PQA's Founding CEO Reflects on 20 Years of Pharmacy Quality

To mark PQA's 20th anniversary, PQS Managing Director Todd Sega sits down with Laura Cranston, the founding CEO who built PQA from a one-person shop into the most influential pharmacy quality measurement organization in the country.

Laura traces PQA's origins to April 2006, just months after Medicare Part D launched, talks about the alliance’s growth, the groundwork for what would eventually become the EQUIPP platform, and the broader pharmacy quality infrastructure in use today.

The conversation turns to the seismic shift in the CY2027 Final Rule and what it means that pharmacy-accountable clinical measures now command roughly 50% of a Medicare Advantage plan's Star Rating. Laura calls it a game changer, arguing that health plans simply cannot navigate this new environment without doubling down on their partnerships with community pharmacy.

The episode closes with a look ahead at where AI and technology are taking quality measurement from faster measure development to the shift from retrospective accountability toward proactive, near-real-time quality improvement.

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