Pharmacy Buyer

Job Description

When the work you do every single day has a crucial impact on the lives of others, every effort, every detail, and every second matters. This shared culture of passion and dedication pulses through Cedars-Sinai, and it’s just one of the many reasons we’ve achieved our six-consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence. From working with a team of premier healthcare professionals to using state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll have everything you need to do something incredible—for yourself, and for others. Join us, and discover why we are #1 in California and eight years in a row on the "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll.

The Pharmacy Buyer will be located primarily in our Beverly Hills location but may be asked to help assist at our brand new Pasadena location (onsite role in our Beverly Hills location).  The Pharmacy Buyer will help assist negotiating and procuring medications and supplies from appropriate vendors and ensuring proper storage to maintain their quality and integrity. The incumbent performs inventory management activities that ensure adequate stocks of medications, minimizing waste, purchasing contract compliance, timely processing of invoices, effective cost management, and compliance with laws and regulations.

What's this role all about?

• Procures medications from wholesaler and manufacturer based on established or projected inventory needs
• Investigates vendor qualifications to assure adequate service; Negotiates with pharmaceutical vendors price, specifications, product information, availability, deliveries, services and other related matters; Investigates opportunities for lowering drug expenses; Prepare “actual purchase” reports for Director; Notifies the Executive Director/Manager of any item with significant price and/or usage increase; Tracks the amount of credit received from the expired drugs
• Provides information on addition and/or deletion of drug items to maintain formulary update in Pyxis; Inform Executive Director/Manager of any potential drug shortage items; Recommends to Executive Director/Manager product deletion due to low usage or product standardization
• Coordinates the ordering, receiving, unpacking and storing of pharmaceuticals and supplies in appropriate locations and under proper storage condition; Returns and receives credit for outdated and damaged merchandise
• Processes and arranges for final disposition of unusable medication and supply inventory from outdates, recalls, discontinuations through manufacturers, wholesalers and related parties. Handles recalls immediately upon receipt
• Verifies accuracy of medications received including quantities, pricing, drug selection and conducts follow-up when problems are identified
• Prepares purchase orders (Peoplesoft) indicating vendor, items purchased, quantities purchased, pricing and terms and conditions
• Assists in setting inventory par levels necessary to meet patient needs in regards to historical usage, clinical reviews of patient mix and disease states, and financial parameters. Audits reports for discrepancies with drug supply and distribution; Provides purchasing information to staff and appropriate parties in regards to drugs on back order status and discontinued drugs; Review invoices for accuracy and assures timely payment; Prepare invoices for Executive Director/Manager and maintain records; Performs weekly audits on wholesaler invoices to assure that the Medical Center is billed at the correct contract price
• Provides staff with education, training and support regarding medication process and the completion of the injectable medication referral form.
• Establishes policies and procedures for inventory management, purchasing and receiving
• Analyzes contract proposal and provides recommendations to the Executive Director/Manager; Assist Executive Director/Manager in new account setup for various pharmacies; Collects data to document cost savings and reports results to Executive Director/Manager
• Monitors purchasing statistics (e.g. inventory turns, positive and negative inventory events); Prepares and submits reports detailing wholesaler, cost and medication history purchasing data; Maintains Master Injectable Fee Ticket by providing accurate cost per billing unit for all stocked injectables

Qualifications

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred, including courses in purchasing, business law, economics or marketing.

Licenses:

• Registered as Pharmacy Technician with the California State Board of Pharmacy.

What else are we looking for?

• A minimum of two years’ experience as a pharmacy buyer in a health care facility.

Physical Demands:

Standing, Walking, Sitting, Lifting - 80 lbs., Carrying - 80 lbs., Pushing - 200 lbs., Pulling - 200 lbs., Climbing, Balancing, Stooping, Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination, Crouching, Crawling, Reaching, Handling, Grasping, Feeling, Talking, Hearing, Repetitive Motions, Kneeling.

Req ID : 1059
Working Title : Pharmacy Buyer - Beverly Hills/Pasadena - Medical Network
Department : Pharmacy and Nutrition Services
Business Entity : Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation
Job Category : Supply Chain / Procurement
Job Specialty : Supply Chain
Overtime Status : NONEXEMPT
Primary Shift : Day
Shift Duration : 8 hour
Base Pay : $27.16 - $42.10

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