Good Neighbor Pharmacy Ranked No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction Among Chain Drugstore Pharmacies by J.D. Power
Good Neighbor Pharmacy, a national franchise network serving independent pharmacies and offered through Cencora, has been ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction among chain drugstore pharmacies in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Pharmacy StudySM. The recognition marks another major achievement for the independent pharmacy network and highlights the role community pharmacies continue to play in delivering accessible, trusted and personalized healthcare services.
The J.D. Power study is a syndicated benchmarking assessment that examines customer experiences with some of the largest pharmacy organizations operating in the United States. Good Neighbor Pharmacy not only received the highest overall customer satisfaction ranking in the chain drugstore pharmacy category, but also ranked highest in four of the study’s seven evaluated dimensions.
Those areas include whether pharmacy offerings meet customers’ needs across medication and health and wellness services, whether customers can obtain prescriptions in the manner and timeframe they prefer, the quality and performance of pharmacy staff, and the level of trust customers have in their pharmacy.
The latest recognition represents the 14th time in the past 17 years that Good Neighbor Pharmacy has earned the No. 1 customer satisfaction distinction in the J.D. Power study. The repeated recognition underscores the network’s emphasis on customer relationships, convenient access to medications and healthcare services, knowledgeable pharmacy teams and community-focused care.
The announcement comes as thousands of independent pharmacy professionals and healthcare industry stakeholders gather at Cencora’s annual ThoughtSpot event, where the company is bringing together community and long-term care pharmacy owners, industry experts and partners to discuss the future of independent pharmacy.
Recognition Highlights Strength of Community Pharmacy Relationships
For independent pharmacies, customer relationships are often built over time through personal interactions, consistent service and familiarity with patients’ individual healthcare needs. The latest J.D. Power ranking provides an external measure of those relationships and reinforces the importance consumers place on pharmacies as accessible healthcare destinations.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s strong performance across four of the seven dimensions evaluated by J.D. Power is particularly significant because the measures extend beyond basic prescription fulfillment.
The pharmacy network ranked highest for medication and health and wellness services, indicating strong customer perceptions of the breadth and relevance of services provided. It also ranked highest for convenience, reflecting customers’ ability to obtain prescriptions according to their preferred timing and method.
The network further ranked highest in the People or Staff category, highlighting the importance of pharmacy employees and their interactions with customers. Finally, Good Neighbor Pharmacy ranked highest in trust, a particularly important factor in healthcare where customers routinely share sensitive personal and medical information with pharmacy professionals.
Together, these results point to several elements that influence the consumer pharmacy experience: access to medications, service availability, convenience, knowledgeable staff and confidence in the pharmacy itself.
A Long Record of Customer Satisfaction Recognition
The 2026 award continues a long history for Good Neighbor Pharmacy. Receiving the No. 1 ranking for customer satisfaction for the 14th time in 17 years demonstrates consistency in a market where consumer expectations and pharmacy services continue to evolve.
Independent pharmacies operate in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. In addition to dispensing medications, many community pharmacies have expanded their services to include vaccinations, medication management, health screenings, chronic condition support and other patient-care offerings.
As the role of pharmacies expands, customer expectations are also changing. Consumers increasingly look for convenient access to medications as well as healthcare professionals who can answer questions, provide guidance and help them navigate their treatment.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s repeated J.D. Power recognition suggests that the network’s participating pharmacies are continuing to perform strongly in areas that matter most to consumers.
The recognition also comes at a time when independent pharmacies are working to balance patient care with increasingly complex operational and financial challenges. For pharmacy owners, positive customer experiences can be important not only for patient relationships but also for long-term business sustainability.
ThoughtSpot Brings Independent Pharmacy Community Together
The announcement coincides with Cencora’s 15th annual ThoughtSpot conference and tradeshow, a four-day event designed to bring members of the community and long-term care pharmacy sectors together.
More than 4,000 pharmacy owners, healthcare industry experts and partners are participating in the event, which provides a forum for discussions about business challenges, clinical developments, emerging opportunities and strategies for strengthening independent pharmacy operations.
The event also provides an opportunity to celebrate the latest J.D. Power recognition directly with the independent pharmacy community.
Tim Cernohous, senior vice president and president of Community Retail and Long-Term Care Pharmacy at Cencora, said the recognition has added energy to this year’s ThoughtSpot and emphasized that the achievement reflects the contributions of independent pharmacy members.
According to Cernohous, the event allows pharmacy professionals to exchange ideas about the successes they are building on, the challenges they face and the opportunities emerging within the sector.
The J.D. Power recognition is particularly meaningful within that context because it reflects customer perceptions of the pharmacies represented within the Good Neighbor Pharmacy network.
Redesigned ThoughtSpot Program Focuses on Practical Business Strategies
Beyond celebrating the customer satisfaction ranking, ThoughtSpot is designed to provide independent pharmacy owners and healthcare professionals with practical tools and knowledge that can support their businesses.
This year’s event features a redesigned educational program based on feedback from attendees. The new format combines industry education, hands-on workshops and networking opportunities focused on several key priorities.
One area of emphasis is clinical expertise, as pharmacies continue to expand their role in providing patient care and health services.
Another focus is operational optimization, which can help pharmacy owners identify ways to improve workflows, manage resources and enhance the overall customer experience.
The program also examines opportunities for pharmacies to expand services and grow revenue, an increasingly important consideration as independent pharmacy businesses navigate market pressures.
