NCPDP President & CEO Lee Ann Stember Announces Plans to Retire After 46 Years of Leadership

Stember will retire June 1, 2027, following an extraordinary career advancing healthcare standards, interoperability, and industry collaboration

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) today announced that President & CEO Lee Ann Stember intends to retire on June 1, 2027, following 46 years of service and leadership to NCPDP and the healthcare industry. Stember shared her decision with the NCPDP Compensation Committee, Board of Trustees, and Executive Management Team during the November Workgroup Meeting in Portland.

The announcement comes as NCPDP prepares to enter its 50th anniversary year, a milestone that provides a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the organization's evolution, its contributions to healthcare, and the individuals who have helped shape its mission and impact.

"This is a bittersweet decision for me," said Stember. "NCPDP has been far more than the place where I have worked. It has been a community, a shared mission, and an extraordinary opportunity to help shape meaningful change in healthcare. As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with pride in what we have accomplished together, gratitude for the people who made it possible, and optimism for the future."

Throughout her tenure, Stember has helped guide NCPDP through tremendous advances and uncharted territory in health information technology and interoperability. Working alongside NCPDP members, volunteers, staff, board leaders, industry partners, and other collaborators, she has championed consensus-based solutions, strengthened connections among stakeholders with differing perspectives, and supported the advancement of standards that improve care delivery and reduce administrative burdens.

Under Stember's leadership, NCPDP has continued to serve as a trusted convener and an important industry voice as healthcare technology, interoperability, and patient expectations have evolved. Her career has been grounded in the belief that patients should have their health information at their fingertips and be able to collaborate seamlessly with physicians, pharmacists, hospitals, health plans, and other members of their care teams.

"The progress we have made gives me every reason to believe that this vision will continue moving closer to reality," Stember said. "What we have accomplished does not belong to any one person. It is a testament to the tireless work of the colleagues, volunteers, members, board leaders, industry partners, and collaborators who have contributed their expertise, time, creativity, and determination to our shared mission."

Stember expressed special gratitude to the mentors who guided her early in her career, the colleagues who challenged and inspired her, and the NCPDP staff and volunteers whose commitment has strengthened the organization year after year. She also recognized her family for its unwavering support throughout her career.

"I will always treasure the relationships, friendships, lessons, and memories that have grown from our work together," Stember said. "The support, trust, partnership, and dedication of this community have enriched my career and my life beyond words."

While the healthcare industry continues to face significant challenges, including achieving seamless interoperability, addressing cybersecurity risks, modernizing how standards are accessed and implemented, and advancing value-based care, emerging technologies are also creating new possibilities for connecting patients and care teams and improving the exchange of health information.

Stember underscored her confidence that NCPDP and its partners will continue meeting these challenges through the collective commitment, ingenuity, and leadership of the healthcare community.

"I am equally confident in NCPDP's future," Stember said. "Thoughtful succession planning and leadership development have been priorities for years, with an emphasis on continuity, institutional knowledge, and long-term organizational stability. That preparation gives me great comfort as I look toward retirement, knowing that NCPDP is well positioned to continue advancing its mission and serving its members and the healthcare industry for many years to come."

Stember will continue serving as NCPDP's President & CEO through June 1, 2027. Additional information regarding NCPDP's leadership transition will be shared at the appropriate time.

As she looks ahead to her next chapter, Stember plans to explore new opportunities, give back to her community, spend more time with the people who matter most to her, and pursue long-awaited travel adventures.

"Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey," Stember said. "I am profoundly grateful for what we have accomplished together and excited to see what this remarkable community accomplishes next. Let's keep pushing boundaries, strengthening connections, and making a difference."

About NCPDP

The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP), established in 1977, is a nonprofit ANSI-accredited Standards Developer (ASD) with members across the healthcare industry. NCPDP develops standards and solutions to improve the exchange of information for medications, supplies, and services, including the SCRIPT Standard for ePrescribing and the Telecommunication Standard. Its data products include dataQ®, providing insights on over 80,000 pharmacies, and HCIdea®, a prescriber database with over 3.7 million records. NCPDP's RxReconn® offers real-time tracking of pharmacy-related legislative and regulatory activity at state and national levels. Named in federal legislation such as HIPAA and HITECH, NCPDP has been advancing healthcare interoperability for decades. Learn more at www.ncpdp.org.

SOURCE NCPDP