Who is this episode for?

Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, starting or building a business, or wondering about going through the process of selling one, this conversation is for you. It’s particularly interesting for anyone working in or interested in healthcare, as well as those who want to better understand the economics and business dynamics facing independent pharmacies in today’s environment.

About our guest

Mike Ruane opened a traditional retail pharmacy in July of 2021. While he used the same branding and name, it was independent from his family’s well-known “The Prescription Center” pharmacy based in Downtown Scranton. A year after opening, and after seeing a significant unmet need in the market, he made a bold pivot, turning the business into a specialty pharmacy focused on serving patients living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, HIV, and/or Hepatitis C.

At the time, The Prescription Center-Specialty Pharmacy’s dual specialty accreditations made it one of fewer than 10 independent specialty pharmacies in the state of Pennsylvania and the only behavioral health-focused pharmacy in Northeastern Pennsylvania. What happened next was pretty incredible. In just over four years, TPC went from just a handful of patients on day one to serving thousands of patients each month across nearly 40 counties across Pennsylvania, becoming one of the largest truly independent pharmacies in the state. At the time of the sale, the pharmacy was generating over $50 million in revenue a year.

As Mike put it when describing the story of building and growing TPC, it took “a lot of hard work and a little luck.” In October 2025, Mike sold The Prescription Center-Specialty Pharmacy to a private equity-backed regional pharmacy, where he is now engaged as a senior-level employee focused on business development and mergers and acquisitions.

In this conversation, Mike shares how he recognized the opportunity that led to the pivot, what it was like competing as an independent pharmacy against PBMs, and why building a loyal, talented team was so important to TPC’s growth. We also discuss how they scaled the business while maintaining a high level of service, how he approached the decision to find the right mission-aligned partner to sell to, and how the support of his family and wife, Brittany, was so important throughout those years.

We talk about his new role, his next chapter, and the lessons he learned along the way. Mike also shares how he is reflecting on his experience over the last few years. This is a great story about entrepreneurship, taking a risk, and building something from the ground up.

Thanks to Mike for sitting down with us, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Disclosures: Alliance Wealth Advisors, LLC (“Alliance”) is an SEC Registered investment advisory firm that is independently owned and operated. The information in this interview is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment, legal, or tax advice. Opinions expressed in this interview are subject to change without notice. It is important to remember that investments in securities involve risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market. Alliance does not guarantee the suitability or potential value of any particular investment or strategy and accepts no liability for reliance on this presentation. Alliance also does not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party mentioned in this communication and takes no responsibility. Our guest, Michael Ruane, did not receive any compensation for this interview, not otherwise affiliated with, the firm and is not a client of Alliance Wealth Advisors at the time of this publication. For more information regarding Alliance, please visit alliancewealthadvisors.com/legal-disclosures.