PRESENTERS

MARIA FRIEDMAN, DBA, President, Brookside Consulting Group

Maria A. Friedman, DBA is a national expert on health information technology policy and implementation issues. She heads her own consulting firm, Brookside Consulting Group, in Silver Spring, MD, which provides services related to healthcare policy and analysis, strategic management and positioning, federal affairs, and marketing. Dr. Friedman recently retired as a senior advisor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While there, she became nationally known as an expert on HIPAA transactions and code sets, e-prescribing, and health IT issues. Additionally, she was lead staff to a subcommittee of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. This high-level advisory group was charged by the Medicare Modernization Act to make recommendations on e-prescribing standards to the HHS Secretary and also to advise the Secretary on HIPAA-related issues. Dr. Friedman has held many other senior positions within CMS and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, including Public Affairs Director for both agencies. She holds an MA in Journalism and a Doctorate in Business Administration, with concentrations in Management and Strategy.

DONNA HORN, RPh, DPh, Director of Patient Safety – Community Pharmacy, Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)

Donna Horn directs ISMP’s patient safety activities in community/ambulatory practice with more than 25 years of experience in the retail/chain community pharmacy practice setting.  She most recently served as the Privacy Officer and Manager of Regulatory Affairs for Brooks/Eckerd Pharmacy where she wrote numerous policies and procedures to govern pharmacists working in chain pharmacy. Prior to joining ISMP, she served as President and Chairman of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy where her focus was in patient safety, primarily on reducing medication errors in community pharmacy.

Ms. Horn also served 11 years on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy as both a member as President. During her tenure on the Board, Ms. Horn was instrumental in authoring regulations, policies and best practices to help pharmacists in Massachusetts interpret, explain and supplement the pharmacy laws. Her work has focused on Continuous Quality Improvement, policies on promoting ease of access to appropriate reference materials, monitoring prescription usage in chronic disease state patients, drug recall procedures, proper staffing guidelines and incorporating strategies to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Ms. Horn received a BS in Pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences.

JOHN KERN, Partner with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

John Kern is a partner in the San Francisco office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC. Mr. Kern is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on commercial and intellectual property, and healthcare litigation. Mr. Kern has represented primarily high technology, publishing, financial services, and healthcare companies – both public and private- in federal and state court proceedings, as well as in government investigations. Mr. Kern has developed a specialization in representing companies involved in AWP and Medicaid/Medicare fraud investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and State Attorney General offices.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Kern was an international trade analyst for the Department of State’s U.S. Trade and Development Agency in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kern received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School in 1999, his M.A. in Foreign Affairs and Political Economy from the University of Virginia in 1995, and his B.A. in Political Science from Grinnell College in 1994.

DOUG LONG, Vice President of Industry Relations, IMS HEALTH

Doug has been with IMS HEALTH, the world’s largest pharmaceutical information company offering services to the pharmaceutical industry in over 101 countries around the globe, since 1989. His fundamental task is to help secure data for all existing and new databases supported by IMS HEALTH, manage supplier, manufacturer & association relationships, and develop information for data partners. As direct consequence of his involvement in these areas, Doug has considerable experience with, and a unique perspective on, the changing U.S. and global healthcare marketplace and pharmaceutical distribution.

Although well versed in the global pharmaceutical market, the heart of Doug’s “Industry Year in Review” is that of trends and forecasts in the US, including up-to-the-minute market news and pharmaceutical innovation. Doug is current on topics such as mergers and acquisitions, tiered co-pay, generics, biologics, PBM’s and other emerging channels, and is also an expert on the complex issue of patient privacy. Wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, emerging classes of trade and various associations value his insights to the “why’s”, instead of the simple “what’s”, of market events.

Doug is also a frequent Industry speaker for the following groups: Health Distribution Management Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Food Marketing Institute, National Council of Prescription Drug Programs, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, National Community Pharmacist Association, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, Generics Pharmaceutical Association, BIO, AMCP, HIGPA and many others. Doug is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of HealthCare Distributor magazine and the Environmental Scanning Panel of HDMA. Doug was honored with the 2004 HDMA NEXUS Award for lifetime achievement and received IMS’s prestigious Summit award in 2003.

Prior to IMS HEALTH, Doug was at Nielsen Market Research for sixteen years in various sales and marketing capacities. A native of Illinois, Doug received a BA degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and an MBA in Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

PAMELA SESSIONS, MS, PMP, Product Manager, Medication Therapy Management, Gold Standard / Elsevier

As Product Manager for Medication Therapy Management, Pamela is responsible for the development and delivery of the Elsevier MTM 360 products.

Pamela has been with Elsevier since March of 2008, initially with Elsevier’s Informed Decisions.  Pamela also worked with MEDai as the Product Manager for the Pinpoint Suite of Products prior to her current role as Product Manager for Medication Therapy Management.  Pamela is a certified Project Management Professional with a Masters Degree in Health and Hospital Administration.  Pamela has worked in the health care field for 25+ years in the areas of hospital administration while at Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Physician and Ambulatory System Management, Clinical Information Systems development and implementation with Eclipsys, ATWORK and Per-Se’ Technologies, and as a Manager in Health Care Consulting with Cap Gemini and Accenture.

