Pharmacy Buyer

Introduction

Do you want to join an organization that invests in you as a Pharmacy Buyer? At HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, you come first. HCA Healthcare has committed up to $300 million in programs to support our incredible team members over the course of three years.

Benefits

HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive medical coverage that covers many common services at no cost or for a low copay. Plans include prescription drug and behavioral health coverage as well as free telemedicine services and free AirMed medical transportation.
• Additional options for dental and vision benefits, life and disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, supplemental health protection plans (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity), auto and home insurance, identity theft protection, legal counseling, long-term care coverage, moving assistance, pet insurance and more.
• Free counseling services and resources for emotional, physical and financial wellbeing
  
• 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service)
  
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 10% off HCA Healthcare stock
  
• Family support through fertility and family building benefits with Progyny and adoption assistance.
  
• Referral services for child, elder and pet care, home and auto repair, event planning and more
  
• Consumer discounts through Abenity and Consumer Discounts
  
• Retirement readiness, rollover assistance services and preferred banking partnerships
  
• Education assistance (tuition, student loan, certification support, dependent scholarships)
  
• Colleague recognition program
  
• Time Away From Work Program (paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence)
  
• Employee Health Assistance Fund that offers free employee-only coverage to full-time and part-time colleagues based on income.

Learn more about Employee Benefits

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

You contribute to our success. Every role has an impact on our patients’ lives and you have the opportunity to make a difference. We are looking for a dedicated Pharmacy Buyer like you to be a part of our team.

Job Summary and Qualifications

The Pharmacy Buyer is responsible for managing the pharmaceutical inventory in the assigned hospital including purchasing of pharmaceuticals and related products, oversight of receipt and placing these items in stock, optimization of pharmacy inventory both in the facility pharmacy and automated cabinets. This position ensures that all pharmaceutical products are appropriately labeled with barcodes including repackaging of products for patient administration. The buyer works with the director and clinical team to ensure formulary compliance and maintains contract compliance. The Buyer assist the automation coordinator or individual in similar role with respect to Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADU) inventory management including the maintenance of controlled substance inventory and handling the request for an addition of new items to the pharmacy inventory. The Pharmacy Buyer also assists in training personnel on inventory handling and overseeing workflow in the pharmacy when the tech supervisor or pharmacy manager is unavailable.

