Director of Pharmacy

Job description

The Director of Pharmacy is responsible for the operations of PHC’s comprehensive pharmacy services including management and leadership of all pharmacy staff. Oversees and manages all aspects of pharmacy operations including filling prescriptions, dispensing medications, counseling patients and medical practitioners, and training and/or supervising pharmacy interns. Provides backup pharmacist coverage, as needed. Responsible for Pharmacy financials, regulatory compliance, reimbursement policies, and strategic initiatives. Serves as the Pharmacist in Charge and is the leader of PHC’s 340B program. Leads Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities for PHC and areas including drug inventory, pharmaceutical patient assistance programs, drug formulary, and implementing selected disease state education programs. Demonstrates PHC’s iCare values in daily work.
This position is responsible for Pharmacy services at PHC clinics in the Des Moines area, Ames, & Marshalltown.
What You Will Do
• Represents pharmacy in enterprise-level planning, budgeting, and operational decisions, and advises leadership on the pharmacy implications of organizational strategy. Prepares and presents pharmacy key performance indicators to organizational leadership on a regular cadence — including script volume, prescription capture rate, 340B eligible versus captured, margin per script, inventory days on hand, and denial and rejection rates — with variance commentary and recommended action.
• Manages and leads assigned staff, interns and students including staffing, orientation, training, performance management, and competency assessments; monitors staff and unit productivity against organizational and industry standards; coaches, guides and provides feedback to staff in a timely manner to optimize performance and employee engagement. Maintains a pharmacy staffing plan that meets routine coverage needs, including scheduled absences, without reliance on this position. Provides backup pharmacist coverage at PHC Pharmacy locations when licensed coverage is otherwise unavailable.
• Serves as PHC’s subject matter expert on 340B and pharmacy reimbursement policy. Monitors federal, state, and manufacturer changes affecting the 340B program and pharmacy revenue; assesses the financial impact to PHC; and recommends organizational response, as needed.
• Oversees the preparation and dispensing of prescription medications to patients or medical practitioners, and performs this work directly when serving as backup coverage; makes decisions regarding generic substitutions of prescribed pharmaceuticals. Counsels patients and/or medical practitioners on drug interactions/contraindications, dosage, drug interactions, and side effects; provides other drug and pharmaceutical information as appropriate. Maintains the licensure and clinical competency required to practice as a pharmacist.
• Oversees pharmacy services. Ensures annual review and compliance with the PHC formulary. Oversees the acquisition and disbursement of drugs and medications to clinics and other sites. Establishes and maintains methods and manner of storage and record keeping systems to provide for safekeeping of pharmaceuticals. Monitors and approves all other supply and equipment requisitions. Coordinates purchasing and inventory management of supplies and equipment. Manages applicable patient assistance and bulk replacement programs including maintenance of the programs, annual reviews and medication replenishments.
• Manages pharmacy as a business unit. Develops the annual operating budget for the pharmacy. Monitors compliance with prescriptions, revenue and expense projections on a monthly basis. Oversees daily cash register reconciliation, bank deposits, and petty cash.
• Facilitates performance improvement activities for assigned units including improvement initiatives, patient and staff satisfaction, unit PI, and safety activities. Ensures pharmacist representation on committees when needed. Maintains current knowledge of trends in ambulatory/community health centers. Identifies and implements best practices in conjunction with internal and external resources.
• Maintains compliance with PHC policies and procedures and all regulatory bodies and regulations such as Joint Commission, HCFA, BPHC, HIPAA, DEA, HRSA/OPA, and the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. Functions as PHC’s Joint Commission chapter lead for medication management. Provides direction and education regarding medication management practices throughout PHC. In collaboration with the compliance department, maintains 340B compliance, including duplicate discount and diversion prevention, contract pharmacy agreement oversight, eligibility tied to PHC’s approved scope of project, and readiness for HRSA and manufacturer audits.
• Leads the strategic planning process related to pharmacy services and areas of integration, and supports achievement of strategies, initiatives and performance metrics. Identifies and develops pharmacy growth opportunities, including prescription capture, contract pharmacy network decisions, and expanded clinical pharmacy services, and presents to organizational leadership with supporting financial analysis. Supports alignment of mission, vision and strategy with needs of the medically underserved community. In collaboration with the medical and program directors, integrates the primary care and supportive services and supervises the pharmacy team during integration.
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with health providers, community agencies and safety net providers. Serves as liaison with other PHC units and locations as well as with external organizations including insurance and managed care organizations. Participates in community relations, marketing and fundraising efforts of the organization as appropriate to the scope of the position.

Qualifications You Need
Required Qualifications
• Pharmacist license recognized by the State of Iowa.
• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or completion of another education pathway approved by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy for pharmacist licensure.
• A minimum of three years of experience in managing pharmacy operations or a related field.
• Experience working with the 340B Drug Pricing Program and with pharmacy reimbursements.
• Experience supervising a team.
• Must be obtained within 90 days of employment:
• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.
• Mandatory Reporter Training for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse recognized by the State of Iowa.

Required Skills
• Strong working knowledge of 340B Drug Pricing Program regulations, compliance requirements, and pharmacy payment systems.
• Basic computer proficiency, including use of email, word processing, spreadsheet applications, and pharmacy related software.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment.
• Effective problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrates professionalism, interacts with others calmly and empathically, and de-escalates difficult situations.
• Effective leadership skills with ability to coach, provide effective feedback and foster team engagement.
• Effective management skills including the ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and delegate to others.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with ability to think critically and strategically.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Detail orientation with a high degree of accuracy.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of individuals.
• Demonstrates a high level of professionalism, maintains composure in high stress situations, interacts with others in an empathetic manner, and de-escalates difficult situations.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills
• Experience in a pharmacist role or community health center.
• Fluency in spoken English and Spanish, with the ability to communicate clearly and accurately in both languages.

We Take Care of Our People
Your related experience and skills determine your base pay within our pay range. In addition to base pay, PHC offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Generous PTO accrual
• Eight paid holidays
• License/certification fee reimbursement*
• Paid time off for continuing education & continuing education reimbursement*
• Tuition reimbursement program
• 401k with company match
• Medical, dental, vision
• Life & disability insurance
• Flexible spending & health savings accounts
• Supplemental accident & critical illness insurance
• Discounted pet insurance
• PHC Pride rewards program

Visit https://phciowa.org/careers for a summary of PHC’s benefits.
*Applies to positions requiring clinical licensure or certification.
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