National Community Pharmacists Association

What National Community Pharmacists Association does

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is a U.S. nonprofit trade association founded in 1898 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It represents over 18,900 independent community pharmacies employing more than 235,000 individuals nationwide, providing legislative and regulatory advocacy, business education, member-exclusive programs, and continuing pharmacy education. NCPA's core technology stack includes a member portal at portal.ncpa.org, a ThinkingCap-powered Learning Center for ACPE-accredited CE, a Find My Pharmacy consumer locator, the Simplify My Meds adherence program, the Dispose My Meds disposal program (managed by the NCPA Foundation), and an in-house media studio for podcast and video production.

Its business model is predominantly subscription-recurri

Name

National Community Pharmacists Association

Legal name

National Community Pharmacists Association

Website

https://ncpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NCPA is a U.S. nonprofit trade association founded in 1898, representing over 18,900 independent community pharmacies with legislative advocacy, business education, member-exclusive programs, and continuing pharmacy education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from membership fees. NCPA offers various membership categories including pharmacy owners, staff pharmacists, retirees, and students. Priced affordably at approximately half a cent per prescription according to ROI messaging.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Annual Convention, workshops, and educational programs including Pharmacy Ownership Workshop, Business of Long-Term Care Workshop, and pre-convention programs. Fees vary by event with cancellation fees of $125 for pre-convention workshops.
3. Member Discounts and Preferred Partner Programs: NCPA receives value through preferred vendor relationships and member discount programs including NCPA Business Mastercard (2.1% cash back), Advasur DSCSA compliance services, Pyrls drug information platform (20% discount), and other vendor partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is a nonprofit membership association that represents, advocates for, and serves independent community pharmacy owners in the United States. NCPA delivers legislative and regulatory advocacy (notably on PBM reform), business education and ownership training, continuing pharmacy education, member-only operational programs such as Simplify My Meds and Dispose My Meds, and a peer network of more than 18,900 independent pharmacies employing over 235,000 individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Simplify My Meds: A turnkey adherence program for medication synchronization exclusive to NCPA members.
• Dispose My Meds
• NCPA Innovation Center
• CPESN (Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network)
• Independent Rx Forum

