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Over the last 18 months a skilled and dedicated team has transformed Alchemy from an idea into a rapidly scaling business serving nearly 20 STD clinics, Ryan Whites, and FQHCs across 8 states. Welcome to the first installment of our blog series introducing the teams behind Alchemy’s growth.
Today we’re profiling Pharmacy Operations – the hands-on driving force providing everything a safety net clinic needs to build, launch, and operate a best-in-class in-house pharmacy program (learn more about the process we undertake to launch an in-house pharmacy here). Together, our team of clinical pharmacists and project managers have over 50 years of experience setting up and operating pharmacies across the U.S. As our partner, Ronnie Bass, CEO of Someone Cares clinic in Atlanta said, “Alchemy brought our vision to life with expertise and compassion. From the initial call, weekly meetings, managing the process, and their on-site hands-on approach…the team is knowledgeable, dependable and delivers a great product.”
Learn more about Andy, Brian, Scott, Shilpa and Will, what drew them to Alchemy, and who had a booming sneaker resale business at 13 (!), in this Q&A with the team.
What attracted you to Alchemy and what excites you most about being on the team?
Andy (Sr. Manager, Pharmacy Operations): Being able to be a part of a team that is making a major difference in the pharmacy space and improving healthcare access. What’s most exciting to me is how my role combines two things I am very passionate about - pharmacy compliance and architectural design - to build out pharmacy spaces for our clients.
Scott (Director, Pharmacy Operations): I’m deeply motivated by our mission to bring 340B savings and patient care "under the roof" of our safety net clinic partners. Our team is composed of passionate and caring individuals, looking for ways to improve care in vulnerable communities.
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Brian (Head of Pharmacy Operations): The mission of supporting at-risk, underserved communities and our clinic partners is what drew me to Alchemy. Being able to drive improved health outcomes and make an immediate and daily impact in the lives of patients and clinics energizes me and drives my focus.
What does your day-to-day look like?
Will (Operations Manager): Since I started I can't point to two days that look the same. However, simply put, I focus on project management for our clients to ensure successful pharmacy setup, launch, and day to day operations. In practice, I have done everything from writing policies to using power tools to construct a high security pharmacy ceiling, to researching patient assistance programs that ensure patients get free healthcare while still maximizing revenue for the clinic.
Scott (Director, Pharmacy Operations): In my role I enable our pharmacists and pharmacies to provide exceptional patient care in compliance with state and federal law and 340B regulations. I also manage payor relationships (PBM, Medicare and Medicaid) and have the privilege of hiring pharmacy staff, ensuring they match the vision and culture of our clients as well as Alchemy. In sum, I assist our clients in achieving the goals of their 340B program, and serve as a steward to ensure optimization and compliance through audit reporting, configuration of pharmacy workflows, and prevention of duplicate discounts.
Andy (Sr. Manager, Pharmacy Operations): Each day is different. Some days I am on site at a clinic solving issues before a regulatory inspection, other days I am at home designing future pharmacy spaces, researching regulatory requirements, drafting policy and procedures, and building out documents to ensure the pharmacy teams remain compliant and pass all future inspections.
What’s a valuable lesson or insight you’ve gained from a teammate on the Pharmacy Operations team?
Shilpa (Chief Operating Officer): The value of trust building and empathy when operating with safety net clinics, many of whom have been burned by past pharmacy relationships. I've had to activate this side of myself as I generally approached work with a mentality of "execute, trust will follow and everything else will fall in place"
Andy (Sr. Manager, Pharmacy Operations): One valuable lesson I have learned from current team members is to always find a solution and be creative. We are presented with unique situations in every pharmacy and we are constantly having to come up with solutions on a tight timeframe. Our partners rely on us, and we take this responsibility very seriously.
Brian (Head of Pharmacy Operations): Scott Brewster is a true expert in all things 340B. Working with him has been a crash course in a whole new area of pharmacy. Getting his views and perspective, guidance, and input has been worth its weight in gold as I dive deeper into the world of 340B.
Tell us something about yourself we won’t find on your Linkedin Profile
Scott (Director, Pharmacy Operations): I enjoy running, and specifically enjoy the ultra distance for races. I have completed more ultra marathons (50K, 50 mile, and 100 mile) than any other race distance. I'm currently training for a 100 mile race, with a goal to qualify and complete the Western States 100.
Brian (Head of Pharmacy Operations): I am a proud 5-time cancer survivor, having recently moved into remission from my toughest battle yet with stage 3 colon cancer.
Will (Operations Manager): At 13 years old, I made 5-figures in profit by starting a sneaker resale business and at 16 years old, I started a nonprofit to help at-risk youth get access to free meals, tutors, and basketball training.
The opportunity to build something lasting and impactful attracted me to Alchemy. It is fulfilling to watch our customers find their footing financially, take control of their destiny through in-house pharmacy, and grow their organizations to serve more patients. This team brings equal parts diligence and empathy that is essential to impact change in this industry - this is what excites me the most!
Shilpa Lakshmana Raju
Chief Operating Officer
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