HRCHC Pharmacist In Charge

General Description: The Pharmacist in Charge is responsible for providing safe, effective, patient-centered pharmacy services within a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) environment. This position will play a key leadership role in the development, opening, implementation, and ongoing operation of the HRCHC pharmacy.

Supervisory Responsibility: Provides supervision to the Staff Pharmacist & Pharmacy Technician(s).

Essential Functions

Pharmacy Operations and Patient Care

- Safely and accurately dispense medications in compliance with prescriptions, laws, regulations, and professional standards.

- Review prescriptions for dosing, interactions, contraindications, allergies, and therapy duplication.

- Counsel patients on medication use, adherence, side effects, storage, and precautions.

- Collaborate with healthcare providers to resolve medication issues and optimize therapy.

- Help patients overcome financial, access, social, and insurance/formulary barriers to medications.

- Support chronic disease management and clinical pharmacy services within scope of practice.

- Maintain accurate pharmacy records and documentation, including controlled-substance accountability.

- Participate in medication safety, recalls, adverse-event reporting, quality improvement, and risk management.

- Deliver respectful, culturally responsive, and patient-centered care.

FQHC and 340B Program Responsibilities

- Support pharmacy operations consistent with HRCHC’s responsibilities as a Federally Qualified Health Center.

- Maintain working knowledge of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program and its application to FQHC pharmacy operations.

- Support appropriate patient eligibility, prescription qualification, purchasing, inventory, billing, and documentation processes consistent with applicable 340B requirements and HRCHC policies.

- Maintain records necessary to support pharmacy, FQHC, and 340B compliance.

- Participate in internal audits, monitoring, corrective actions, and external reviews.

- Collaborate with Finance, Compliance, leadership, and other departments regarding pharmacy purchasing, inventory, billing, reconciliation, and 340B operations.

- Promptly report suspected diversion, duplicate discounts, medication discrepancies, controlled-substance concerns, fraud, waste, abuse, or other compliance issues through appropriate organizational channels.

- Maintain readiness for applicable regulatory, 340B, and program reviews.

Regulatory Compliance and Quality

- Ensure pharmacy operations comply with federal and Virginia laws, regulations, professional standards, and HRCHC policies.

- Maintain compliance with Virginia Board of Pharmacy and DEA requirements.

- Develop, implement, and update pharmacy policies, procedures, and SOPs.

- Maintain accurate records and documentation according to required retention standards.

- Ensure proper pharmacy security, medication storage, temperature monitoring, inventory management, and controlled-substance accountability.

- Support quality improvement, medication safety, risk management, compliance, and inspection readiness.

- Assist with regulatory inspections, corrective actions, and responses to findings.

Inventory and Financial Stewardship

- Manage medication inventory to ensure adequate supply while minimizing waste, expirations, and unnecessary costs.

- Maintain effective purchasing, inventory reconciliation, and internal controls.

- Monitor medication utilization, high-cost drugs, and purchasing patterns to improve efficiency and cost control.

- Manage wholesaler relationships, ordering, returns, and inventory-related activities.

- Partner with Finance and leadership to support financial sustainability.

- Track key pharmacy performance metrics, including volume, revenue, medication costs, inventory, margins, patient access, and operational efficiency.

- Safeguard organizational assets through strong internal controls and segregation of duties.

Integrated Care and Patient Access

- Collaborate with medical providers, nurses, behavioral health professionals, care coordinators, and other members of the healthcare team.

- Communicate with providers regarding therapeutic or formulary alternatives when cost, availability, payer restrictions, or other barriers affect medication access.

- Assist in developing strategies to improve medication adherence and reduce medication-related barriers to care.

- Promote pharmacy services as an integral component of HRCHC’s patient-centered healthcare delivery model.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

- Strong knowledge of pharmacy practice, medication safety, and applicable pharmacy laws and regulations.

- Knowledge of community, retail, ambulatory, or outpatient pharmacy operations, including inventory management and purchasing.

- Knowledge of controlled-substance requirements, medication security, third-party billing, reimbursement, and pharmacy technology.

- Knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to learn, FQHC and 340B requirements.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project-management skills.

- Ability to develop and implement policies, procedures, workflows, and operational controls.

- Ability to analyze pharmacy performance data and identify opportunities for improvement.

- Proficiency with pharmacy technology, electronic health records, dispensing systems, and related healthcare information systems.

Education and Experience:

- Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) or Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from an accredited school or college of pharmacy.

- Current, unrestricted Virginia pharmacist license, or eligibility to obtain Virginia licensure before beginning independent pharmacist duties.

- Current professional credentials and registrations required for assigned responsibilities.

- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in an FQHC/community health center setting and with the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

- Experience developing pharmacy policies, procedures, workflows, and internal controls.

- Experience serving medically underserved or vulnerable populations.

- Supervisory or pharmacy management experience preferred.

Physical Requirements:

- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and perform routine pharmacy duties.

- Ability to sit, bend, stoop, reach, and occasionally lift or move supplies, medications, and equipment.

- Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to approximately 25–30 pounds, as needed.

- Ability to perform repetitive hand and wrist movements required for dispensing, labeling, packaging, computer use, and other pharmacy tasks.