Assistant Director of Inpatient Pharmacy – Santa Monica Medical Center

• JOB DUTIES

You bring more than skill, knowledge, and expertise to your role as an allied health professional. You bring a deep passion for improving the lives of everyone around you. At UCLA Health, we’re committed to fostering a working environment where you are supported and empowered to be your best. You’ll love it here!

Join UCLA Health as Assistant Director of Pharmacy, a key operational leadership role within UCLA Health Pharmacy Services. Reporting to the Director of Inpatient Pharmacy, you will provide day-to-day operational oversight across central and decentralized inpatient pharmacy services, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient medication management throughout the health system.

In this role, you will lead pharmacy supervisors, lead pharmacists, pharmacists, technicians, and support personnel, standardizing workflows and operational practices across all inpatient service areas. You will oversee hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance management, while directing regular staff meetings and communications to ensure team alignment. You will also manage operational labor and supply expenses, monitor drug utilization and procurement patterns, and implement corrective actions to address financial variances and drug shortages.

You may serve as the Pharmacist in Charge (PIC), or be the primary backup, for the inpatient pharmacy license, assuming full legal and regulatory responsibility for compliance with California Board of Pharmacy mandates. You will execute continuous readiness initiatives for CA BOP, CDPH, FDA, DEA, and The Joint Commission, oversee USP <795>, <797>, and <800> compliance, and manage comprehensive controlled substance accountability. As an institutional partner, you will serve on hospital governance committees, collaborate with clinical departments to resolve systemic issues, and function as Administrator-On-Call as scheduled.

At UCLA Health, our passion for discovery and our limitless curiosity have enabled us to become a world-renowned source of medical breakthroughs. In addition to the extensive medical research and clinical education capabilities of the David Geffen School of Medicine, we’re home to four award-winning hospitals and more than 270 community clinics throughout Southern California. If you’re looking to experience greater challenge and fulfillment in your career, come to UCLA Health.

Schedule: Monday – Friday; fully onsite.

Annual Salary Range: $167,100 – $403,900 (Commensurate with experience and aligned with internal equity.)

• JOB QUALIFICATIONS

We’re seeking an experienced pharmacy leader with:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from an accredited school of pharmacy
• Current California Pharmacist license
• Minimum 5 years of experience in an acute care or inpatient hospital setting
• Minimum 1 year of pharmacy management experience, including direct supervision of pharmacists and technicians
• Thorough knowledge of CA Board of Pharmacy, DEA, CDPH/CMS, FDA, and USP (795, 797, 800) regulations as they apply to inpatient hospital pharmacy operations
• Proven ability to lead and manage personnel in a union-represented environment, including hiring, coaching, corrective action, and performance evaluation
• Strong commitment to patient safety and medication error prevention
• Experience with Joint Commission, CDPH, and CMS survey preparation and standards compliance
• Proficiency with pharmacy information systems, EMR (Epic), automated dispensing systems (e.g., Pyxis), controlled substance monitoring software

Strongly Preferred Qualifications

• ASHP-accredited residency training
• Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, or equivalent)
• Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) or equivalent certification
• Experience leading pharmacy technology implementations, capital projects, or workflow redesign initiatives
• Familiarity with automated inventory and medication management systems (e.g., KitCheck RFID, BD Carousel, Cubixx)