Columbia Heights Pharmacy is a second-generation, family-owned independent community pharmacy serving Washington, DC. We combine personalized patient care with innovative clinical services, including medication therapy management, immunizations, non-sterile compounding, specialty pharmacy services, and community healthcare partnerships.
We are seeking an experienced, business-minded Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC) / Pharmacy Manager who can lead our pharmacy's daily operations, develop a high-performing team, maintain regulatory compliance, and drive measurable improvements in operational and financial performance.
This is more than a traditional dispensing position. We are looking for a leader who takes ownership, solves problems proactively, understands pharmacy economics, and wants to help grow an independent pharmacy.
Key Responsibilities
Pharmacy Operations & Team Leadership
- Direct daily pharmacy operations, ensuring accurate dispensing, efficient workflows, and exceptional patient service.
- Lead, supervise, train, and evaluate pharmacy technicians and support staff.
- Manage staffing schedules, employee accountability, workflow assignments, and performance expectations.
- Establish and enforce pharmacy policies, procedures, and operational standards.
- Conduct regular team meetings, monitor employee performance, and implement corrective action when necessary.
- Prepare operational reports and communicate performance results directly to ownership.
Financial Performance & Reimbursement
- Monitor prescription profitability, drug acquisition costs, reimbursement, and gross margins.
- Identify negative-margin prescriptions, reimbursement discrepancies, and opportunities to improve profitability.
- Oversee insurance claim reconciliation, rebilling, and reimbursement follow-up.
- Analyze pharmacy financial and operational reports and recommend corrective actions.
- Manage pharmacy purchasing budgets and maintain effective cost controls.
Inventory & Purchasing
- Oversee pharmaceutical purchasing, inventory management, and wholesaler relationships.
- Ensure purchasing decisions align with reimbursement, product demand, and pharmacy profitability.
- Monitor inventory turnover, expiration dates, returns, and excess inventory.
- Conduct and supervise required inventory counts and controlled-substance reconciliation.
- Establish accountability for proper ordering, inventory documentation, and purchasing procedures.
Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance
- Serve as the designated Pharmacist-in-Charge and ensure compliance with applicable DC Board of Pharmacy, DEA, HIPAA, and USP requirements.
- Maintain accurate controlled-substance records and implement diversion-prevention procedures.
- Ensure compliance with dispensing, compounding, immunization, and patient-safety protocols.
- Maintain inspection readiness and oversee corrective actions arising from audits or inspections.
- Monitor pharmacy staff licensure, certifications, and required continuing education.
- Develop and maintain quality assurance and continuous-improvement initiatives.
Clinical Services & Business Development
- Oversee and expand clinical services, including immunizations, medication therapy management, and patient adherence programs.
- Support specialty pharmacy, 340B, non-sterile compounding, telehealth, and long-term care initiatives.
- Develop professional relationships with prescribers, healthcare facilities, and community organizations.
- Participate in physician outreach and referral-development programs.
- Identify opportunities to introduce new services and improve patient retention.
- Collaborate directly with ownership on pharmacy growth strategies and implementation.
Monthly KPI-Based Performance Bonus
In addition to base salary, the Pharmacy Manager will be eligible for a monthly performance bonus based on clearly defined and measurable key performance indicators.
Performance measures may include:
- Pharmacy profitability and gross-margin improvement
- Reimbursement accuracy and timely claim reconciliation
- Inventory management and reduction of avoidable losses
- Prescription workflow efficiency and patient satisfaction
- Medication adherence, MTM, and clinical service performance
- Employee productivity, accountability, and achievement of operational goals
- Regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and patient safety
- Monthly performance goals will be established and reviewed with ownership. Bonus eligibility and payout will follow a defined performance scorecard.
Required Qualifications
- PharmD or Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from an ACPE-accredited institution.
- Active, unrestricted DC pharmacist license or ability to obtain licensure before starting.
- Eligibility to serve as Pharmacist-in-Charge in Washington, DC.
- Minimum three years of pharmacy management or supervisory experience, preferably in a retail or community pharmacy.
- Current immunization certification and CPR/BLS certification.
- Strong understanding of prescription reimbursement, inventory management, and pharmacy operations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, establish accountability, and improve operational performance.
- Excellent communication, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience in an independent or community pharmacy.
- Experience using PrimeRx pharmacy management software.
- Familiarity with 340B programs, specialty pharmacy, and non-sterile compounding.
- Experience with pharmacy financial reporting, PBM reimbursement, and insurance audits.
- Knowledge of MTM, immunization programs, and medication adherence measures.
- Experience developing relationships with prescribers and healthcare facilities.
- Additional licensure in Maryland.
Why Join Columbia Heights Pharmacy?
- Competitive base compensation with monthly performance-based bonus opportunities.
- Direct access to ownership and meaningful input into business decisions.
- Opportunity to lead an established independent pharmacy.
- Autonomy to improve operations and develop new clinical services.
- An entrepreneurial environment where initiative, leadership, and measurable results are valued.
- Opportunity for long-term professional growth as the pharmacy expands its services and partnerships.
Columbia Heights Pharmacy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds.