You may have seen my editorials in the April and May editions of Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook. May was a little late getting into the mail, but if you do not have it yet, it should arrive just after Memorial Day. While it is understandable that you are so busy with day-to-day purchasing activities that you may not be aware of an issue that could literally eradicate your chosen profession. The most recent moves toward getting all pharmacy technicians to be certified, ignore the fact that Pharmacy Buyers are, or should be, unique professionals that happen to practice in the pharmacy department. They perform duties that are not even close to those performed by most pharmacy techs. Buying is purchasing, not "all other duties as assigned by a pharmacist." There is no Certified Pharmacy Buyer (CPhB) test, nor certification. All pharmacy has for you to aspire to be is a CPhT. Do you want to go forward in your career, or be thrown back into the ranks of certified pharmacy technicians? It is your decision, but very few have given us any feedback on this important issue. Does this mean no Pharmacy Buyers care about the fact that soon there may be no pharmacy purchasing specialty within the ranks of the pharmacy profession? Or is CPhT the ultimate answer to what a Pharmacy Buyer truly aspires to achieve in a pharmacy career?

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

Dale,

I for one have an extreme interest in my profession, I am not a Pharmacy Technician, have never been a Pharmacy Technician and am not asked to move back and forth between buyer and pharmacy technician. I know many of our buyers that belong to this are asked to do the back and forth program.

5 years ago when I came to healthcare and the Inventory Control Coordinator position in our Pharmacy, I knew nothing about medications, healthcare etc. I did know about inventory control, buying, negotiating, project management, financial analysis, marketing and business. My background includes significant retail experience in hard goods, marketing experience and a BBA from Washburn University. I am somewhat unique in this setting.

How did this occur you may ask. My Director changed the job description significantly when they posted this job (I have shared this job description with a number of folks on this board). She knew there would be value in having a buyer that had business experience. Our Director made the difference in making the Pharmacy Buyer position a true defined position. The one thing I lacked when I got here was healthcare knowledge. That part was a steep learning curve. With great help and support from the Director and the Pharmacy staff, I learned and continue to learn every day. They teach me about drugs, doses and clinical topics.

What have I brought to the Pharmacy? I brought the business & numbers to the Pharmacy. My Director in addition to her Pharmacy degree has an MBA. I produce a significant amount of reports about what is happening in Pharmacy from the business side. These reports go to my Director...to the Vice President....to the CEO of the hospital. These reports make the Pharmacy easy for them to understand where we are and why. I am also curious and ask lots of questions all over the hospital. This has resulted in changing of how we do things in some cases, changed how we buy medications in certain categories and in general over time changed the perception of what the Pharmacy Buyer does. I look at the P & L every month and give a recap of the purchases and why the numbers may look they way they do.

Do I get frustrated like the other buyers? Yes, sometimes it is difficult to express myself in a way that will result in complete understanding to others in the health center. That means I usually back up and take another run at the issue at hand and try to understand it from their perspective better and also look for a better communication avenue.

In additional to being the hospital Pharmacy Inventory Control Coordinator, I am also the Co-Chair for the Resources Conservation Recovery Act of 1976 committee to insure our hospital is in 100% compliance with this act. I sit on the Medication Use Committee for the hospital clinics and help them manage their medications and I look for other ways to be involved in the hospital. Much of this paragraph is my personality. My Director is supportive of these endeavors and offers encouragement.

I believe in this as a Profession.

Name of Facility: St. Francis Health Center

City, State: Acute

Years as a Buyer: 5 in health care & 20+ in retail hard goods

Dale,

While currently professional recognition from our respective industry is unavailable, specialized certification for purchasing can be obtained. Certifications such as the Institute for Supply Management's Certified Professional in Supply Management, CPSM; the American Purchasing Society's Certified Purchasing Professional, CPP; and the Association for Operations Management's Certified Supply Chain Professional, CSCP, are but a sample of internationally recognized certification that we as purchasing professionals should pursue to convey added legitimacy to our position. Any of these certifications would serve as a foundation for any purchasing professionals; however, I agree that a movement towards an industry specific certification should be developed. Much like Kathy, I began my career outside of the pharmaceutical industry, and have adapted my business experience to manage the pharmaceutical supply chain at my facility. Education through formalized training, certifications, and/or degrees is essential for our role as procurement specialist moving forward in an automated industry. Contract management, supply chain management, business analysis, bar-coding/pre-packing coordinator, crisis manger and sometimes an adult day care specialist are but a few of the hats we as purchasing professionals wear daily within our facilities. We as purchasing professional need to implement the next chapter in our own development, and I believe this is possible with the support of organizations such as Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook and with people like yourself, Dale. If PPO is interested in implementing such a certification, I am more than will to help, and would be honored to call myself a Certified Pharmacy Buyer.

