2024 Most Influential Women: Erica Mahn

For Erica Mahn, pharmacy was not necessarily a field in which she thought she could change how things worked. The medicines she supplies patients through Alps Pharmacy treat conditions based upon laws and guidelines, and following those laws is a large part of her job.

“But changing how things are interpreted, fully understanding the law and questioning things that don’t seem right is what has been noticed in the things I am doing,” Mahn, executive director of Community Pharmacy Services for Alps, says. “I always tell students I work with that we don’t say ‘no’ as long as we can find a solution that is safe and legal.”

Mahn has worked with Alps Pharmacy since 2012, starting her career right after her graduation from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has since worked to bring advanced methods of care to patients through increasing medication therapy management services, synchronizing medication pick-ups, developing a vaccine program providing on-site vaccination clinics and launching a residency program for local students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mahn said Alps Pharmacy administered over 7,000 COVID vaccinations during the initial wave of vaccine availability.

“Each of these examples is a snapshot of how we do business at Alps Pharmacy,” Mahn says. “We see a problem and recognize it as an opportunity.”

While Mahn has advanced pharmaceutical care at Alps Pharmacy, her impact has also expanded throughout the state through her work with the Missouri Pharmacy Association. Mahn hosts webinars covering billable opportunities available for pharmacies through the Missouri Medicaid Program, speaks weekly with pharmacies around the state to troubleshoot problems and create workflow solutions, and works closely with local hospital systems such as Cox, Mercy and Citizens Memorial Hospital.

“We have become a reliable source for those situations that need an extra bit of support,” Mahn says, “and this helps to lead to the success of patients and their providers across our health care system.”

Mahn volunteers with Community Partnership of the Ozarks and contributes to community medication education through the Greene County DREAM coalition.

Through working to help and serve the community, Mahn says she is no longer afraid to take on projects that may seem impossible. “I became a pharmacist to help people,” she says. “I fill my cup making others feel better. That is my purpose. The way that I support my staff and colleagues can also have a major impact on our patients and community – that by teaching others to do great things we are doing, our profession as a whole can move forward and change the way retail, community pharmacy business is done.”