What are the responsibilities and job description for the Pharmacy Purchaser position at CEDARS-SINAI?
Are you passionate about helping people? Do you want to make a difference in people's lives?
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is an 886-bed non-profit, acute, quaternary, teaching Level I Trauma Center hospital located in the heart of Los Angeles, California. The Department of Pharmacy has over approximately 400 staff members who provide comprehensive inpatient pharmacy services as well as outpatient services via 2 cancer centers and 3 outpatient pharmacies. The Department of Pharmacy is committed to the education and training of pharmacists, students/interns, residents, technicians, and other health care professionals. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) is affiliated with several Schools of Pharmacy and offers PGY1 and PGY2 residency programs. The residency and student experiential programs at CSMC continue to grow with every successive year, where nearly 100 residents have graduated from the PGY1 pharmacy residency program since 1985 and more than 200 student rotations are offered at CSMC annually. Recently, CSMC was recognized and bestowed “Site of the Year” awards by two major affiliated CA Schools of Pharmacy for providing an exceptional experiential learning environment for their students.
Do you work well in a large team environment where critical thinking is essential?
As a Pharmacy Purchaser at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, you will be responsible for the procurement of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and IV solutions in accordance with internal policies and procedures, including but not limited to, drug shortage management, investigating alternatives, reviewing cost effectiveness, soliciting bids, negotiating with vendors, departmental notification of drug shortage status and communicating product availability to staff and complete any financial projects assigned.
The Pharmacy Purchaser is primarily responsible for managing drug shortages which are critical in procuring all the medications to meet our patient needs.
This is a Monday - Friday, day shift position
Qualifications:
Educational Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred, including courses in purchasing, business law, economics or marketing; or a comparable level of educational and experience
License/Certification/Registration Requirements:
- Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the California State Board of Pharmacy
Experience:
- Two (2) years experience as a pharmacy buyer in a tertiary care health care facility
- Interpersonal skills necessary to develop cooperative working relationship with a wide variety of Medical Center personnel and vendors when placing, expediting, verifying order and resolving purchasing discrepancies
- Ability to calculate discounts, prepare cost savings reports and other reports requiring use of business mathematics
- You will have the ability to negotiate with vendors to obtain best price
- You will review and analyze purchasing data
- Proficiency in Excel
- You will have working knowledge with 340B Drug Pricing Program
- Ability to speak, read and write the English language.
- Subject to background and reference check.
- You will do calculations involving ratios, proportions and percentages.
Distinguishing Characteristics
- You will have adequate background in Pharmacy or Pharmacy Training, as well as show a deep sense of honesty, integrity, reliability and good hygiene. Pharmacy background is necessary for the technician to be able to interpret physicians' orders for pharmacy items and to calculate dosages, volumes, weights, etc. for extemporaneous compounding.
- Ability to exhibit accuracy and punctuality in all facets of their work.
Physical Demands:
- Frequent standing; walking, bending; reaching, occasional sitting, pushing & pulling, lifting of materials up to 40 pounds for distances to 10 feet.
- Responsiveness to auditory alarms and communication devices including: telephones, beepers, fire alarms, and mechanical failure alarms.
- Sufficient mobility to access equipment, patients and other customers.
- Able to read information on medication labels
Work Environment (work environments, hazards and exposures that may be encountered on the job):
- Exposure to minimal but constant noise levels.
- Repetitive hand motions.
- Some functions may include incidental exposure to hazards associated with preparation of cytotoxic medications.
- Some functions may require use of protective gear such as gloves and fluid-resistant coats.
