Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy

Job Description:

The Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy is responsible for leading operations, financial performance, and strategy within all ambulatory pharmacy areas, in alignment with John Muir Health’s strategic goals and objectives. While the range of duties and responsibilities is broad and varied, the position’s major responsibility is overseeing operations and strategic growth in infusion, specialty pharmacy and clinical ambulatory pharmacy operations to drive patient quality, experience, strategic outcomes and financial performance. The Director works closely with a variety of stakeholders, coordinating ambulatory medication management activities across the enterprise, including medical providers and health system stakeholders. The Director also leads clinical and operational strategy to advance top-of-scope pharmacist practice across ambulatory care settings. The Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services reports to the VP/Chief Pharmacy Officer.

Education

• Pharm D degree from an accredited institution - Required

• Master’s degree in pharmacy administration, healthcare administration, business or other relevant subject area - Preferred

Work Experience

• Five (5) years of health-system progressive pharmacy leadership experience - Required

• Two (2) years of overseeing ambulatory infusion pharmacy operations- Required

• Two (2) years of leading ambulatory clinical pharmacist services – Required

• Fluency with infusion authorization and revenue cycle workflows-Required

• Two (2) years of experience providing strategic/financial leadership across a large site or multi-site operations, including regulatory and accreditation compliance- Preferred

• Two (2) years of overseeing specialty pharmacy operations- Preferred

• Two (2) years of 340B practice experience - Preferred

Licenses & Certifications

• Licensed as a pharmacist in California or eligible (licensed in another state) - Required

• Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) or equivalent specialty certification – Preferred

• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency – Required

• PGY2 or Health-System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership (HSPAL)- Preferred

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to include the ability to influence, negotiate and resolve conflicts and build teams.

• Experience in working collaboratively and effectively with medical providers on common goals

• Effective communication skills both in written and verbal presentation with a communication style that is open and fosters trust, credibility and understanding

• Infusion & specialty pharmacy operations

  • Knowledge of ambulatory infusion site-of-care economics

  • Specialty pharmacy accreditation standards (URAC and/or ACHC) and payer/limited-distribution drug access requirements

• 340B & regulatory

  • Working knowledge of 340B Drug Pricing Program compliance

  • Familiarity with state board of pharmacy regulations governing ambulatory infusion, specialty and clinic-based dispensing sites

• Clinical practice advancement

  • Ability to design pharmacist collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) and credentialing/privileging pathways

  • Ability to build clinical practice models that support top-of-scope pharmacist practice (chronic disease management, MTM, oncology/infusion protocols)

• Financial acumen in managing pharmacy budgets and P&L statements.

• Fluency in Epic Willow and specialty pharmacy platforms

• Demonstrates achievable and measurable results and develop action plans for improvement 

Essential Job Functions:

Departmental Leader

• Provides an experience and environment of patient- and family-centered care.

• Interprets impact of broad scope organizational change for staff and develops change strategies for successful implementation.

• Incorporates John Muir Health’s vision, missions and values in goals and programs within the Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacies

• Develops and manages operational initiatives with measurable outcomes.

• Formulates objectives, goals and strategies collaboratively with other stakeholders.

• Prepares and delivers reports to operational leadership outlining progress toward meeting annual goals and objectives, to include performance related to finance, clinical activity, quality, safety, marketing, and human resources.

• Oversees 340B Drug Pricing Program compliance and specialty pharmacy accreditation standards (e.g., URAC, ACHC) across ambulatory, specialty, and infusion pharmacy operations.

Financial Manager

• Actively seeks opportunities to improve financial outcomes, engaging staff in the process.

• Establishes annual financial goals and actively uses benchmarking to high performing systems in similar area of expertise to set annual targets. 

• Monitors and analyzes financial data and utilizes for decisions regarding FTE’s, staffing and operational budget.  

• Establishes an annual operating and capital budget, demonstrating fiscal responsibility through meeting budget targets. 

• Creates business plan(s), justifying variances and analyzing cost benefit of programs. 

