Business Coaching Profile: Diana Lischin
By Good Neighbor Pharmacy
Diana Lischin brings firsthand pharmacy experience to Good Neighbor Pharmacy
After more than four decades in pharmacy, Diana Lischin knows independent pharmacy from nearly every angle. She has worked as a pharmacist across multiple states, supported owners through relief work, led a legacy pharmacy, launched a startup location, and built lasting relationships in the communities she served. Now, as a new business coach with Good Neighbor Pharmacy at Cencora, she is bringing that firsthand experience to independent pharmacy owners who are navigating an increasingly complex business environment.
For Diana, this next chapter is more than a career move. It is a natural extension of the work she has always loved most: helping people, building trust, and finding practical solutions that make a real difference.
A career rooted in community pharmacy
Diana graduated from the UNC School of Pharmacy in 1986 and began her career in a chain setting before quickly finding her place in independent pharmacy. Early on, she took on regular relief work for multiple pharmacy owners, stepping into stores where she could help fill staffing needs while also learning from seasoned operators.
It gave her exposure to a wide range of pharmacy models, management styles, and patient service approaches. Along the way, she began to shape her own perspective on what mattered most in running a successful pharmacy. After returning to North Carolina, she continued working in independent pharmacy and eventually joined her family’s pharmacy business full time. In 2005, she purchased the store from her family and became the owner of a legacy pharmacy. Years later, in 2018, she opened a startup pharmacy of her own.
Owning two independent pharmacies gave her a deep appreciation for both the rewards and the realities of the business. She understands the weight owners carry, the decisions they make every day and the pressure of staying profitable while continuing to deliver exceptional patient care.
Experience that goes beyond operations
What sets Diana apart is not only the length of her career, but also the breadth of it. As an owner, she worked to make her pharmacies true community hubs. She developed strong relationships with patients, expanded clinical services, and looked for opportunities to meet local needs.
When she launched her startup pharmacy, she embraced immunizations as a key growth area, even though it pushed her outside her comfort zone. She went on to provide offsite clinics, homebound vaccinations, school clinics, and COVID-19 immunizations. She also saw opportunities in supplements and custom-labeled products, recognizing them as meaningful offerings that could support both patient wellness and business performance.
“You have to be willing to try something new and you have to accept failure because not everything is going to be a good fit,” Lischin said.
That mindset continues to shape how she approaches coaching today. She understands that every pharmacy is different and that no single strategy works for everyone. Her goal is to help owners evaluate what fits their business, their community, and long-term goals.
Bringing lived experience to business coaching
Although Diana is new to the Good Neighbor Pharmacy business coaching team, she brings immediate credibility because she has sat in the same seat as the customers she now supports. She knows what it is like to feel stretched thin, make tough operational decisions, and wonder how to move the business forward when time and resources are limited.
She is especially energized by the opportunity to help pharmacy owners avoid feeling isolated. Over the years, she participated in pharmacy owner boards and peer groups where members shared financial challenges and ideas. Those experiences reinforced her belief that pharmacy owners do not have to solve every problem alone.
“One of the things that I bring to the table is to have a large network,” Lischin said. “If I can connect either my own expertise through my experiences or someone else that I know is an expert in that arena, I would love to be able to do that.”
That collaborative mindset is central to what excites her most about her new role. She wants to help customers tap into proven ideas, connect with the right resources and identify opportunities they may not yet see in their own business.
Excited to help customers grow with confidence
As Diana begins this new chapter, what motivates her most is the chance to help independent pharmacy owners grow with greater clarity and confidence. She knows that some owners are already operating at a high level, while others may need support identifying where to start. In either case, she sees tremendous value in meeting customers where they are and helping them move forward in a way that is practical and sustainable.
Now that she has stepped away from ownership and dispensing, she is energized by the chance to share what she has learned, including lessons from mistakes, missed opportunities, and successes.
“I’ve made all of the mistakes,” Diana said. “Now that I’m not carrying that load, I’m excited at the prospect of taking the benefits of my expertise, good or bad, and bringing that to someone else to see how they might take advantage of that in their own situation.”
She is also passionate about helping owners strengthen patient relationships, expand services and think more strategically about the future. Whether that means exploring MedSync, clinical services, compliance packaging, front-end offerings, or other operational improvements, Diana wants customers to know they do not have to navigate those decisions alone.
A trusted partner for independent pharmacy owners
Her role at Cencora is a dream job, and it is easy to see why. It brings together her pharmacy background, entrepreneurial experience, and passion for supporting others. For independent pharmacy owners, that means access to a coach who understands their challenges not just in theory, but from lived experience.
Her approach is grounded in empathy, candor, and service. She believes in helping owners think through issues realistically, build stronger relationships, and stay open to new opportunities that can move their business forward.
