Pharmacy Career Options: Director of Pharmacy

A director of pharmacy is a supervisory position. The director is responsible for the smooth and efficient operation of a hospital pharmacy and for all drug dispensing operations. These positions are generally found in hospitals and medical clinics.

He or she sets the standards for the quality of the work, how much work employees need to accomplish, and other performance standards. As guidelines for these standards, the director relies on hospital policies and procedures, along with state and federal guidelines.

In this supervisory role, the director also puts together job descriptions when openings occur, as well as conducting performance reviews on pharmacy employees. He or she is responsible for hiring and orienting new employees, as well as overseeing their work, determining what their job duties are, explaining procedures and terminating them. If an employee is having difficulty, the director is responsible for working with the individual to bring him or her up to speed. If someone has violated hospital policy, the director also has the responsibility for determining what disciplinary action should be taken.

The director also works with the hospital administration in the preparation of the hospital’s annual budget, and is responsible for submitting budget figures for his or her department.

Another duty of a director of pharmacy is to review and evaluate the department’s policy and procedures manual, and make changes as needed. The director also has a planning role in looking for ways to improve the quality and efficiency of the department’s operations.

And, of course, he or she prepares and dispenses medicines and other pharmaceutical preparations.

Such a person also has a responsibility to keep up with current healthcare trends, which can change rapidly, so that he or she can properly plan a budget and handle other administrative demands to meet the needs of the medical facility.

The qualifications for such a position generally include professional licensure by the state board of pharmacy and also the managerial skills needed to run a department.

Salaries for a director of pharmacy vary widely by location and by the type of healthcare institution, and range from over $100,000 to close to $200,000 a year.

If you’re a director of pharmacy looking for new opportunities, or you believe you’re ready to take on this role, contact the recruiters at Rx relief®. We can help you search for a new position in cities and states all over the country. We look forward to hearing from you.