Pharmacy Buyer

Allina Health; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 58,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental

PTO/Time Away

Retirement Savings Plans

Job summary

Allina Health is seeking a Pharmacy Purchasing Specialist to support hospital-based clinics and their inventory and purchasing needs. Based at United Hospital Pharmacy in Saint Paul, MN, you will manage procurement, distribution, and supplier relationships to ensure stock levels, pricing accuracy, and timely order fulfillment.

Ideal candidates will have experience with pharmacy wholesaler purchasing software, knowledge of supply chain concepts, and a background in pharmacy or related field.

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age with education and/or experience needed to meet required functional competencies as listed on the job description
• Working knowledge of pharmacy wholesaler purchasing software systems
• Understanding of supply chain concepts and principles

Responsibilities

• Procure, distribute, and inventory manage pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies to meet budgeting requirements and quality standards.
• Manage supplier and internal customer relationships to maintain adequate stock levels.
• Audit shortages and backorders and initiate replacements when needed.
• Oversee purchasing to maintain stock while minimizing excess inventory.
• Educate requisitioners to maximize formulary use and support optimal substitutions.
• Process orders, confirmations, and expediting; handle invoicing and payment approvals.
• Support narcotics inventory, DEA reporting, recalls, and regulatory requests.

Skills

Pharmacy purchasing software

Supply chain concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy/Supply Chain/Business

Job description

Location and Job Details

Location Address: 333 Smith Ave N Saint Paul, MN 55102-2344

Date Posted: September 30, 2026

Department: 34007800 Pharmacy Services

Shift: Day/Evening (United States of America)

Shift Length: 8 hour shift

Hours Per Week: 40

Union Contract: Non-Union-NCT

Weekend Rotation: None

Job Summary

Allina Health is a not-for-profit health system that cares for individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. If you value putting patients first, consider a career at Allina Health. Our mission is to provide exceptional care as we prevent illness, restore health and provide comfort to all who entrust us with their care. This includes you and your loved ones. We are committed to providing whole person care, investing in your well-being, and enriching your career.

Key Position Details

1.0 FTE (80 hours per two-week pay period)

8-hour day/evening shift

No weekends

This position will help to support hospital-based clinics and their inventory/purchasing.

Assist with manufacturer/hospital free drug programs.

Preferred candidates will have competency with electronic health records (EHR) and automated dispensing systems.

Interviews for this position will be in-person and onsite at United Hospital Pharmacy.

Job Description and Responsibilities

• Responsible for the procurement, distribution, and inventory management of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies to meet budgeting requirements and departmental standards for quality and efficacy.
• Manages relationship with suppliers, vendors, and internal customers to ensure adequate stock is kept.
• Audits and escalates issue regarding shortage, backorders, and necessary replacements.
• Principle Responsibilities Sources pharmaceuticals & supplies.
• Develops expert-level understanding of pharmaceuticals /supplies, sources, supplier performance, potential lead times or shipping disruptions.
• Oversees purchasing to maintain adequate stock levels while minimizing inventory.
• Educates requisitioners to maximize use of formulary items
• Provides product knowledge/expertise to support resolution of backorder situations and optimal substitute product and vendor source.
• Communicates to customers drug shortage information and when available alternative products.
• Orders placement, confirmation, and expediting.
• Placement and oversight of orders, including rush requisitions.
• Reviews all order confirmations, communicates any fulfillment issues to requisitioner, identifies and resolves pricing inconsistencies.
• Receives orders, verifies invoices, distributes order, and approves payment.
• Special orders, blanket or standing POs, and new vendor or customer set-up.
• Processes orders ensuring proper documentation to support Accounts Payable(AP) check requests.
• Identifies new orders that require credit application and/or unique order forms, submits required information and follows-up with AP to establish new vendor records.
• Supports customers’ needs for unique product procurement.
• Sets up new customer accounts and test order, delivery and invoice processes.
• Pharmaceutical wholesaler relationship management and supplier performance management.
• Reviews and analyzes purchasing and expense data.
• Develops and maintains relationships with drug wholesaler.
• Trains back up buyer and other staff on pharmaceutical wholesaler ordering systems.
• Identifies supplier performance concerns and implement measures to address.
• Actively participates in multi-departments improvement/problem-solving initiatives when supplier performance jeopardizes patient care and/or site-based departmental operations.
• Contacts supplier for documentation of order receipt, track-down internal routing discrepancies, or determine if loss should be taken and item reordered.
• Billing, price management, other invoice issues.
• Provides support and management for pharmaceutical and supplies costs, prices, billing and revenue.
• Addresses pricing and billing discrepancies when requested.
• Reconciles credit to returns, pricing errors, product set-up problems and take corrective action.
• Reviews and analyzes pharmaceutical and supplies purchasing and expense data reports.
• Summarizes and escalates key issues with purchasing and expense data.
• Responds to requests for pharmaceutical and supplies purchasing and expense data for specific departments.
• Pharmacy purchasing support.
• Manages narcotic inventory and DEA reporting, manage return/destruction of outdated/ drugs, recalls, product defect reporting, track and apply for failure to supply rebates, hazardous waste management, specialty product management.
• Processes charges to outside of pharmacy departments or product redistributions with cost transfers to internal departments.
• Manages requests and needs for patient and employee safety.
• Responds, manages and provides analysis for regulatory and government requests.
• May prepare pharmacist and pharmacy technician schedules.
• May perform pharmacy technician duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age with education and/or experience needed to meet required functional competencies as listed on the job description
• Working knowledge of pharmacy wholesaler purchasing software systems
• Understanding of supply chain concepts and principles

Preferred Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Supply Chain, Business or other related field
• 2+ years of pharmaceutical or supply purchasing

Licenses/Certifications

• Registered Pharmacy Technician - MN Board of Pharmacy required upon hire
• Certified Pharmacy Technician - Pharmacy Technician Certification Board required within 180 Days

Physical Demands

Light Work: Lifting weight up to 20 lbs. occasionally, up to 10 lbs. frequently

Pay Range

Pay Range Pay Range: $27.65 to $37.90 per hour

The pay described reflects the base hiring pay range. Your starting rate would depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, your experience, education, and the union agreement (if applicable). Shift, weekend and/or other differentials may be available to increase your pay rate for certain shifts or work. Allina Health is committed to adhering with all applicable local, state and federal minimum wage requirements.

Benefit Summary

Allina Health believes the best way to provide safe and compassionate care for our patients is by nurturing the passion of those who care for them. That’s why we devote extraordinary resources to help you grow and thrive — not only as a professional but also as a whole person. When you join our team, you have access to a wealth of valuable employee benefits that support the total well-being — mind, body, spirit and community — of you and your family members. Allina Health is all in on your well-being. Because well-being means something different to everyone, our award-winning program provides you with the resources you need to help you navigate your personal journey. This includes well-being dollars, dedicated well-being navigators, and many programs, activities, articles, videos, personal coaching and tools to support you on your journey. We are focused on creating an inclusive workplace so everyone can see themselves as part of our care team. Our care teams are as diverse as the communities we serve and proud to be contributing to the mission of a leading health care organization. Our pioneering approach to well-being helps every member of our care team feel a deep sense of connection and joy in their work.

Benefits include:

• Medical/Dental
• PTO/Time Away
• Retirement Savings Plans
• Life Insurance
• Short-term/Long-term Disability
• Voluntary Benefits (vision, legal, critical illness)
• Tuition Reimbursement or Continuing Medical Education as applicable
• Student Loan Support
• Benefits to navigate the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Allina Health is a 501(c)(3) eligible employer *Benefit eligibility/offerings are determined by FTE and if you are represented by a union.

Diversity and Inclusion

Allina Health is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and will make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

E-Verify Employer

Allina Health complies with federal requirements to verify the employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Allina Health is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to records available from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to confirm work authorization. An E-Verify case must be created no later than the third business day after the employee starts work for pay. All Forms I-9 must be completed and received by the Office of Human Resources accordingly. For more information, link to: Right to Work Poster (e-verify.gov) E-Verify Participation Poster English and Spanish