How did you become interested in a career in pharmacy?

I was always drawn to science-related subjects when I was in school, so, when it came time to choose a career path, I chose pharmacy. Pharmacy allowed me to combine two topics I was very interested in—chemistry and biology. It also helped to have my dad, a pharmacist and pharmaceutical company executive, as a mentor.

Why did you choose Touro?

While I was certain I wanted to pursue pharmacy as a career path, I wanted to go about it by first acquiring a Bachelor of Science degree. In this way, there would be prospects to grow through obtaining a master’s degree in a related field down the road, or pursuing a PharmD after completing my bachelor’s degree. TCOP was one of the few schools that accepted students with only an undergraduate degree. Touro also opened in New York, with a mission to advance public health in underserved communities. Studying in New York City was a dream of mine. Many things aligned in choosing Touro, so I applied and was fortunate to be accepted into the inaugural class that graduated in 2012.

What is your current position and can you describe a day in your life on the job?

As Manager, Pharmacy Services for a health plan that offers Medicare and Medicaid plan options, my responsibilities are to maintain continuity of business in providing pharmacy benefits of health plans. Each day, I simultaneously work on the upcoming year’s plan benefits, while also overseeing and ensuring Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) compliance for the current year’s plan benefits.  Here’s a snapshot of what I do:

• Meet and communicate with our organization’s Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) and oversee any delegated functions such as formulary management, claims adjudications, prior authorizations etc.;
• Connect with internal departments about topics related to the clinical and administrative functions of a health plan;
• Evaluate future pharmacy benefit strategies while considering past and current performance and trends in the marketplace;
• Facilitate communications directly with CMS;
• Work on deliverables for audits.

I also oversee staff in contributing to departmental and organizational objectives.

What are some of the challenges and what do you like about it? 

Every day as a managed care pharmacist is challenging because my role, apart from driving quality in a member’s care, is also heavily focused on regulatory compliance. Staying current on CMS regulations is a necessary but challenging and time-consuming part of my job. Whenever federal and state regulations are involved, minor errors can result in my organization becoming non-compliant with a federal or state law governing managed care plans.  I like that it keeps me on my toes, and informed about the ever-changing landscape in healthcare.

How did TCOP prepare you for your professional role? 

Apart from the didactic curriculum that prepared me for a career as a pharmacist, TCOP also offered plenty of sites for clinical practice experience electives while in school. We could tap into our interests and potential career paths.  I wanted to explore and learn more about managed care, and within a few days of working as an intern on-site, I knew this was the career for me. I am very grateful for the insight into the field provided by that rotation and the door that opened for me right after graduation to become a managed care pharmacist.