Lewis puts degree to work in compliance, wellness

More than 35,000 people are tuned in to Joanna Simmons Lewis ’07. The wellness pharmacist has built a substantial following on Instagram with “The Pharmacist’s Guide,” a channel that offers tips on everything from COVID-19 prevention to beauty tips from a pharmacist’s perspective.

Lewis went through the Pharm.D./MBA concurrent degree program at MUSC and The Citadel and now works as a regulatory/compliance pharmacist managing the 340B program at Baptist Health. She established The Pharmacist’s Guide to create a platform promoting wellness in the pharmacy industry.

“Wellness is getting your body, soul, and mind into a healthy state,” she explained in her post on Introduction to Wellness. “When we think of health, we think of our physical body and our physical state. But wellness includes how we feel and the thoughts that we have.”

Posts are anywhere from three minutes to 20 with most falling into a quickly digestible five minutes. She covers topics like:

·         Favorite products during pandemic

·         Clean beauty and body care review

·         What a pharmacist wants you to know about sunscreen

·         Supplements and COVID

·         Coronavirus prevention tips

·         And has highlights for inspiration, exercise, clean beauty, and more

On her Pharmacists Guide web site, she posts blog features like “5 Things You Can Do To Turn The Tables on Stress,” “How to Rock Your Boards (NAPLEX and MPJE) Right Now,” “Using an MBA to Elevate Your Healthcare Career,” and student spotlights. She also has written books for pharmacists on transforming burnout into a meaningful career and blazing a trail.

This entrepreneurial spirit has to flourish alongside a demanding job at Baptist Health. Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to enter into a pharmaceutical pricing agreement (PPA) to have drugs covered by Medicaid and Medicare Part B. As a “covered entity” Baptist Health is eligible to receive discounts on some outpatient drugs. Managing the program is highly complex, but  Leiws credits her education and mentors for preparing her well.

“I have had some great mentors along the way!” she said. “Going through the dual degree PharmD/MBA program at MUSC was integral to where I am right now. Not only did I learn the management and finance skills needed for my current job, I also made some great connections. One of those connections helped me at my Duke pharmacy job which was where I really dove into the compliance/quality/regulatory side of pharmacy.”