By Bruce Kneeland, Independent Pharmacy Specialist
I first became aware of Nicolette Mathey, PharmD, about six years ago when she posted a video of herself walking through a busy airport terminal. She was returning from a consulting assignment. Her demeanor, quiet confidence, and the casual way she explained a complex task were impressive. At that time, she owned Palm Harbor Pharmacy in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Fast forward six years, and I had the opportunity to meet her in person while attending the AtriumX conference, an event she and her team prefer to call “The Unconference.” The event was held in Orlando, not far from the headquarters of Atrium24, the company she founded in 2019. Atrium24 is built on her experience helping pharmacy owners pursue new and more profitable paths.
If you own or work in an independent pharmacy, you know that is no easy task.
Why AtriumX Is Different for Independent Pharmacy Owners
They call AtriumX an “unconference” because it breaks the mold. Most industry meetings are planned well in advance by associations, wholesalers, or vendor executives that determine the topics and select the speakers. Having planned and promoted industry events myself, I encourage pharmacy professionals to attend thoughtfully chosen conferences because most of them provide real value. Still, the traditional model relies on organizers to decide what attendees should learn. AtriumX turns that model on its head.
Here, the subjects are determined by the attendees after they arrive. The 2026 event marked AtriumX’s second conference. One of the first activities participants engage in is gathering in a large room at the host hotel. After brief introductions and icebreakers, attendees are handed large sticky notes and invited to write down topics of immediate importance to them. That evening, Mathey and her team sort through the submissions and organize them into a dozen categories displayed on a large bulletin board.
The next morning, the board is revealed. The categories are divided into four 90-minute session blocks, each with three discussion topics. Each attendee selects the four sessions they most want to attend. That is the secret sauce: a truly customized pharmacy learning experience. At AtriumX, participants choose the topics, ensuring they spend their time learning about the issues that matter most to them.
But that is only half of what makes the experience so powerful. Within each session, real pharmacists, often grappling with real challenges, engage in open dialogue with peers who have faced similar issues. They share what has worked, what has not, and what they have learned along the way. Notes are taken. Vendor recommendations are exchanged. And perhaps most importantly, meaningful professional relationships are formed, relationships that continue to provide value long after attendees return home.
AtriumX Conference Photo Highlights
The AtriumX experience is built around live collaboration, practical discussion, and meaningful peer connection. The photos below offer a closer look at the energy and structure behind the event described in this story.
How Atrium24 Supports Pharmacy Growth
AtriumX is the flagship event of Mathey’s company, Atrium24, which has become her full-time focus since selling her pharmacy. Today, the company supports pharmacy owners in three primary ways:
- A niche GPO and coaching network that helps pharmacies navigate the complexities of running a profitable business while connecting them with vetted solution providers.
- The AtriumX Unconference, which in just its second year has secured a place in the crowded pharmacy event landscape by drawing more than 200 pharmacy owners and carefully selected vendors.
- DOTTI, a proprietary SaaS platform designed to teach pharmacy professionals how to market their services effectively and efficiently.
Why DOTTI Matters for Independent Pharmacy Marketing
DOTTI is Mathey’s workhorse, and she often says, “All roads lead back to DOTTI.” The platform serves as a tutor, coach, administrative assistant, and marketing engine. Its core mission is to help pharmacies clearly define and effectively promote their services, particularly to prescribers.
Yes, prescribers, not consumers, are the primary audience in this model. DOTTI tracks prescribing patterns and helps pharmacies develop targeted action plans, complete with customized marketing materials designed to strengthen relationships with healthcare providers. The goal is simple but powerful: help prescribers better understand and more fully utilize the services Atrium24 member pharmacies offer.
For now, Mathey says the company is focused on compounding, which she sees as one of the most professional and sustainable growth paths for independent pharmacies. Readers interested in that opportunity can also explore The Role of Compounding Pharmacies in Personalized Medicine. This year’s conference reflected that focus, with sessions exploring emerging opportunities in peptides, as well as the growing role of artificial intelligence in workflow optimization and marketing. For more on that shift, see AI for Independent Pharmacies: Boosting Operations & Patient Care in 2026.
Mathey describes DOTTI as the pharmacy industry’s first CRM, or Customer Relationship Management system. While the term may not yet be widely used in independent pharmacy, its relevance is growing. As pharmacy continues to evolve beyond dispensing, tools like DOTTI are laying the foundation for a more strategic, targeted, and efficient approach to growth.
The Career Path That Shaped Nicolette Mathey’s Vision
Innovators like Mathey do not emerge by accident. Her career has prepared her well for this role. She earned her PharmD from the University of Florida in 2010, but her connection to pharmacy began much earlier. As a high school student, she worked at Walgreens in a variety of roles, gaining early exposure to the profession. After graduation, she continued with the company before transitioning into health systems, where she developed expertise in programs like Med-to-Beds.
From there, she moved into corporate compounding, where she learned firsthand the importance of marketing to prescribers. In 2014, she joined Pharmacy Development Services as Clinical Director, where she spent nearly five years expanding her leadership and consulting experience.
In 2017, she took the entrepreneurial leap, opening Palm Harbor Pharmacy. She operated the pharmacy successfully for six years before selling so she could focus entirely on building Atrium24.
A Leader Building What Comes Next for Pharmacy
After experiencing AtriumX firsthand, it is clear that Mathey possesses the vision, passion, and leadership required to move the profession forward. Dispense Times is proud to share her story and highlight her as a leader who is actively forging a path toward a more sustainable and profitable future for independent community pharmacy.
