Buyer Pharmacy

St. Elizabeth Healthcare•Edgewood, KY

About The Position

The Pharmacy Buyer is responsible for daily purchasing, procurement, and inventory management for the health system’s inpatient and outpatient Pharmacy departments. The role ensures clinicians have sufficient supplies of pharmaceuticals, supplies, and services, while treating patients, families, visitors, and colleagues with respect, dignity, kindness, and empathy. The Buyer oversees Pharmacy procurement processes, including ordering, receiving, storing, and maintaining products and purchased services. The role coordinates with Pharmacy procurement staff across the health system, maintains accounting and records for products supplied or dispensed, and develops relationships with wholesalers, vendors, and manufacturers. In partnership with Pharmacy leadership, the Buyer addresses urgent requests, backorders, shortages, and allocations; optimizes supply channels and inventory systems; and supports cost-effective purchasing. The position also processes and validates purchase orders and invoices, monitors recalls and expired products, supports controlled-substance procurement and tracking compliance, coordinates with Supply Chain, assists with formulary maintenance and procurement-related financial assessments, and complies with applicable 340B, DSCSA, Board of Pharmacy, DEA, and other regulatory requirements. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Documented on-the-job training in procurement, purchasing, inventory management, operations, business, finance, and accounting functions in organizational settings.
Eligible for applicable state Board of Pharmacy registration.
Knowledge of purchasing, procurement, and inventory management.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
Familiarity with EMR programs, such as Epic Willow; FSCM platforms, such as PeopleSoft; wholesaler ordering platforms, such as ABC Passport; 340B split-billing software, such as Sentry; inventory management systems, such as Talyst or Logistics; and other IT resources supporting procurement.
Two years of experience in supply chain management, procurement, or pharmacy purchasing/inventory management in a hospital or retail setting.

Responsibilities

Oversee Pharmacy procurement processes, including ordering, receipt, storage, and maintenance of pharmaceuticals, supplies, and purchased services.
Coordinate daily communication with Pharmacy procurement staff across the health system.
Track accounting and recordkeeping for products supplied or dispensed by the Pharmacy division.
Maintain relationships with wholesalers, vendors, and manufacturers, and serve as a liaison between them and Pharmacy leadership.
Ensure Pharmacy supply channels are optimal in cost and operational feasibility.
Work with Pharmacy leadership to address urgent supply requests, backorders, shortages, and allocations.
Manage inventory through par-level settings and inventory-turn optimization; optimize automated inventory systems and storage units.
Manually audit and track on-hand quantities for critical and high-cost items.
Participate in the annual physical inventory near the end of each fiscal year for Finance reporting.
Process purchase orders and invoices accurately and validate pricing against contractual agreements.
Identify cost-saving opportunities and educate and coach staff on assessing opportunity costs.
Monitor interception and response to drug recall notifications.
Coordinate collection, handling, and disposal of expired products.
Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for controlled-substance procurement, handling, storage, and tracking.
Collaborate with Supply Chain on products designated for centralized sourcing and use enterprise software and other tools as directed.
Assist with formulary maintenance and assess financial impacts and values related to drug and supply purchases.
Evaluate contracts and other procurement-related pricing arrangements.
Comply with 340B program and DSCSA policies and consult Pharmacy leadership regarding Board of Pharmacy and DEA implications as needed.
Stay informed about other policies and regulatory standards related to Pharmacy practice.
Perform other duties as assigned.