Trailblazers Podcast

Episode 18: Leap of Faith – Mylo Wells

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Matt Pitlick sits down with IPA President Wes Pilkington, Pharmacist in Charge at Evans Crossing Pharmacy, and Mylo Wells, pharmacist and owner of Wells Hometown Drug, to discuss his passion for community pharmacy, his innovative plans under the standard of care framework, his family’s support, and more!
Mylo Wells, PharmD, is a 2018 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. An entrepreneur from a young age, Mylo owns two community pharmacies in Bloomfield and Keosauqua, IA. Both of his pharmacies are members of the CPESN network and are focused on providing clinical pharmacy services to the rural communities of southeastern Iowa. Mylo was recognized as Cardinal Health’s 2022 Future Ready Pharmacist of the Year, as well as IPA’s 2022 Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year. His pharmacy was recognized as a Small Business of the Week by Senator Joni Ernst in 2024. Mylo is a current IPA Board member and active member of NCPA. He and his wife, Jackie, have two young boys, Freddie and Isaiah.
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Matthew Pitlick
Iowa Pharmacy Association
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Episode 17: Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up – Jennifer Simmons

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Matt Pitlick sits down with IPA President Wes Pilkington, Pharmacist in Charge at Evans Crossing Pharmacy, and Jennifer Simmons, Pharmacy Coordinator at MercyOne, to discuss her start in pharmacy, the value of professional engagement, and the key to keeping succulents alive!  
Jennifer Simmons, CPhT, CMA, has over fifteen years of experience in the healthcare field, serving as a dedicated pharmacy technician since 2014. Jennifer is passionate about improving patient access to essential medications and advocating for comprehensive pharmacy services. She works closely with and supports healthcare professionals to help strengthen collaboration across healthcare teams. Jennifer is an active IPA member committed to advocating for fellow pharmacy technicians and advancing pharmacy’s role in patient-centered care.
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Jennifer Simmons
Matthew Pitlick
Iowa Pharmacy Association
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Episode 16: Full Steam Ahead – Wes Pilkington

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Matt Pitlick sits down with Wes Pilkington, Pharmacist in Charge at Evans Crossing Pharmacy and IPA’s 147th President, to discuss his path to community pharmacy, his goals for the association, his favorite golfers and more!
Wes Pilkington, PharmD, is the pharmacist owner of Evans Crossing Pharmacy in Evansdale, IA. Wes earned his PharmD from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2011. An active member of IPA since 2014, Wes’ involvement includes: serving on the IPA Board of Trustees (2024 Speaker of the House), Iowa Medicaid/Pharmacy Benefits Manager Committee, Legislative Committee, Behavioral Health Ad-Hoc Committee, and Policy Committee of Professional Affairs. Wes was awarded the Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2019 and was one of the recipients of the Poster Presentation Award in 2020. Wes and his wife, Sarah, live in Cedar Falls with their three children.
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Matthew Pitlick
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 15: Raise the Floor – Matthew Pitlick

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Kate Gainer sits down with IPA President Jim Hoehns for his final episode, welcoming incoming CEO Matthew Pitlick to discuss his pharmacy journey, his vision for the association, his passion for professional wrestling and more!
Matthew (Matt) Pitlick, PharmD, BCPS, is a graduate of Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Pitlick served as clinical faculty at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, MO, for eight years before returning to his home state of Iowa. Prior to joining IPA, Pitlick spent several years in the industry space. In addition, Pitlick completed IPA’s Executive Fellowship in Association Management in 2019. Bringing a wealth of experience in association management, academia, industry and health system practice, IPA looks forward to his leadership for the profession.
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Matthew Pitlick
Jim Hoehns
Kate Gainer
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 14: Accidental Dean – Jill Kolesar

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Kate Gainer sits down with IPA President Jim Hoehns, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Preceptor at Cedar Valley Primary Care, and Dr. Jill Kolesar, Dean and Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. Learn about Dean Kolesar’s upbringing, her fascinating research, her plans for the college, and her “accidental” deanship!
Jill Kolesar, PharmD, MS, serves as Dean and Professor and the Jean M. Schmidt Chair in Drug Discovery at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where she also completed a residency and fellowship in oncology.
Dean Kolesar’s research focuses on precision medicine and oncology drug development. She has authored more than 400 abstracts, research articles, and book chapters, and as a principal investigator has received more than $25 million in research funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), ARPA-H, the American Cancer Society, and other sources. In addition, she has 9 patents or patents pending and has founded two start-up companies, Helix Diagnostics and VesiCure Technologies, based on technologies developed in her laboratory. She also edits leading pharmacy textbooks, including Pharmacotherapy Principles and Practice and the Top 300 Pharmacy Flash Cards.
More Information:
ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health | Video
IPA Annual Meeting 2025 – Friday Keynote: “Iowa Pharmacy Trifecta: Tradition, Transformation and Tomorrow”
Iowa PharmTour – August 11-15, 2025
University of Iowa Homecoming – September 21-27, 2025
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Jill Kolesar
Jim Hoehns
Kate Gainer
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 13: “Why Not?” – Monica Nikseresht

