Associate Director of Retail/Outpatient Pharmacy Services

The Department of Pharmacy at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking a full-time Associate Director of Retail/Outpatient Pharmacy Services. 

The Associate Director of Retail/Outpatient Pharmacy Services provides leadership, management, and strategic oversight for the delivery of outpatient, retail, and specialty pharmacy services at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and University Hospital at Downstate.

The Associate Director is responsible for the efficient, safe, compliant, and financially effective operation of outpatient pharmacy services and provides leadership for the continued development and expansion of retail, specialty, medication-access, transitions-of-care, and other ambulatory pharmacy programs serving Downstate patients and the surrounding community.

The Associate Director serves as the Supervising Pharmacist for assigned outpatient/retail pharmacy operations, as applicable, and ensures compliance with New York State and federal laws and regulations, accreditation requirements, institutional policies and procedures, and applicable standards of pharmacy practice.

Working collaboratively with Pharmacy leadership and other clinical, operational, financial, compliance, purchasing, legal, information technology, revenue-cycle, and administrative stakeholders, the Associate Director develops and implements initiatives designed to improve patient access, quality, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, financial performance, and the overall delivery of outpatient pharmacy services.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and oversight for the daily operations of Downstate's outpatient/retail pharmacy services, ensuring safe, timely, efficient, and patient-centered delivery of pharmaceutical care; serves as Supervising Pharmacist for assigned operations, ensuring the pharmacy is appropriately registered and operated in accordance with New York State and federal laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ensures medication preparation, dispensing, storage, distribution, recordkeeping, and controlled-substance management comply with regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and institutional policies; develops, implements, reviews, and maintains policies, procedures, workflows, performance standards, and quality-improvement initiatives for areas under responsibility.
• Provides leadership for the development, implementation, monitoring, and continued expansion of outpatient/retail, specialty pharmacy, medication-access, transitions-of-care, medication therapy management, and other ambulatory pharmacy programs.
• Provides operational leadership and subject-matter expertise for the 340B Drug Pricing Program as it relates to outpatient pharmacy operations, including program compliance, optimization, monitoring, and collaboration with applicable institutional stakeholders.
• Participates in budget planning and financial management for outpatient pharmacy operations — including inventory management, purchasing, reimbursement, expense control, and revenue optimization — and evaluates operational, clinical, financial, and quality outcomes to identify opportunities to improve workflow, patient access, medication adherence, productivity, and financial performance.
• Provides leadership and oversight of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other assigned personnel, including staffing, scheduling, training, performance management, competency assessment, professional development, and ensuring adequate coverage for pharmacy operations.
• Reviews prescriptions and medication profiles, as needed, for clinical appropriateness, safety, therapeutic effectiveness, dosing, interactions, contraindications, and other medication-related concerns; provides or oversees patient counseling and medication education, collaborating with prescribers and other healthcare professionals to promote safe, clinically appropriate, and cost-effective medication use.
• Supports medication reconciliation and transitions-of-care activities and facilitates access to specialty, oncology, infusion, and other high-cost or complex medication therapies; ensures appropriate management and documentation of medication prior authorizations, third-party payer requirements, reimbursement processes, and other medication-access activities.
• Supports pharmacy technology, automation, dispensing systems, electronic health record integration, and other systems affecting outpatient pharmacy operations.
• Collaborates with Pharmacy leadership, Purchasing, Finance, Compliance, Legal, Audit, Revenue Cycle, Information Technology, and clinical departments; participates in departmental and institutional committees, representing outpatient/retail pharmacy services on operational, clinical, regulatory, financial, and quality initiatives; advises Pharmacy and Hospital leadership on related matters.
• Maintains knowledge of developments in outpatient, retail, specialty, and health-system pharmacy practice and recommends new programs, technologies, services, and operational improvements where appropriate.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities consistent with the scope and level of the position.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Degree from an accredited college or school of pharmacy.
• Current New York State Pharmacist license and registration in good standing.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible pharmacy experience, including significant experience in outpatient/retail, specialty, ambulatory, and/or health-system pharmacy operations.
• Minimum of three (3) years of pharmacy administrative, supervisory, or management experience with responsibility for pharmacy operations and/or personnel.
• Demonstrated knowledge of outpatient/retail pharmacy operations, medication dispensing and distribution, pharmacy inventory management, third-party reimbursement, medication-access processes, applicable pharmacy systems and technology, and the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable New York State and federal pharmacy laws, regulations, controlled-substance requirements, professional standards, and regulatory/compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, train, evaluate, and develop pharmacy personnel, and to analyze operational and financial information to develop and implement effective pharmacy programs, policies, procedures, and workflows.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, analytical, problem-solving, interpersonal, and written/verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with clinical, administrative, financial, regulatory, and operational stakeholders in a complex healthcare environment.
• Or, a satisfactory equivalent combination of experience, education, and training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Pharmacy Administration, Public Health (MPH), or a related field.
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 and/or PGY2 residency, particularly a Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership residency, or equivalent advanced management experience.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible pharmacy experience, including five (5) or more years of pharmacy management or supervisory experience, ideally managing a hospital-owned outpatient/retail pharmacy within an academic medical center or complex health system.
• Significant experience with 340B program operations, compliance, auditing, and optimization.
• Experience developing or expanding specialty pharmacy, medication-access, meds-to-beds/discharge pharmacy, transitions-of-care, ambulatory pharmacy, or other outpatient pharmacy programs.
• Experience with pharmacy budgeting, financial analysis, reimbursement, third-party payer processes, contract development, revenue-cycle optimization, and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Experience with specialty medication prior authorization and patient assistance programs, and with pharmacy accreditation, regulatory surveys, quality improvement, audits, and policy/procedure development.
• Experience with electronic health records, outpatient pharmacy dispensing systems, pharmacy automation, and data analytics; board certification or other advanced pharmacy certification relevant to the responsibilities of the position.