• Under the supervision of Director of Pharmacy, participates in all activities of the pharmacy department that involve the inventory management of drugs, medication storage areas and department related supplies.
• Functions in accordance with standard written policy & procedures, guidelines, and state and federal regulations
• Establishes AND maintains appropriate inventory levels of drugs/supplies
• Makes decisions in purchasing while complying with budget limitations, and achieving a maximum inventory turnover rate
• Communicates in real time shortages of medications or changes in medication stock availability
• Assists Pharmacy Director and Clinical Manager on all product substitutions when backorders occur during the normal procurement process
• Oversees receiving, storage, and return of medications to the Pharmacy wholesaler or Consolidated Distribution Center (CDC) if applicable
• Maintains invoicing for all drug and supply accounts
• Processes wholesaler invoices for payment by accounts payable according to Policy and Procedures
• Provides training, technical support and/or in-service education to pharmacy staff regarding pharmacy inventory management products/systems
• Coordinates and documents disposal of all expired medications
• Monitors trends in utilization of reverse distributors to minimize wastage
• Assists with maintenance of database and/or paperwork on medication recalls
• Prepares Pharmacy Department for annual inventory by updating shelf labels, inventory supply forms, and databases as needed
• Provides leadership and performs physical inventory counts during inventory and cycle counts
• Interprets and communicates purchasing procedures to departments; assists departments in initiating requisitions and orders, and solves problems with orders
• Examines and analyzes departmental purchase requisitions for completeness and accuracy of information; contacts department or initiator to clarify or complete information; determines method to process requisition based on dollar amount, timeliness required, existing open contracts, and/or to comply with other corporate standards
• Assists DOP or designee in establishing and maintaining appropriate stock levels in automatic dispensing cabinets including but not limited to maintenance of expiration dating of medications in cabinets
• Establishes, maintains, and monitors of the ADC medication expiration process
• Supervises and facilitates facility process to optimize inventory management in the automated dispensing cabinets quarterly
• Assists with design, testing, implementation, maintenance and optimization of automated pharmacy systems at facilities
• Participates in new employee training regarding purchasing and automation systems including conducting initial and ongoing training as well as validation of staff competency with pharmacy automation systems
• Collects system and/or related process or facility performance metrics and generates periodic management reports
• Uses existing tools to analyze and improve ADC cabinet efficiency with respect to utilization and availability of stocked medications
• Is responsible for the new drug addition, change, deletion process and monitors compliance with process
• Evaluates contract compliance and implements changes in all pharmacy purchasing areas of the hospital when appropriate
• Manages the transfer of drugs between areas of the pharmacy, the hospital and non-hospital accounts
• Is responsible for the new drug addition, change, deletion process and monitors compliance with process
• Demonstrates working knowledge with the general duties of a Pharmacy technician including knowledge, and maintenance of competency and understanding of the duties and responsibilities of the position to which he/she is assigned which may include: unit dose cart fill, Automated Dispensing Cabinet functionality, IV preparation (e.g. syringes, admixtures, chemotherapy, continuous renal replacement therapy, total parenteral nutrition, etc.), unit dose packaging, filling outpatient prescriptions, bar-coding, Pharmacy inspections, oral liquid compounding, and code cart processes
• Is cross trained to perform Lead Technician responsibilities based on the discretion of the Director of Pharmacy
• Analyzes annual spend on identified products to identify savings opportunities
• May assist facility Supply Management Action Team’s with product analysis
• Facilitates Formulary standardization by coordinating efforts among Pharmacy Director (DOP), Clinical Manager (CM) and Pharmacy Wholesaler
• Works with DOP and CM to identify drug cost variances on a monthly basis and develops ongoing action plan to better manage those factors that can be controlled
• Maintains appropriate pharmacy inventory through optimal purchasing practices
• Runs bid compliance checks and makes recommendations for formulary changes as necessary to ensure maximum savings for contracts
• Assists internal control on price changes and resolving price discrepancies
• Monitors new releases (contract and or generic) and communicates to pharmacy staff
• Assists internal control on price changes and resolving price discrepancies
• Monitors new releases (contract and or generic) and communicates to pharmacy staff
• Ensures contract compliance and works to increase purchases from the CSC Other

What qualifications you will need:

• High School graduate or GED Required
• Associates or Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting, or Supply Chain Logistics Preferred
• 3 years of inpatient pharmacy technician experience Required
• 2 years of hospital pharmacy buyer experience Preferred
• PTCB Certification Preferred
• State Board of Pharmacy Registration (if applicable for state) Required

HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is a 113-bed acute care hospital. For over 60 years, we have served Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee counties and surrounding communities. Our hospital is a part of HCA Healthcare North Florida. We offer medical and surgical programs including 24-hour emergency care, heart care, interventional cardiology, orthopedics, cancer care, and imaging and rehabilitation services. We are an Accredited Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. We are an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology. We have achieved Disease Specific Certification in the treatment of Sepsis by the Joint Commission. For 20 years in a row, we have been named the area's Best of the Best Hospital. We were named an employer of choice in 2019 by the Lake City-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

HCA Healthcare has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute more than ten times. In recent years, HCA Healthcare spent an estimated $3.7 billion in cost for the delivery of charitable care, uninsured discounts, and other uncompensated expenses.

"Good people beget good people."- Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr.
HCA Healthcare Co-Founder

We are a family 270,000 dedicated professionals! Our Talent Acquisition team is reviewing applications for our Pharmacy Buyer opening. Qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews. Submit your resume today to join our community of caring!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.