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Kate Gainer sits down with IPA President Jim Hoehns, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Preceptor at Cedar Valley Primary Care, and Monica Nikseresht, Clinical Pharmacist and​ Pharmacy Manager of Medicap Pharmacy in Glenwood, IA, to discuss her story, including submitting the first successfully paid point-of-care testing claim under the medical benefit through Iowa Medicaid.
Monica Nikseresht, PharmD, is a proud third-generation pharmacist who graduated from Drake University College of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2021. Since then, she has returned to her hometown of Glenwood, IA, as a Clinical Pharmacist and Manager at her family’s Medicap Pharmacy to expand patient-centered pharmacy services to her community. Programs she has successfully put into practice include point-of-care testing, pharmacogenomic screening, chronic care management, and smoking cessation education, just to name a few. She serves as an enrolled Iowa Medicaid Provider, which has expanded her ability to be reimbursed for clinical services to a large portion of her patient population.
She has implemented the MediPack Wellness Program, which allows her to bill for medication therapy management services to Iowa Medicaid, so members may benefit from monthly medication therapy check-ins, access to preventative healthcare services such as smoking cessation and immunizations, and medication packaging at no cost to them. She believes our accessibility as pharmacists to the community is the key to helping close critical gaps in preventative health and chronic care management. As our profession continues to advance, she looks forward to exploring alternative revenue streams and being on the forefront of innovation alongside fellow independent pharmacists.
More Information:
Glenwood Medicap Website
Glenwood Medicap Facebook
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Monica Nikseresht
Jim Hoehns
Kate Gainer
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 12: If You Knew You Wouldn’t Fail – Erik Maki

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Kate Gainer sits down with IPA President Jim Hoehns, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Preceptor at Cedar Valley Primary Care, and Dr. Erik Maki, Dean at Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, to discuss his path from community college to Drake and the twists and turns along the way.
Erik Maki, PharmD, is Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Drake University. Dr. Maki grew up in Iowa City, where he also received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and met his wife, Jenifer (who is the best pharmacist in the family). After completing a residency at Texas Tech University, Dr. Maki came to Drake to work with wonderful people who shared a commitment to student success through teaching excellence, cultivation of meaningful personal relationships, and mentoring. Dr. Maki has held a variety of departmental, college and university leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the University IRB and an elected representative on the faculty senate. Prior to serving as Dean, Dr. Maki was the Chair of the Pharmacy Practice Department.
Outside of Drake, Dr. Maki is currently in his second term on the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, where he serves as Vice Chair of the Board and a member of the Rules Committee. On the Board, Dr. Maki has had the opportunity to help develop new rules resulting from the updated Pharmacy Practice Act and the Governor’s Executive Order. Nationally, he serves as a member of the Pharmacotherapy Specialty Council for the Board of Pharmacotherapy Specialties, where he assists with the oversight and development of requirements and the exam for Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy.
More Information:
Drake University CPHS
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Erik Maki
Jim Hoehns
Kate Gainer
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 11: Bringing Curiosity to Pharmacy – Matthew Witry

During this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast, IPA CEO Kate Gainer sits down with IPA President Jim Hoehns, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Preceptor at Cedar Valley Primary Care, and Matthew Witry, Associate Professor in the Division of Health Services Research at the University of Iowa, to discuss his start in socioeconomic pharmacy, his inspiration, his band, and much more!
Matthew Witry earned his PharmD and PhD in Pharmaceutical Socioeconomics from the University of Iowa, where he also received a certificate in College Teaching from the College of Education. Witry currently is an Associate Professor in the Division of Health Services Research at the College. Witry has collaborated with colleagues at the College of Nursing, the Iowa Pharmacy Association, Iowa community pharmacies, Iowa State University, and others. In addition, Witry works with the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy (UICOP) community pharmacy residency program, graduate students, and student pharmacists on a variety of research projects. Witry teaches on topics related to patient-centered communication and mixed methods research. Recent projects include establishing medication-taking habits in primary care, testing nurse decisions to report errors at the bedside, promoting communication about antimicrobial stewardship. Witry is interested in advancing the pharmacist’s impact on public health, including with medication adherence, point of care testing, vaccine and antibiotic communication, and cancer screenings.
More Information:
Google Scholar Profile
UIowa Pharmacy Profile
Publication: Evaluation of a Revised Home Medication Experience Questionnaire (HOME-Qv2)
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Matthew Witry
Jim Hoehns
Kate Gainer
Iowa Pharmacy Association
Watch for a new episode of the Trailblazers Podcast each month. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode!