Lewis Drug pharmacists Strobl, Ostebee honored at convention
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Sept. 28, 2026 |
| Contact: Paul Heinert Sanford Health Media Relations 605-312-4312 / Paul.Heinert@SanfordHealth.org
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BROOKINGS, S.D. – The South Dakota Pharmacists Association has honored two pharmacists from Lewis Drug for their significant accomplishments and contributions to the industry.
During the association’s 140th Annual Convention in Brookings this month, Jessica Strobl was recognized with the South Dakota Pharmacist of the Year Award, and fellow Lewis Drug pharmacist Ben Ostebee received the Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award.
Strobl serves as the vice president of pharmacy for Lewis Drug, where she is responsible for overseeing clinical pharmacy programs, developing and implementing best practice policies and procedures and managing pharmacy procurement. She also provides support for corporate compliance and pharmacy operations initiatives.
Strobl earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from South Dakota State University in 2004. She began her career at Liebe Drug in Milbank, South Dakota, practicing there until the pharmacy was acquired by Lewis Drug in 2014. She then held various roles within Lewis Drug before transitioning to vice president of pharmacy in 2025. She and her husband, Eric, established the Eric and Jessica Strobl Scholarship for Community Pharmacy at South Dakota State University to support future pharmacists dedicated to patient care, community pharmacy and rural communities.
Ostebee, a 2022 SDSU College of Pharmacy graduate, began his career as a float clerk with Lewis Drug in 2016. There, he developed a passion for the profession, particularly in the legislative process, interprofessional collaboration and community-based care. He followed this passion to a rotation at the state capital with SDPhA, and eventually to the nation’s capital for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Residency, building skills in pharmacy advocacy, education and community pharmacy practice.
After completing residency in 2023, Ostebee returned to Lewis Drug as a staff pharmacist on Madison and Veterans Parkway. There, he provides patient care, collaborates with the adjacent Sanford clinic and maintains legislative involvement through state and federal organizations serving as the SDSHP legislative liaison and SDPhA Sioux Falls District President.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience and providing access to world-class healthcare in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 60,000 employees and serves more than 2.5 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 60 hospitals, 315 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,900 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. Nearly 450 residents and fellows are trained each year through over 40 graduate medical education programs, with Sanford Health serving as the primary funding source for 75% of the programs. Sanford Health also includes 92 retail pharmacies, including Sanford and Lewis Drug pharmacies with locations in 6 states, and more than 300 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural healthcare across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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