joseph friedman bio joseph friedman, r.ph. mba, is founding

Joseph Friedman BIO

Joseph Friedman, R.Ph. MBA, is founding member and principal at Professional Dispensaries of Illinois, (PDI) Medical LLC. Over the past three years, he was deeply involved in the complex process of positioning himself to open one or more medical marijuana dispensaries in Illinois. On February 2, 2015, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner awarded permits to operate medical marijuana dispensaries in Illinois. Friedman’s high scoring application was one of 57 granted an award. He has a pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, and a MBA from Illinois’ Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Through Friedman’s efforts, PDI Medical will become the first accredited dispensary in the nation through NMMAO (The National Medical Marijuana Accreditation Organization), an Ohio based accreditation organization. Medical marijuana dispensaries are licensed to serve a healthcare need and therefore should undergo the same stringent accreditation as all other healthcare providers in the U.S. Through accreditation, that role moves from one of simply selling a product to consumers to one focused on the overall clinical health and outcome of all patients. Dispensaries meeting the NMMAO accreditation criteria prove a heightened awareness of general healthcare industry standards and quality measurements through documented policies, procedures, processes, and attestations. In the fall of 2016, PDI Medical will become the first medical marijuana dispensary in the nation to host pharmacy student education rotations. Working with Chicago’s Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy, Friedman and the PDI Medical pharmacists will provide on-site experience for young pharmacy students interested in expanding their knowledge base of the cannabis industry.

Friedman’s most recent position was Director of Marketing and Business

Development at Mark Drugs North Shore, a specialty compounding pharmacy in

Deerfield, Illinois.

He was Director of Pharmacy at Topco Associates LLC, and was Senior Director

of Pharmacy Marketing at the Nash Company in Minneapolis.

Friedman has become a content expert in the scientific, legal, social, political,

and financial challenges facing U.S. entrants to the burgeoning medical

marijuana industry. He has contributed to several published articles in the

Chicago Tribune, Pharmacy Practice News, Crain’s Chicago Business,

TheStreet.com, The Daily Herald and the UIC College of Pharmacy newsletter.

Friedman has been published in the December 2013, and November 2015 issue

of Drug Topics. These articles have been syndicated in healthcare trade journals

across the country. In April 2014, Friedman presented at the NASP (National

Association of Specialty Pharmacy) EXPO on the topic, “Specialty Pharmacists’

Role in the Legalization, Distribution & Therapy Management of Medical

Marijuana.” Since the NASP EXPO event, Friedman has been invited to give live

presentations to pharmacy groups and associations practically on a monthly

basis.

In November 2016, Friedman has been invited to be a keynote speaker at the MJ

for MD’s convention at the Westin Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado.

Friedman has been interviewed on the Pharmacy Podcast Show three times in

the past 18 months. The Pharmacy Podcast show is about dynamic people in

the pharmacy industry who are blazing new trails. The Pharmacy Podcast show

is listened to thousands of pharmacists throughout the world.

Friedman works tirelessly to advocate for pharmacists’ involvement in our

nation’s medical cannabis industry, and is a Board of Director member at MCAI

(Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois). MCAI is the dominant trade association in

Illinois with membership made up of the majority of growers and dispensary

owners in Illinois.