Director of pharmacy jobs often oversee daily operations and develop strategies for growth and improved patient care. Common workplaces may include hospitals, research facilities and retail pharmacy stores. While the nature of these jobs may be similar, they often have specific responsibilities and functions depending upon the employer. Pharmacy director jobs in outpatient services, for example, may specialize in one area of care and educate patients on relative drugs and treatments. Healthcare operations, clinical programs and corporate services are additional specialties in which pharmacy directors may be employed.
The duties of a pharmacy director often depend upon the work environment, which could be a research facility, hospital or retail pharmacy location. Unlike staff pharmacists, who often prepare and dispense medication, directors may have little or no patient interaction. Their primary roles may require extensive travel or critical interaction with other department executives.
A description of a pharmacy director job may include directing and coordinating those activities related to drug preparation and distribution. The director often leads all pharmacy personnel, including licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. He or she may oversee medication storage, department financials and employee reviews. Ensuring the pharmacy meets all legal accreditation and certification requirements is likely to be another aspect of this job.
Some pharmacy directors may work in managed outpatient programs. At a hospital or medical center, for example, outpatient services may require a person who oversees anticoagulation therapy. The director may thus coordinate pharmacy staff members to provide patients with medicine counseling and directives. This position is also likely to oversee capital and operating budgets as well as coordinate with other directors to implement new patient services. A Doctorate of Pharmacy degree paired with local or national licensing may be required for candidates.
Many pharmacy director jobs are also likely to be found in healthcare operations. Provision of drug information to other hospital or clinical employees may be a key function. Additional duties may include defining consultation standards for patients, supporting staff pharmacists and managing pharmacy intern programs and regulatory compliances. Such positions may be available on the campuses of college-managed hospitals. Advanced degrees from accredited schools of pharmacy with local or national licensing are expected prerequisites.
Pharmacy director careers in clinical programs may require more medication research than patient interaction. These roles may primarily ensure medication therapies are safe, cost-effective and consistent with the program’s policies and procedures. To perform these duties, the directors are likely to evaluate new medications and therapies, review data and literature concerning drug utilization and conduct clinical presentations when new drugs are available. Such pharmacy director jobs may also work to maximize pharmacy productivity within the specific clinical program, such as oncology or pediatric care.
Corporate directors of clinical pharmacy services may coordinate all research activities and patient support programs for multiple pharmacy stores. These positions are likely to be found with pharmacy retailers with store locations that span national or international settings. Pharmacy director jobs of this nature may work to earn corporate employee accounts, visit retail locations to evaluate operations and respond to client or customer concerns. Additional duties may include recruitment of personnel, marketing campaigns and enhancing financial performance of stores within a specific region or area. In conjunction with a degree in pharmaceuticals, candidates may need previous pharmaceutical sales and management experience.