• Directs and provides guidance to managers to effectively allocate resources based on patient volume, space availability, budget constraints, and program priorities, goals and objectives.

• Articulates to staff the budget and the context within the organizational financials.

• Directs infusion and specialty pharmacy revenue cycle strategy, including site-of-care mix and payer/limited-distribution drug access, to optimize program margin and reimbursement

Administrative Leader

• Contribute to the success of the John Muir Health by providing leadership, direction and coordination of operations, finances and human resources for area of responsibility.

• Continually assesses all services, identifies problems, utilizes data to analyze and propose innovative approaches for solutions.

• Maintain records related to operations and services that are complete, accurate, available, and in compliance with all legal, regulatory, and policy requirements.

• Engages staff and other stakeholders in continuous improvement of systems and processes; manages resources for staff participation in improvement work activities. 

• Ensures effective facilitation of improvement teams and development of leadership skills to ensure overall effectiveness of the meetings.

• Remains current of new trends and best practices and incorporates into the Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacy practices and programs. 

• Articulates and enforces standards for quality/safe patient care

• Develops and implements innovative systems and processes that improve staff and patient quality and safety 

• Initiates, monitors and enforces regulatory requirements 

• Holds self and others accountable to policy, standards and commitments and provides timely follow through on questions and concerns. 

• Ensures development of Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacy initiatives to improve patient satisfaction and family centered care.

• Develops and implements clinical outcome measures for quality improvement, cost and complication reduction, and the implementation of evidence-based medicine.

• Incorporates the use of evidence-based practice and appreciative enquiry into program development and improvement activities

• Actively listens to staff ideas and concerns, assesses others communication styles and adapts to them.

• Effectively facilitates meetings at Outpatient Pharmacy and organizational level. 

• Creates bi-directional systems that effectively communicate information and data, utilizing multiple methods.

• Articulates and presents data, information and ideas in a clear and concise manner.

• Communicates opinions and ideas in a nonthreatening and nonjudgmental manner to staff, peers and others.

• Communicates with physicians, department leaders, and senior administrators to maintain coordination with other John Muir Health programs.

• Demonstrates empathy and concern while ensuring Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacy Services goals are met. 

• Manages the complex interdepartmental and interdisciplinary relationships to assure collaboration and effective/efficient operations within the Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacies.

• Creates an environment that encourages diverse opinion, recognizes differences and incorporates into process and services.

• Exhibits awareness of personal attitudes and beliefs, recognizing its effect on response to others.

• Creates a culture and systems for recognizing and rewarding staff.

Resource Manager

• Creates and maintains a satisfying workplace that fosters professional growth and job satisfaction for all members of the healthcare team.

• Interviews to select top talent, matching Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacy needs with appropriate skill sets.

• Develops and implements recruitment and retention strategies that support a culture of leadership.

• Identifies and addresses own professional growth needs.

• Assesses manager and staff development needs, identifies goals and provides resources.

• Identifies lack of competency in performance and establishes a plan which includes goals, interventions and measures. 

• Maintains membership in professional organization(s) to develop knowledge and resources through networking, continuing education, and participation in national, regional, and/or local activities.

• Ensures integration of ethical standards and core values into everyday work activities.

Educator/Research Facilitator

• Provides opportunities to aspiring clinicians and leaders to develop skills to meet career goals.

• Contributes to a learning environment by providing educational and research experiences to students, residents, fellows.

• Directs infusion and specialty pharmacy revenue cycle strategy, including site-of-care mix and payer/limited-distribution drug access, to optimize program margin and reimbursement

Critical Interfaces

• Leads and/or serves on a variety of appropriate internal and external committees to represent the Outpatient and Ambulatory Pharmacy

• Serves as a representative of Pharmacy to John Muir Health in order to facilitate the shared interests and relationship between the parties.

• Directs infusion and specialty pharmacy revenue cycle strategy, including site-of-care mix and payer/limited-distribution drug access, to optimize program margin and reimbursement

Work Shift:

Exempt Salaried (United States of America)

Pay Range:

$257,922.00 - $386,882.00Salary

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40