AUGUST Member Spotlight

I joined MNCHA because it’s a community of compassionate, mission-driven professionals who share a common goal: improving the lives of patients through high-quality care. This aligned perfectly with my own philosophy and practice at Alfa Specialty Pharmacy.

I believe care should be delivered where it’s needed most—at the patient’s home—and must be collaborative and patient-centered to be truly effective. Medication mismanagement is a leading cause of ER visits and hospitalizations. Our model at Alfa takes a hands-on approach, integrating frequent patient contact, clinical oversight, and seamless medication dispensing and delivery. We’ve implemented this model for years with outstanding patient satisfaction and measurable impact.

My first experience with MNCHA was exhibiting at the May conference, where I had in-depth conversations about how closer collaboration between Alfa and MNCHA members could enhance care. We serve similar populations—patients living at home with chronic conditions and complex medication needs.

Two key strategies we offer are:

• Real-time sharing of patient information with care teams
• Reducing home health staff workload by eliminating the need to repackage medications through our multidose adherence packaging

This not only improves adherence but also helps caregivers monitor medication routines effectively. When medication issues arise, we proactively reach out to prescribers and insurers to resolve them quickly—because timeliness can directly impact ER use. Our recent data shows that over 50% of our patients had zero ER visits and 65% had no hospitalizations in the past year.

MNCHA members are incredibly adaptive and resilient. Despite the increasing acuity of patients and mounting payer-related challenges, they continue to provide consistent, high-quality care. Their ability to evolve while staying mission-focused is inspiring and commendable.

Several partnerships stand out:

• Collaborating with St. Agnes Heart Failure Clinic to improve medication management for high-risk patients
• Working with physician practices to support their most complex, home-based patients
• Partnering with University of Maryland and Notre Dame of Maryland University to educate and mentor future pharmacists through experiential training and hands-on learning

These collaborations have been both impactful and personally rewarding.

Recruiting and retaining top talent remains one of the biggest challenges in today’s healthcare environment. At Alfa, we’ve addressed this by fostering a culture of respect, gratitude, and consistent positive feedback. We know that staff stability is directly tied to better patient communication and continuity of care. Our team is our strength, and we make it a point to show appreciation for their commitment every day.

Making a real difference in people’s lives motivates me daily. The chance to challenge the status quo in pharmacy practice and build models that prioritize outcomes over volume is deeply fulfilling.

I also enjoy working alongside my brother, Faramarz—an experienced pharmacist and co-owner of Alfa. Together, we continuously push boundaries. One result of this collaboration is our Chronic Care Pharmacy Case Management Program, where pharmacists proactively manage and supply medications while conducting monthly check-ins to address clinical needs before issues escalate. This program incurs no additional cost to patients or partner organizations, yet delivers high-impact care with tangible results.

Simply put, doing what’s right for our patients motivates everything we do.