ORLANDO, Fla. — McKesson Corp.’s RxOwnership team is sponsoring educational programs for current and future pharmacists considering pharmacy ownership at the 2017 NCPA Annual Conference.

McKesson said Monday that it has added support for the Student Ownership Boot Camp Series as part of its sponsorship, now in its eighth year, of the NCPA Pharmacy Ownership Workshops. Kicked off this weekend, the National Community Pharmacists Association’s yearly conference runs through Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.

The Pharmacy Ownership Workshop and Student Ownership Boot Camp sessions are designed to provide current pharmacists and pharmacy students with tools to guide them in pharmacy ownership and enhance their current management skills. More than 50% of past Pharmacy Ownership Workshop participants now own their own pharmacy.

The NCPA’s Student Affairs program is intended to spur interest in community pharmacy ownership and entrepreneurship among the future pharmacists. This year, McKesson has sponsored 26 NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarships, which are designed to recognize leadership qualities and academic accomplishments.

For the second year, McKesson RxOwnership participated in the official NCPA student education program, held on Saturday. Kim Diemand, vice president of the north central region for McKesson RxOwnership, led a session titled “The Importance of a Business Plan to Your Success,” which emphasized the need for a business plan in starting and operating an independent pharmacy.

RxOwnership also has taken part in the Student Chapter Business Card Swap, which gives hundreds of NCPA student members the opportunity to connect with peers and experienced ownership advisers.

McKesson said that in the past year RxOwnership helped more than 400 owners in launch a new pharmacy. And since 2008, the RxOwnership team aided in the ownership-transfer process of more than 4,000 pharmacies.

“McKesson RxOwnership is dedicated to supporting the future of pharmacy ownership by giving pharmacists the knowledge, support and tools required to achieve their ownership goals,” Chris Cella, national vice president of McKesson RxOwnership, said in statement.

“We are particularly excited to expand our partnership with NCPA to include both current and future pharmacists,” Cella added. “We feel it is important to empower any and all pharmacists who are interested in owning and operating an independent pharmacy. We are proud to promote programs like this one and our Women in Pharmacy-Own It Program we recently launched.”

Women in Pharmacy-Own It focuses on four key areas: ownership, mentorship, leadership and work/life balance for women. The program includes matching pharmacy students with owners and empowering pharmacy ownership.