By combining education with practical implementation strategies, ThoughtSpot aims to give attendees ideas they can apply after returning to their pharmacies.
The event reflects the broader evolution of independent pharmacy from a traditional prescription-dispensing model toward a more comprehensive healthcare role.
New Focus on Medically Integrated and Specialty Dispensing
The 2026 ThoughtSpot conference also expands its audience by offering a dedicated experience for medically integrated dispensing (MID) and specialty dispensing practices.
For the first time, these pharmacy professionals and organizations have access to targeted educational programming, peer learning opportunities and practical insights specifically designed around their operating models.
The expansion reflects the increasing complexity of specialty medication and the growing integration of pharmacy services into broader healthcare delivery.
Specialty pharmacies often support patients with complex or chronic conditions that require specialized medications, monitoring and coordination with other healthcare professionals. Medically integrated dispensing can also involve closer collaboration between pharmacy and clinical teams.
Providing specialized education to program managers, pharmacists and dispensing leaders can help these organizations identify strategies for improving patient support and operational performance.
The inclusion of MID and specialty dispensing at ThoughtSpot also illustrates Cencora’s effort to broaden the event’s relevance as pharmacy services continue to diversify.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Champion Awards Recognize Independent Leaders
Another major highlight of ThoughtSpot is the 2026 Good Neighbor Pharmacy Champion Awards, which recognize individual pharmacies for outstanding contributions to the profession and their communities.
Three pharmacies were named recipients on July 28: Moreland & Devitt Pharmacy, based in West Central Illinois; Desert Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy in Palm Springs, California; and Quik-Stop Pharmacy in Thorndale, Pennsylvania.
Each pharmacy was recognized for a different aspect of leadership, including advocacy, clinical care and storytelling.
Moreland & Devitt Pharmacy operates four locations in West Central Illinois and is led by CEO and pharmacist Scott Stoll. The pharmacy was recognized for its contribution to advancing the profession and its advocacy efforts.
Desert Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy, led by CEO Ramesh Upadhyayula, was recognized for its commitment to clinical care and its efforts to optimize patient outcomes.
Quik-Stop Pharmacy, led by president and pharmacist Alissa Griffith, was recognized for storytelling and efforts to communicate the role and value of independent community pharmacy.
The three winners demonstrate the variety of ways independent pharmacies contribute to healthcare beyond dispensing prescriptions.
Advocacy, Clinical Care and Storytelling Shape Pharmacy’s Future
The Champion Awards also highlight several challenges and opportunities facing the independent pharmacy sector.
Advocacy is increasingly important as pharmacy owners seek to help shape policies that affect medication access, reimbursement and the sustainability of community pharmacy businesses.
Clinical services are another important area of growth. As pharmacists take on expanded responsibilities, community pharmacies can provide patients with more opportunities to receive care and support close to home.
Storytelling, meanwhile, can help independent pharmacies communicate their value to consumers and the broader healthcare community. Sharing examples of patient care, local engagement and professional leadership can increase awareness of the role pharmacies play in communities.
Kenzie Hohman, national vice president of Community Pharmacy Solutions – Solution Delivery, Practice Management and Advocacy at Cencora, said the award recipients demonstrate the different forms that leadership in independent pharmacy can take.
She noted that the work of the winners includes advocacy for patient access, clinical services designed to improve outcomes and efforts to tell the story of community pharmacy in ways that strengthen trust and recognition.
Independent Pharmacies Continue to Serve as Accessible Healthcare Hubs
The combination of the J.D. Power recognition and the Champion Awards provides a broader picture of the role Good Neighbor Pharmacy members play within their communities.
Community pharmacies are often among the most accessible healthcare locations for patients, allowing people to obtain medications and seek professional guidance without the same barriers that can accompany other forms of medical care.
For consumers managing chronic conditions, pharmacists can provide ongoing assistance with medication adherence and treatment-related questions. Pharmacies can also offer preventive services and health and wellness support.
The strong customer satisfaction results reported by J.D. Power suggest that consumers value these interactions and the relationships they build with pharmacy teams.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s highest ranking in the staff and trust dimensions is particularly relevant in this context. Healthcare consumers need confidence that pharmacy professionals understand their needs and can provide reliable information about their medications and health.
Looking Ahead for Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Independent Pharmacy
The latest J.D. Power recognition arrives at an important point for the independent pharmacy industry.
Pharmacies are continuing to adapt to changes in healthcare delivery, consumer expectations, technology, medication complexity and business operations. At the same time, patients continue to value convenience, accessibility and personal relationships.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s No. 1 customer satisfaction ranking demonstrates the importance of maintaining a strong customer-focused approach while pharmacies adapt to these changes.
The network’s success across medication and wellness services, convenience, staff performance and customer trust provides a framework for understanding what consumers value in the pharmacy experience.
ThoughtSpot reinforces that focus by providing independent pharmacy owners and community care providers with education, tools and networking opportunities aimed at strengthening their businesses and expanding their healthcare roles.
The 2026 Good Neighbor Pharmacy Champion Awards further reinforce the diversity of contributions made by community pharmacies, from advocacy and clinical care to communication and storytelling.
Together, these developments highlight the continuing importance of independent pharmacies as healthcare providers rooted in local communities.
As the pharmacy industry evolves, the ability to combine convenient access, knowledgeable staff, expanded services and trusted relationships will remain essential. Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s latest J.D. Power recognition, along with the activities showcased at ThoughtSpot, demonstrates the network’s ongoing focus on those priorities while celebrating the independent pharmacy professionals who deliver care every day.
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