RICH WARTEL, Founder, Two Labs Marketing

Rich Wartel is the founder of Two Labs Marketing. Since founding the company in 2003, Rich has been the lead new product launch planner for over fifty product launches. He has been instrumental in launching products for top 10 pharma companies, biotech companies, and emerging pharmaceutical companies, with initial sales ranging from $10 million to $350 million. In addition, Rich has worked with over sixty product managers developing their overall launch strategy and annual marketing services plans for physicians, pharmacies, payers and patients. 

Prior to Two Labs, he was Vice President of Business Development for Cardinal Distribution. During his six year career at Cardinal, his group was responsible for product manager marketing to both branded and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. In addition, he was responsible for developing manufacturer based marketing programs through external alliances (PBMs, marketing services companies, etc.), and with twelve other Cardinal Health companies. Previous to Cardinal, at the age of twenty four, Rich and his business partners were the first to develop and commercialize the concept of a Home Healthcare Superstore under the banner of American Health Superstore (sold in 1997).

PANELISTS

RICHARD FOSTER, Vice President, Marketing, Mutual Pharmaceuticals/AR Scientific

Mr. Foster has served as the Vice President of Marketing for Mutual Pharmaceuticals/AR Scientific since August 2005. He has extensive experience in both the generic and brand pharmaceutical industries, as well as in retail pharmacy. Mr. Foster has held positions from Director to Vice President of Marketing at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in which he managed various departments from product management, pricing, product selection, and advertising. At Schering-Plough, Mr. Foster worked as a National Field Sales Manager in their Kenilworth Division, where he was responsible for marketing programs, sales training, managed care contracting and sales management for the flex-time sales force. Previously, at Thrift Drug, Inc., Mr. Foster gained retail pharmacy experience in his various purchasing positions. He joins us at Gold Standard Technology Summit to provide his personal, expansive knowledge of drug information industry issues, independent of his employment with Mutual/AR.

MICHAEL PODGURSKI, Vice President of Pharmacy Services, Rite Aid Corporation

Michael Podgurski is currently Vice President of Pharmacy Services, where he manages all state legislative initiatives, Boards of Pharmacy issues, regulations and all licensing matters for more than 4,900 pharmacies in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Previously, he was Vice President of Pharmacy Operations for Rite Aid Corporation, where he was responsible not only for the day-to-day operations of all Rite Aid pharmacies, but also oversaw all technology initiatives, which included pharmacy systems, design, workflow, automation and e-prescribing.

Michael has 37 years of experience in the retail drug industry, which includes Business Re-engineering, Information Systems, Third Party Administration and Pharmacy Operations.

Michael received a BS in Pharmacy from West Virginia University in 1972, is a member of APhA, NACDS, NCPA, ASAP Board of Directors. and is currently Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Pharmacy. 

MARY J. RYAN, Vice President, Pharmacy Regulatory Group, Medco Health Solutions, Inc.

Ms. Ryan currently serves as Vice President of Medco’s Corporate Regulatory Group, where she is responsible for interface with various regulatory and legislative bodies.   Her duties include rule review and official comment, oral testimony and developing appropriate professional contacts; her staff concentrates on regulatory review, standards compliance and licensing functions. 

Ms. Ryan’s previous positions include Vice President of Operations Planning, where her staff interfaced with clients on technological solutions associated with prescription benefit management; Vice President/General Manager, PAID Prescriptions, where her staff handled claims processing (including real-time claims processing logic) and help desk functions; and Director of Claims Processing.           

Ms. Ryan earned her BS in Pharmacy from the University of Arizona, and her MBA from the Arizona State University Executives Program.  Her professional affiliations include the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), where she serves as Chair of the Legislative and Regulatory Action Committee, WEDI Board of Directors and the National Advisory Board, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.  She is also a member of the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

RUEY TU, Director, Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement, Abbott International Marketing

Liang-Ruey Tu  is the General Manager Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement for Abbott International.  Primary responsibilities include the development of global pricing, market access tools and reimbursement strategies in international markets for pharmaceuticals.  Ruey is also the co-chair for the Market Access, Developed Countries (MADC) sub committee of PhRMA, the pharmaceutical trade organization.   He has been in his current role for over three years and has been at Abbott Laboratories for approximately 14 years. 

Previously positions include:

• Director of Public Health Policy and Reimbursement for Abbott U.S.
• Senior Marketing Manager for Managed Care National Accounts
• Marketing Manger Managed Care Regional Accounts
• Manager Strategic Pricing and Contracting
• Senior Financial Analyst Managed Care

Ruey’s U.S. experiences include marketing/market access and contracting for a variety of managed care customers including PBMs, HMOs, Long Term Care, VA/DoD, and Medicaid.  In addition, he supported market access strategies for the Medicare Demonstration Project as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.   

After receiving his M.B.A. from the University of Michigan Ruey joined Searle Pharmaceuticals before moving to Abbott.   Ruey has both a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

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