The Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy has evolved over 15 years from a visionary gift by Bill and Lou Kennedy into a dynamic engine for pharmacy entrepreneurship, practice innovation and hands-on training.
Since 2013, KPIC has anchored its mission in business and entrepreneurship education through an annual college-wide business plan competition. Student pharmacists design viable community-pharmacy business models, and winning teams represent the college at the national Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition. In 13 years, more than 220 students have competed locally, with five teams placing in the national top three — including third place in 2022, first place in 2023 and second place in 2015, 2024 and 2025.
The center’s Business & Entrepreneurship curricular track offers student pharmacists comprehensive business training through targeted electives, advanced experiential rotations, co-curricular activities and faculty mentorship. Over 10 years, 122 students have enrolled in the program, with 47 completing all requirements and earning certificates that prepare them to build, manage and elevate the profession.
KPIC has also pioneered practice innovation projects, expanding pharmacists' roles in health care delivery. Faculty and staff have researched and piloted integration models to embed pharmacists in patient-centered medical homes, rural health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers. These initiatives explore sustainable funding approaches, collaborative practice with primary care teams and strategies for delivering medication management and chronic disease support to underserved communities — demonstrating pharmacists' value in team-based care.
Training and workforce development distinguish KPIC's impact nationally. The center operates an Aseptic Compounding Experience lab offering sterile-compounding courses that combine home study with immersive, hands-on sessions and meet Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education continuing education standards. Through partnership with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, KPIC delivers inspector and compliance training, strengthening safety and regulatory compliance nationwide. More than 475 individuals worldwide have completed best-practices training for compounded sterile preparations through the ACE lab.
Over 15 years, KPIC has matured into a multifaceted hub blending business education, practice innovation and technical training. The Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center continues to redefine what modern pharmacy education and practice can accomplish for patients and communities.
About the Author:
Patti Fabel, Pharm.D., is the executive director of the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center and a clinical professor for the College of Pharmacy