WHAT DOES A DIRECTOR OF PHARMACY DO?
Published: Nov 28, 2024 - The Director of Pharmacy assists in establishing the strategic plan for department services, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and managing all pharmacy service programs effectively. This role includes overseeing adult clinical and operational services, implementing improvement programs, and developing new pharmacy initiatives to enhance patient care. The director supervises staff, allocates resources, and ensures a safe and efficient work environment for training and daily operations.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Director of Pharmacy
1. Director of Pharmacy Duties
- Pharmacy Compliance: Oversight of all pharmacies and pharmacy-related functions within Community Health of Central Washington ensuring compliance with all laws, regulations, and standards required by all governing agencies responsible for pharmacy services in our state and nation.
- Credentialing: Maintain up-to-date credentialing with all relevant third-party pharmacy benefit managers.
- Contract Negotiation: Negotiate and maintain all contracts with pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, and 340B Program contract pharmacies.
- 340B Program Management: Monitor, maintain, and recertify CHCW's participation in the 340B drug program.
- Financial Management: Manage pharmacy budget and balance sheets.
- Training and Development: Create a graduation apprenticeship for pharmacy technicians within the system.
- Team Leadership: Oversee inpatient clinical and operational activities for around 50 FTEs while developing strategies and driving innovative and effective change within the department.
- Service Delivery and Compliance: Ensure optimal delivery of services and compliance in preparation for Joint Commission, be responsible for optimal patient care, medication errors, as well as onboarding, and competencies, among other duties.
- Collaboration: Report and work closely with the Senior Director of Inpatient Pharmacy while building opportunities for the department.
- Project Management: Continue to champion the integration and lead pharmacy projects
2. Director of Pharmacy Details
- Resource Planning: Plans for departmental needs relative to resources for the growth and development of pharmaceutical services.
- Policy Development: Develops and implements department philosophies, goals, policies, and procedures that guide and support the provision of services.
- Program Development: Develop programs to assure the maintenance of current standards of pharmacy practice (including quality improvement and continuing education programs).
- Pharmacy Awareness: Maintains a high level of current awareness in the field of pharmacy, especially in the area of institutional pharmacy practice.
- Staff Scheduling: Schedules personnel and is responsible for providing appropriate staffing levels of qualified and competent individuals.
- Staff Development: Plans for and supports intra- and interdepartmental staff development activities.
- Performance Evaluation: Prepares written performance evaluations for departmental staff and reviews each evaluation with the respective employee.
- Employee Counseling: Counsels employees and initiates disciplinary action as necessary in accordance with the hospital’s policies and procedures.
- Policy Communication: Communicates hospital and departmental policies/procedures to the staff of the department and implements all new/revised policies/procedures within the department.
- Budget Preparation: Prepares the department’s annual budget for operational expenses, payroll, capital equipment, and revenue.
- Budget Control: Controls utilization of departmental resources, ensures provision adequate to need, and operates the department within the approved budget.
3. Director of Pharmacy Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning: Initiates and follows through with the annual strategic planning process, including the development of all strategic objectives and tasks for the department, creation and implementation of written work plans for all major tasks, and tracking to ensure maintenance of timelines for completion of tasks.
- Department Performance: Ensures optimal performance of all PHP Pharmacy Department functions.
- Prior Authorization Oversight: Oversight of PBM for Prior Authorization process.
- Drug Utilization: Drug utilization reviews and identification of areas for improvement.
- Formulary Management: Management of the PHP formularies.
- Committee Coordination: Coordination and facilitation of PHP’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.
- Education Programs: Educational programs for members to enhance knowledge, compliance, and cost-effective therapy.
- Cross-department Collaboration: Functions as the Pharmacy Department lead in interactions with other PHP departments to provide assistance with functions including UM, care coordination, quality, measurement improvement, marketing, enrollment, provider services, and other functions as indicated.
- Disease Management Consultation: Consultation in the development of Disease Management programs.
- Drug Reporting: Reporting of drug utilization patterns to delegated physician groups.
- Cost Management: Evaluates per member per month pharmacy costs and develops innovative mechanisms to favorably affect these costs while maintaining or improving quality of care.
4. Director of Pharmacy Job Summary
- Strategic Planning: Assisting the Executive Director Inpatient to establish the strategic plan for department services, including short and long-term objectives.
- Feedback Analysis: Collecting and analyzing feedback on adult service/department effectiveness, including all issues of medication safety.
- Policy Management: Developing, interpreting, reviewing, and enforcing hospital and departmental policies and procedures.
- Compliance Assurance: Assure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements for pharmacy operations (e.g. FDA, DEA, Board of Pharmacy, Joint Commission).
- Pharmacy Service Management: Effectively managing the assigned area such as planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, and controlling all pharmacy service programs.
- Work Environment Standards: Setting and maintaining standards for a safe, efficient, organized work environment, contemporary, exemplary adult pharmacy services to serve as a suitable environment for training residents and students.
- Process Improvement: Implementing Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI) programs for both adult clinical and operational services.
- Operational Oversight: Providing oversight and direction for all adult operational services, including limited performance as a staffing pharmacist (approximately one day per week).
- Program Development: Developing and justifying new pharmacy programs and services to improve patient care, developing and accomplishing annual objectives for the area.
- Team Supervision: Supervising assigned pharmacists, technicians, and other support personnel in the performance of all duties.
- Operations Coordination: Overseeing and coordinating daily operations.
- Staff Allocation: Allocating staff time to assigned activities.
5. Director of Pharmacy Accountabilities
- Pharmacy Leadership: Directs all Trinity Health of New England Pharmacy Services, including serving as the primary pharmacy representative on selected organizational committees as appropriate.
- Quality Metrics: Identifies and implements the use of appropriate metrics consistently across the System to measure quality outcomes that will allow the development of performance improvement activities to improve those designated quality outcomes.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements.
- Collaboration: Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with the Chief Clinical Officer, Regional Chief Nursing Officer, hospital Chief Nursing Officers, medical staff members, and other patient care leaders to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of Pharmacy Department services.
- Financial Management: Ensures the financial performance of the departments is within approved capital and operating budgets, including the development of annual budgets, monitoring, and managing departmental revenues and expenses.
- Facility & Equipment Management: Ensures the facilities, equipment, and information systems are adequately maintained.
- Operational Efficiency: Conducts ongoing assessments of division operations to ensure an effective and efficient environment.
- Contract Management: Oversees contracts for services and supplies, coordinates purchasing functions.
- Record Keeping: Establishes and maintains appropriate records and statistics.
- Cross-functional Relationships: Establishes and maintains productive working relationships with other hospital divisions and medical staff.