Products and services

• NCPA Membership Annual membership in the National Community Pharmacists Association, available in multiple categories (pharmacy owners, staff pharmacists, retirees, students), granting access to advocacy representation, business education, exclusive operational programs (Simplify My Meds), member discounts, and networking for independent community pharmacy professionals.
• Simplify My Meds Turnkey medication synchronization and adherence program exclusive to NCPA member pharmacies that consolidates a patient's prescriptions for a single monthly pickup, improving adherence and pharmacy workflow.
• NCPA Annual Convention and Expo Premier annual national business show for independent pharmacists and their pharmacy teams, featuring peer-to-peer business education, networking, and an expo hall with pharmacy solution vendors. Held in Kansas City, MO, Oct. 3-6, 2026.
• Pharmacy Ownership Workshop Multi-day in-person workshop preparing pharmacists for independent pharmacy ownership, covering business planning, financing, and operations. Includes lunch and reception on day 1 and breakfast and lunch on day 2.
• Business of Long-Term Care Workshop Workshop educating independent pharmacists on operating in the long-term care pharmacy segment, covering CMS LTC requirements, reimbursement, and regulatory compliance.
• Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Testing Certificate Program ACPE-accredited certificate program providing community pharmacists with training to offer CLIA-waived point-of-care testing services in their pharmacies. Pricing is $295 for NCPA members and $495 for nonmembers.
• NCPA Learning Center Online learning management system (powered by ThinkingCap) providing continuing pharmacy education through live programs, on-demand content, and CE credit claiming for member pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Pharmacy Locator Tool (Find My Pharmacy) Consumer-facing locator tool that helps consumers find nearby independent community pharmacies. Integrated with the Neighbors, Not Numbers advertising campaign.
• Dispose My Meds Prescription drug disposal program managed by the NCPA Foundation that enables community pharmacies to collect unused and expired medications, with over 1,600 participating pharmacies and more than 200,000 pounds collected.
• USC-NCPA Pharmacy Access Initiative Mapping Tool Interactive mapping tool co-developed with the University of Southern California to identify pharmacy shortage areas across America, highlighting severity of shortages in rural and underserved urban areas.
• Compounding PATH for Technicians Comprehensive hybrid training program for pharmacy technicians combining pre-study with intensive 2.5-day hands-on laboratory training at PCCA headquarters in Houston, preparing technicians for the PTCB Nonsterile Compounding Certificate Exam and CPhT-Advanced credential. Enrolled at $2,495 per technician.
• Independent Rx Forum Podcast Weekly podcast hosted by John Beckner providing pharmacy insights and industry trends, distributed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and Audible.
• America's Pharmacist Magazine Official monthly magazine of NCPA reaching over 18,900 independent community pharmacies with editorial coverage of pharmacy practice, business, and policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medicare Part D contract terms reform enacted after nearly 20 years of advocacy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National Grocers Association (NGA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026NCPA and NGA founded the Main Street Competition Coalition, a nonpartisan coalition of independent businesses fighting to restore competitive markets. Both groups represent thousands of Main Street businesses defending against unfair practices of vertically integrated corporate giants.
• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Launched Compounding PATH for Technicians, a comprehensive training program combining pre-study with intensive 2.5-day hands-on laboratory training at PCCA headquarters in Houston to prepare pharmacy technicians for nationally recognized compounding certification.
• PCCA (Professional Compounding Centers of America)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Partner in Compounding PATH for Technicians program providing hands-on laboratory training venue in Houston. The inaugural collaboration among NCPA, PTCB, and PCCA sets new standards for pharmacy technician advancement in nonsterile compounding practice.
• University of Southern California (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025NCPA and USC launched an interactive mapping tool to identify pharmacy shortage areas across America. The tool highlights severity of pharmacy shortages especially in rural and underserved urban areas, providing data on closures and access issues.
• Sequoia ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025NCPA Foundation is a sponsor of the Interoperability Matters Pharmacy Workgroup which released a draft resource on Health Information Exchange for public comment, outlining use cases for integrating pharmacists into care teams.
• SurescriptscoreTechnology or IntegrationSponsor of the Sequoia Project's Interoperability Matters Pharmacy Workgroup focused on addressing gaps in pharmacy interoperability.
• NACDS (National Association of Chain Drug Stores)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor with NCPA Foundation of the Sequoia Project Pharmacy Workgroup on health information exchange interoperability.
• APhA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor with NCPA Foundation of the Sequoia Project Pharmacy Workgroup on pharmacy interoperability.
• CPESN USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinically integrated network of community pharmacies that NCPA supports through its Innovation Center. CPESN pharmacies participate in value-based care delivery and the ACCESS to Pharmacy Care program.
• McKessoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey sponsor of Pharmacy Ownership Workshop and member benefit provider through SVP Field Sales & Operations for Community Pharmacy. Representative Jeanine Singer serves on NCPA Innovation Center Board.
• GamePlan MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS ACCESS participant partner powering ACCESS to Pharmacy Care program in collaboration with NCPA and CPESN USA.
• PfizerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParmjit 'PJ' Agarwal, VP Channel Management, serves on NCPA Innovation Center Board representing Pfizer.
• CencoracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTim Cernohous, SVP & President, serves on NCPA Innovation Center Board. Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen) is a major pharmaceutical distribution partner.
• Cardinal HealthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichelle Britt, Senior Vice President Retail Pharmacy, serves on NCPA Innovation Center Board. Cardinal Health provides distribution and NCPA Digest sponsorship.
• Merck & CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Frazzante, Director Pharmacy Strategy & Solutions, serves on NCPA Innovation Center Board representing Merck.
• National Pharmaceutical AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with NCPA Foundation and CPESN's Community Connected for free educational webinar on migraine care and patient support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA): National trade association for biopharmaceutical companies. Broadly comparable as a large, established healthcare/pharmacy ecosystem advocacy organization, but representing manufacturers rather than dispensing pharmacists.
• American Medical Association (AMA): The dominant U.S. physician trade and professional association. Broadly comparable to NCPA as a model of large-membership healthcare advocacy and education organization, but for the physician profession rather than pharmacists.

Direct peers

• Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP): National association for pharmacists and others in managed care. Comparable to NCPA in policy advocacy and education, with strong overlap on PBM and drug-pricing issues that NCPA engages on, but representing the payer-side perspective rather than independents.
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP): National association for hospital and health-system pharmacists. Comparable as a peer pharmacy professional association with parallel advocacy, CE, and member-service functions, but focused on the inpatient/health-system segment.
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS): National trade association representing chain drug stores and pharmacies. Directly comparable to NCPA as a peer pharmacy industry association with similar advocacy, policy, and member-service mission, but representing the chain segment rather than independents.
• National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA): National professional association representing minority pharmacists. Comparable to NCPA in advocacy and education mission for a defined pharmacy segment; NCPA has formally collaborated with NPhA on member webinars (e.g., Community Connected).
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA): The largest national professional association for pharmacists across all practice settings. Comparable to NCPA in advocacy, continuing education, and member-services offerings, but broader in scope (all pharmacists vs. independent community pharmacy owners specifically).

Others

• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE): The national accreditor for pharmacy education and CE providers. Comparable ecosystem counterpart to NCPA — NCPA's NCPA Learning Center delivers ACPE-accredited CE — making ACPE an enabling rather than competing peer.
• Pharmacy Times: Major pharmacy industry media and CE platform. Adjacent peer to NCPA — both serve pharmacists with news, education, and CE — but Pharmacy Times is a commercial media outlet while NCPA is a member association.
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP): National association representing pharmacy schools. Adjacent to NCPA's mission of building the pharmacist workforce pipeline; addresses the upstream education side while NCPA focuses on the practicing-owner side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/commpharmacy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4ocYNs2VQ5Pjfq8vR0-yAA
• Facebookfacebook.com/commpharmacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncpa
• Instagraminstagram.com/commpharmacy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Community Pharmacists Association