Ohio Northern University’s National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Business Plan Team won the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) third annual Innovative Student Business Plan competition at the 135th OPA Annual Conference and Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio, on April 13.

Bethany Cuiksa, a fourth-year pharmacy student from Terre Haute, Ind.; Holly Kearney, a fifth-year from Lucasville, Ohio; Ross Robison, a fifth-year from Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Nicole Sivak, a fifth-year from Cleveland, Ohio, presented their hypothetical business plan, “Fresh Air Pharmacy featuring Breathe Easy Services,” in a head-to-head competition against Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati in front of approximately 200 conference attendees.

The plan was created as part of an independent study course under the supervision of Deirdre Myers, ONU pharmacy and laboratory instructor in pharmacy practice.

The course is designed to give students insight into the entrepreneurial skills of ownership and requires that the students create a hypothetical pharmacy. The pharmacy should be feasible and realistic, with a business plan and loan request to be submitted for competition at both OPA and NCPA.

In January, the four submitted a 60-page business plan to OPA for judging. The plan included items such as a complete market analysis, legal and management structures, and more than 12 pages of financial documentation.

A panel of judges evaluated the written submission on marketing, structure, financials, feasibility, creativity and professionalism. In March, the students received word that they placed in the top three in the state of Ohio and would give a 20-minute verbal presentation at OPA to a panel of judges acting as loan officers.