HARMACY Film

harmacy

We are the documentary formerly known as “Would You Like Shots with That?”.

If you’re new here, welcome and thanks for your interest. We know it can feel like a long wait, but we’re still here and the documentary IS happening. We have more updates coming soon!

Stay tuned...

ABOUT THE FILM

When people think about the issues related to pharmacy, they inevitably think of the opioid epidemic, as portrayed in the Netflix documentary The Pharmacist and the Hulu series Dopesick. But sadly, the problems extend further and have existed far longer. For decades, corporate chains like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens have been elbowing out community pharmacies, and putting profits ahead of patient care.

But then COVID hit…

COVID-19 unmasked the long-standing struggles within America's pharmacy industry. The shocking realities of what Americans are facing when they walk into the pharmacy and the insidious influence of PBMs are finally being brought to light. This exposé delivers a wake-up call, motivating viewers to advocate for a safer and more equitable future for pharmacy consumers and professionals alike.

THIS IS EVERYONE’S STORY

Tweets like these offer a glimpse into everyday experiences and perceptions of retail pharmacy. But they are truly just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to corporate greed:

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians experience burnout, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, miscarriage, and even death.
Patients experience frustration and fear of not being able to fill their prescriptions on time and the harmful repercussions that result.

The greater tragedy? Dangers like these are entirely preventable, but only if we value people more than profits. Oof.

While the brokenness of healthcare is no joke, often the only way to cope with such absurdities is through some humor. Ironically, in the quest for truth, satire and comedy can be strong allies.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE

In January 2022, we put out a request for people to share their stories and experiences of retail pharmacy. As of October 2023, we have met and pre-interviewed over 100 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients from all over the United States via Zoom and in person.

Fear of retaliation has been a strong deterrent for pharmacy staff members speaking up about the dangerous situations they are facing at work every day. For that reason, some of our interviewees requested to remain anonymous. Others, those who had either found a new working situation or made peace with any repercussions, were boldy outspoken.

We have been so grateful for both.

Not only does it allow each interviewee to show up in the way that makes them the most comfortable, but it clearly demonstrates the negative working conditions that are happening behind the counter of retail pharmacy.

At the end of each interview, we ask the same question:

“If we could start over and design pharmacy from scratch, what would you do?” The answers were profound in their simplicity, which made them all the more tragic:

All pharmacy staff want is enough staff, resources, and respect to be able to fill prescriptions safely and counsel their patients thoroughly.

All patients want is to get their prescriptions filled and be able to speak with a pharmacist when they need to.

Nothing earth shattering, folks. Just the basics of good care.

SHARE YOUR STORY

#PizzaIsNotWorking, but speaking out will.

Whether you’re a patient, pharmacy professional, other healthcare professional, or from the corporate world, we would love to hear your story and consider it for potential feature in our film, companion book or social media. Share as many or as few details as you feel comfortable.

Requests for anonymity in the form are 100% honored.

Complete Our Google Form

HERE

Dr. Anaïs Webster- Mennuti

Writer, Co-Director, Producer

Anaïs Webster Mennuti is a pharmacist licensed in three states with just under ten years of retail pharmacy experience and is currently practicing pharmacy at a hospital system in Oregon. Even after switching to hospital pharmacy, Anaïs moonlighted in retail for two more years until the fall of 2021, when the workload became untenable for retail pharmacists and unsafe for patients. She could no longer, in good conscience, be a part of that system. She wants people to be vaccinated and tested, but she wants pharmacies to have enough support and staff to do so safely while filling prescriptions and doing the rest of the job safely. Her dream and vision is for this documentary to go big--we’re talking about streaming on Netflix big. She wants it to reach audiences far and wide. Is that ambitious? Heck, yes, it is, but let’s do this thing!

OUR TEAM

Dr. Kristin Speer

Writer, Director, Producer

Kristin Speer is a PharmD and board-certified pharmacist in Colorado who began her career in Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) as a consulting clinician. Prescribers consulted on her for patient-specific pharmacotherapy recommendations. Her career started out rewarding, but after nearly a decade working in PBM, she witnessed some of the industry’s harmful impacts on pharmacy professionals, the pharmacy working environment, and on patients. Kristin recognized the need for change so she put her credentials and practice aside to join this documentary team. With them, she aspires to tell pharmacy’s story and help shift its future trajectory. We all know multiple sides define every story, and as a PBM insider, Kristin also aims to engage perspectives from the PBM industry.

Marie Wilda

Writer, Producer, Marketing

Marie Wilda, founder and CEO of Lenkai, is a creative and numbers-driven B2B executive working at the intersection of storytelling and data. Her laser focus on the target audience, market white space, and a well-defined value proposition adds an essential skill set to the team as they work to tell the complex story of pharmacy in a way that is engaging, memorable, and actionable. Ms. Wilda started in the independent pharmacy industry in 2016 and quickly recognized pharmacists as the linchpin to improving healthcare access and equity for millions of Americans. She is passionate about helping pharmacists play a more central role in patients' healthcare journeys and empowering audiences with the resources to make informed decisions about their health.

The text that started it all.

Outside of pharmacy, Anaïs is also a writer. She hired her friend Kim as an editor for her first novel. They enjoyed working together so much, they dropped the editor-client dynamic and teamed up as cowriters for a TV pilot and a series of novels. As ongoing collaborators and friends, Anaïs shared her frustration about life in retail pharmacy.

Needless to say, it was an eye-opening experience for Kim who immediately connected Anaïs with her filmmaker friend Ethan.

From there, the team took shape and now we are making this documentary a reality.

In January of 2022, we formed Shots with That, LLC and have since launched our suite of social media pages to connect directly with the pharmacy community. The outpouring of support has been amazing.

ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE JAN 2022 INCEPTION

CUT A

SIZZLE REEL

AND SHORT FILM FOR INITIAL CROWDFUNDING

CROWD-

FUNDED (AND SPENT!) $70K+ TO ACCOMPLISH THESE ACHIEVEMENTS

CONDUCTED OVER 100 PRE-INTERVIEWS WITH POTENTIAL DOCUMENTARY PARTICIPANTS

ATTENDED EIGHT PHARMACY INDUSTRY EVENTS

SUCH AS CONFERENCES, TRADE SHOWS, INDUSTRY TRAININGS, AND LOBBYING DAYS

COMPLETED THREE PRODUCTION TRIPS

GROWN

TO 1000+ ORGANIC FOLLOWERS ON SEVERAL MAJOR SOCIAL PLATFORMS

FEATURED

ON TWELVE PODCASTS

RECRUITED AN AWARD-WINNING

HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR, PRODUCER & ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER TO OUR TEAM

OUR CROWDFUNDING TRAILER

In order to start documenting pharmacy issues surrounding COVID-19 as it was happening, we urgently cut a sizzle reel (aka trailer) intended to crowdfund our bootstrapping efforts. We made this without camera footage, using Zoom interviews and videos available on social media. We are proud to have been able to accomplish this with minimal resources and awesome talent. The feedback and support has been amazing!

Now that we have some footage, good momentum and more expert hands on this project, we plan to cut an “official trailer” once production is complete. Stay tuned!