UCLA Health

Assistant Director of Inpatient Pharmacy - Santa Monica Medical Center

UCLA Health$167K — $403K *
Hospitals & Medical Centers
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from an accredited school
  • Current California Pharmacist license
  • 5+ years in acute care or inpatient hospital setting
  • 1+ year of pharmacy management experience
  • In-depth knowledge of California Board of Pharmacy and federal regulations
  • Proven leadership in a union-represented environment
  • Strong commitment to patient safety and error prevention

Responsibilities

  • Oversee daily operations of inpatient pharmacy services
  • Lead and develop pharmacy staff through hiring and training
  • Standardize workflows and best practices across service areas
  • Manage budget, expenses, and monitor drug utilization
  • Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
  • Participate in hospital governance committees
  • Act as Administrator-On-Call as needed

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness programs
  • Retirement savings plans
  • Continuous training and professional development opportunities
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Generous paid time off policies
Full Job Description
General Information

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Work Location: Santa Monica, CA, USA

Onsite or Remote

Fully On-Site

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday; fully onsite

Posted Date

08/20/2026

Salary Range: $167100 - 403900 Annually

Employment Type

2 - Staff: Career

Duration

indefinite

Job #

32030

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

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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 , , and 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.

Schedule: Monday - Friday; fully onsite.

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

Job Qualifications

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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)


As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

Current/former UC employees are subject to a personnel file review.

About UCLA Health

UCLA Health is a world-renowned academic medical center located in Los Angeles, California. It comprises four hospitals, including Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and more than 200 primary and specialty care clinics. UCLA Health is affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the United States. The health system employs over 20,000 people and serves as a major center for patient care, medical education, and research.
Learn more about UCLA Health
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