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Call for Volunteers: Seeking SMEs for Pharmacy Operations & Management Programs
In June, we released the comprehensive findings from our 2020 National Job Task Analysis (JTA) for Clinical Pharmacy Roles. The results provided a wealth of insight into the evolution of our profession, but one finding stood out with resounding clarity: the lines between clinical expertise and operational acumen are no longer just blurring; they have become inextricably linked. The data from thousands of practitioners across the country sent a clear message—a deep understanding of finance, supply chain, compliance, and management is no longer a niche skill for administrators but a critical competency for ensuring the success and sustainability of all pharmacy services.
This powerful, data-driven mandate requires a definitive response. The Council on Pharmacy Standards (CPS) is therefore proud to announce that we are officially beginning the development of a new, landmark suite of certification programs: the Pharmacy Operations & Management Portfolio.
To build these vital new programs with the credibility and real-world relevance they demand, we must draw upon the wisdom of those who have mastered these complex domains. Today, we are launching a special, targeted call for a new generation of volunteer leaders—the seasoned directors, managers, and strategists who serve as the operational backbone of our profession. We are seeking Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help us build the national standard for pharmacy leadership.
The Mandate for a New Standard of Leadership
For decades, the advancement of the pharmacy profession has rightly focused on the expansion of our clinical roles. Yet, behind every successful clinical initiative, there is a foundation of operational excellence. The modern pharmacy is a complex, multi-million-dollar business enterprise that requires a sophisticated and specialized leadership skill set. Pharmacy leaders are tasked with navigating labyrinthine reimbursement models, managing the integrity of a high-cost supply chain, ensuring unwavering compliance with a web of state and federal regulations, and leading ever-larger and more diverse teams of professionals.
Until now, expertise in these critical, non-clinical domains has been recognized primarily through experience and on-the-job training. There has been no national, standardized, and evidence-based pathway to validate the advanced competencies required to effectively manage the business of pharmacy.
Guided by the clear findings of our 2020 JTA, CPS is stepping up to fill this gap. We believe it is time to formally recognize pharmacy operations and management as a distinct and critical specialty. This new portfolio of certifications will provide a clear benchmark for excellence, create a pathway for emerging leaders to develop their skills, and give employers a trusted tool to identify individuals with proven operational expertise.
The Role of the Operations & Management SME
This call for volunteers is unique. We are seeking experts whose daily work involves spreadsheets as much as prescriptions, and whose decisions impact budgets and workflows as much as they do patient care. As an SME for the Pharmacy Operations & Management Programs, you will be a principal architect of the new national standards for pharmacy leadership. This is a hands-on opportunity to translate your hard-won experience into the very definition of competence for the next generation.
Your contributions will be vital across the entire development lifecycle:
Defining Competency Blueprints: You will work with a select panel of your peers to translate the high-level findings of the JTA into detailed content outlines for examinations. Your expertise will determine the specific knowledge areas to be tested in domains such as pharmacy finance, human resource management, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance.
Crafting Realistic, Case-Based Scenarios: Leading a pharmacy service is about judgment and decision-making, not just memorization. A key part of your role will be to help us move beyond traditional multiple-choice questions and develop complex, case-based scenarios that challenge a candidate’s managerial acumen and strategic thinking in realistic situations.
Setting the Bar for Leadership: You will be an essential voice in the standard-setting studies for these new exams. Through a structured, deliberative process, you will use your expert judgment to help define the passing score—the standard that officially represents a competent and effective pharmacy leader.
Peer Review and Quality Assurance: You will review the work of other experts, ensuring that every examination question and case study is accurate, relevant, and a fair assessment of the critical skills required to lead.
For the Established Leader: The Value of Contributing
We recognize that as a leader in your organization, your time is your most valuable asset. We believe that serving as a CPS SME is one of the most leveraged and impactful investments of that time you can make—an investment in your profession, your legacy, and your own continued growth.
Shape the Future of Pharmacy Leadership: This is a rare opportunity to be in the room where the national standards for your specialty are being defined. Your expertise will directly influence how pharmacy leadership is taught, measured, and recognized for the next decade and beyond.
Build an Unparalleled National Network: You will join a select, national cohort of top-tier pharmacy executives. The collaborative nature of this work provides a unique and confidential forum to benchmark your practices, share solutions to common challenges, and build lasting professional relationships with your true peers from across the country.
Cement Your Professional Legacy: Your day-to-day work builds success for your institution. This work builds success for your entire profession. Contributing to a national certification program is a high-level act of service that will become a lasting part of your professional legacy.
Gain a New Perspective: You are an expert in running a pharmacy; we are experts in the science of assessment. Through our comprehensive training, you will gain a deep understanding of psychometrics and credentialing best practices, a unique form of professional development that can enhance your own skills in competency assessment and staff development within your organization.
We Are Seeking Your Expertise: Ideal Candidate Profile
This is a targeted search for individuals with demonstrated experience and success in pharmacy leadership and administration. We are looking for practitioners who can provide expert insight into the complex realities of managing modern pharmacy services. We are specifically seeking applicants with the following profiles:
Relevant Titles: Director of Pharmacy, Associate/Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Operations Manager, Pharmacy Business Manager, Pharmacy Supply Chain Manager, Manager of Pharmacy Billing/Revenue Cycle, Pharmacy Compliance Officer, Pharmacy Informatics Manager, or equivalent leadership roles.
Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive pharmacy practice experience, with at least three (3) years in a formal leadership or managerial role.
Practice Settings: We are seeking a diverse panel of experts from health-systems (of varying sizes), managed care organizations, and large-scale community or specialty pharmacy operations.
Specific Areas of Expertise: We are actively recruiting leaders with deep, hands-on experience in one or more of the following domains:
Pharmacy Finance and Budgeting
Human Resource Management and Leadership Development
Pharmacy Supply Chain and Inventory Control
Regulatory Compliance (TJC, DEA, BOP) and Quality Improvement
Pharmacy Informatics and Technology Management
The Path to Service: Application and Selection
We have designed a straightforward application process for busy professionals.
Submit an Online Application: Please visit our dedicated volunteer portal [link here] to complete the SME application form.
Provide Supporting Documents: You will be asked to upload a current curriculum vitae (CV) and a brief letter of interest detailing your leadership experience and your specific areas of operational expertise.
Review and Selection: Our Governance Committee will conduct a thorough review of all applications to select a diverse and highly qualified panel of experts.
The deadline for applications for this special recruitment cycle is October 15, 2021.
You have built a successful career leading pharmacy services and navigating the complex business of healthcare. Now, we invite you to help us build the national standard for that leadership. Lend us your expertise, and together, we will define the future of pharmacy management.
Apply today to become a CPS Subject Matter Expert.
The Department of Volunteer Engagement, Council on Pharmacy Standards (CPS)
