The Business of Pharmacy Podcast
A pharmacist host explores the financial, operational, and political realities of the pharmacy industry through unscripted, long-form interviews.
This is a show about the business of pharmacy, not the clinical practice. Host Mike Koelzer uses his perspective as an independent pharmacy owner to guide conversations on topics like healthcare monopolies, biotech entrepreneurship, and personal finance for pharmacists. The show's anchor is its grounding in the real-world experience of running a multi-generational family business, lending a practical, non-corporate feel to complex industry issues.
“Unlike many professional podcasts, this show is deeply personal, framed by the host's stories of growing up and working in his family's independent pharmacy. This 'real talk' perspective from a third-generation pharmacist provides a unique lens on the industry that corporate or purely clinical shows lack.”
Who hosts this show
Mike Koelzer is a third-generation pharmacist and owner of Kay Pharmacy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His podcast continues the tradition of candid business conversations he had with his father in their family pharmacy. After six years of weekly episodes, the podcast is currently on hiatus as the host takes a creative step back.
Credentials & credits
- RPh (Registered Pharmacist)
- Owner, Kay Pharmacy
- Author
Other ventures
- Kay Pharmacy
- bizofpharmpod.com
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Koelzer Brothers Reminisce: Lessons from the Pharmacy & Dad
This episode with the host and his brothers is the emotional core of the show, revealing the origin of the work ethic and business philosophy that informs every interview.
- 02The Power of Speaking to 20,000 People About PBMs | Benjamin Jolley, PharmD
A deep dive into the highly controversial topic of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), illustrating the show's commitment to tackling complex, high-stakes industry issues.
- 03Why Six Figures Isn’t a Financial Plan | Tim Ulbrich, PharmD
Addresses a core pain point for the pharmacist audience—financial stress despite a high income—providing actionable insights and strategy.
What you'll be asked on this show
Mike Koelzer's interview style is conversational and rapport-driven, rooted in personal anecdotes from his life in a family pharmacy. He often begins by referencing a guest's public profile (like a LinkedIn post) or sharing a detailed personal story to frame a line of questioning. Rather than a rigid Q&A, the format is a collaborative back-and-forth where he frequently paraphrases complex topics to ensure clarity for the audience. He probes deeper by focusing on specific word choices, asking guests to define key terms like 'deal' or 'power.' A common closing move is to ask for a tangible call-to-action for listeners or a personal reflection on the guest's work life.
The podcast is explicitly "no scripts, no fluff," featuring long-form, conversational interviews. Host Mike Koelzer often opens with a personal monologue about his family's pharmacy before introducing the guest. The show is currently on hiatus after a six-year run of weekly episodes.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
15 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Can you introduce yourself to our listeners?”
A standard opening to establish the guest's background and credentials.
- Q.02
“What's your professional background that led you to this point?”
Used to uncover the career journey and motivations behind the guest's current role.
process
4- Q.01
“You used the word '[specific term]'. What do you mean by that?”
The host often isolates a key term from the guest's own vocabulary to unpack its specific meaning.
- Q.02
“What's the difference between a [business model A] and a [business model B]?”
He asks this to clarify the guest's specific business model for the audience.
- Q.03
“What is the ownership and governance structure of your company?”
Asked to understand the corporate mechanics, especially for public or venture-backed companies.
- Q.04
“When does the board get involved, and what is that relationship like?”
This question explores the dynamic between management and corporate governance.
advice
2- Q.01
“What are some common mistakes or misconceptions you see among pharmacists in your field?”
This question elicits actionable advice and identifies common pain points for the audience.
- Q.02
“What's a quick action our listeners can take to learn more from you?”
A standard closing question to provide a clear call-to-action for the audience.
money
1- Q.01
“How does a company like yours handle de-risking?”
A strategic question to understand how a business mitigates financial or operational risks.
industry
1- Q.01
“Have small companies like yours always existed, or is this a newer trend?”
He asks this to place the guest's business model into a broader historical context.
future
3- Q.01
“With [a major industry problem], where does this situation finally break?”
A forward-looking question asking the guest to predict the outcome of a major industry issue.
- Q.02
“What needs to go right for this to succeed, and what could go wrong?”
This question surfaces the key risks and success factors for a guest's project or company.
- Q.03
“What is your company's strategic direction for the next five years?”
A direct question to understand the guest's long-term vision and goals.
personal
2- Q.01
“What is the worst or most dreaded part of your week as CEO?”
A personal closing question to get a candid insight into the guest's daily work life.
- Q.02
“If you weren't in the medical field, what other industry would you work in?”
This question explores the guest's personal motivations and alternative passions.
Signature segments
- · Host's opening monologue about growing up in his family's pharmacy
- · Tagline: "No scripts, no fluff, just honest insights into the business of pharmacy."
- · Using personal anecdotes to frame questions
- · Conversations grounded in the experience of an independent pharmacy owner
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically founders, CEOs, and senior leaders from the pharmacy world, including biotech startups, financial services, policy advocacy groups, and staffing firms. They are often pharmacists or practitioners who have transitioned into the business, policy, or entrepreneurial side of the industry.
- Tim Ulbrichon Why Six Figures Isn’t a Financial Plan | Tim Ulbrich, PharmD, Your Financial Pharmacist, Co-Foun...
- Benjamin Jolleyon The Power of Speaking to 20,000 People About PBMs | Benjamin Jolley, PharmD Apex Pharmacy Consul...
- Arun Swaminathanon Great Negotiation Means Everyone Wins | Arun Swaminathan, MM, PhD Pharm. Sci. Coya Therapeutics, ...
- Paul Romnesson From Biotech Startup to Stock Market | Paul Romness, MHA, Health Policy OS Therapies, CEO
- Autumn-Kyoko Cushmanon From Early Struggles to Pharmacy Staffing Leader | Autumn-Kyoko Cushman, BS ShiftRx, CEO, Co-Founder
- Pete, Tom, & Tim Koelzeron Koelzer Brothers Reminisce: Lessons from the Pharmacy & Dad | Pete, Tom, Tim, & Mike Koelzer Koelzer
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast has featured sponsors like Remedy Chain and law firm Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney, and actively solicits business sponsors on its website and in episodes. The highly-focused audience of pharmacy business professionals suggests a valuable niche for B2B advertisers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
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People also ask
- Who is the host of the podcast?
- The host is Mike Koelzer, a third-generation registered pharmacist and owner of Kay Pharmacy in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Is The Business of Pharmacy Podcast still active?
- No. In the podcast's public description, host Mike Koelzer announced he is taking a step back from the show after six years of weekly episodes. The back catalog of past episodes remains available.
- What is the show's format?
- It is a long-form interview show featuring unscripted, candid conversations with leaders and entrepreneurs in the pharmacy industry.
- What kind of topics are discussed?
- The show focuses on the business side of pharmacy, including PBMs, biotech startups, financial planning, healthcare policy, and entrepreneurship.
- How can I pitch a guest for the show?
- The podcast is currently on hiatus and not producing new episodes. The host previously solicited guest ideas through the podcast's website.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The full archive of episodes is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Kay Pharmacy Historykaypharmacy.com
- [02]The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™ on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [03]The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™ Websitebizofpharmpod.com
- [04]Interview with Mike Koelzer, RPh - The Pharmacist's Voice Podcastthepharmacistsvoice.com
- [05]The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™ on Listen Noteslistennotes.com
- [06]The Journey to Autonomous Pharmacy | Randall Lipps - YouTubeyoutube.com
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