, “become unstoppable,” the goal of the PDS Super Conference is helping independent pharmacy owners discover innovative solutions. More than 1,600 industry leaders attend the conference to exchange ideas and discuss industry trending events. The conference will also feature several dynamic speakers, engaging workshops, experiential events, and plentiful networking opportunities.

The venue for the 2022 PDS Super Conference is the Disney Coronado Springs Resort. The resort features several amenities on the Disney World property, including pools, a spa, ten restaurants (ranging from casual to upscale), and a fitness facility. Super Con attendees are encouraged to “spend a few extra days playing on championship golf courses, relaxing at luxurious spas, or creating magical theme park memories with family and friends.” As a bonus, attendees can purchase specially priced tickets to the theme parks.

To sum up, if you’re an independent pharmacy owner, you should attend for the invaluable networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and numerous workshops. The PDS Super Con is designed with you in mind.

Where Can I Get More Info?

Tickets to the 2022 PDS Super Conference are available to PDS members and non-members alike. Both tickets grant entry to breakout sessions, keynote speakers, networking opportunities, and the exhibit hall. However, specific workshops, meetups, and exhibitor deals are exclusive to members. For example, the 2019 event featured a members-only, two-day boot camp led by noted sales expert and author Karl Scheible. The training seminar focused on improving communication with prescribers and practice managers to help improve patient quality of care.  

When: Feb. 17-19, 2022
Where: Disney Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, FL

To discover more about the 2022 PDS Super Conference and other upcoming trade shows, click here for our trade show search.

To find out how our custom trade show displays can make your brand stand apart at your next event – pharma, health care, or any industry – contact us here or give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005.

By Claire Phillips, Senior Account Executive