Richard

Name of Facility: East Jefferson General Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 6

I have been a pharm tech for 10+ years, certified the past 6 years. The last 3 years I have been a buyer. I have seen both sides of the perverbial coin. The development of a certified buyer program would help to distinguish us from a regular or general role as pharmacy techs and Im sure to help further our careers.
THere are many tasks that I have learned while being a buyer such as, specialized reports, tracking of key medications for appropriate usage, Pedigree tracking, etc. Plus, many more tasks that are handled only by the buyer.

Name of Facility: University Community Hospital

City, State: Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 3+

I have been a pharmacy technician for 7 years now and actually will taking taking the national certification test the next time around. I believe that the buyer position is an important part of our daily operations. As everyone before me has mentioned, the cost analysis and inventory tracking play a big part in a pharmacy's production and efficiency. By assuring you are getting a good price for your meds and keeping a minimum of inventory you give your department more finicial freedom the hire more staff, purchase new equipment, give people raises, etc. Not to mention all of the phone calls I get when I not at work.

Name of Facility: Roxborough Memorial Hospital

City, State: Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 1

Richard I have a great intrest in learning more about the purchasing certifications that you mentioned. Maybe Dale and your self can coordinate with Mike and place some informational links on the websight. I myself like most other purchasers split half/half my technition duties with purchasing. It is a constant sruggle to try to separate the two. I am a CPhT but with these other purchasing certifications I would have better footing to argue my point in seperating the two positions.

Name of Facility: Mid Coast Hospital

City, State: NFP

Years as a Buyer: 6

Institute for Supply Management's Certified Professional in Supply Management, CPSM

http://www.ism.ws/certification/content.cfm?ItemNumber=5722&navItemNumber=5618

American Purchasing Society's Certified Purchasing Professional, CPP

http://www.american-purchasing.com/cpp.asp

Association for Operations Management's Certified Supply Chain Professional, CSCP

http://www.apics.org/Certification/CSCP/

Name of Facility: East Jefferson General Hospital

City, State: Acute Care Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 6

Richard dose any one of these certification carry more advantage over the other? They are all national?
Thank you.

Name of Facility: Mid Coast Hospital

City, State: NFP

Years as a Buyer: 6

CPSM is currently the standard in purchasing in my opinion; it is relevant internationally and reflects the expanded education, skills and experience needed to be a successful supply management professional.

Name of Facility: East Jefferson General Hospital

City, State: Acute Care Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 6

I realize I am late entering this discussion, but am new to PPO and will be attending the conference in August for the first time.

My background is similar to others who have written earlier, as I have worked in various capacities on the business side of healthcare, and my bachelor's degree is in Accounting, and I'm also a CPA.

My director hired me specifically because I have a strong background in business and analysis. I have spent much of the last year learning pharmacy as well as learning what this position is all about. I will be sitting for the CPhT in August or September.

I agree with the rest of you that it's important for us to distinguish ourselves as purchasing professionals. What we do for our pharmacies is very important, and is distinct and separate from those duties carried out day-to-day by technicians.

Please include me in the continued discussions about creating a separate designation for pharmacy buyers.

Thank you for the information about certified buying professionals.

Name of Facility: Hays Medical Center

City, State: hospital

Years as a Buyer: 1.5

Welcome to the front lines!

We discuss a lot of topics here, so if you have something on your mind, or want to get something off your chest, your "ears" are here. This is the one place where we keep the spirit of the Conference and Networking alive all year round.

Welcome to the gang!

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

Don't publish:
I am not a Pharmacy Tech, nor does my DOP want me to be. I am strictly the Purchasing Analyst. He doesn't want me assuming any tech duties at all.

I have an Associates in Business Administration and a Bachelors in Poli Sci. However, neither degree is considered into my Labor Grade. Nor is the amount of responsibility I have within our department/institution. I sit on one obscure committee that has no bearing on my job/profession at all. I wish I was able to sit on more important committess. However, even the reports I run monthly, I am not allowed to send to anyone by my DOP. He has to forward to the VP, because I don't have the "status" to communicate with her directly. Can you believe it?

I would love for someone in administration here to take me and my daily duties more seriously. If becoming certified in purchasing will do that, I am all for it. However, I won't take the CPhT test, as my boss doesn't want the hospital to lower my current labor grade... sad, eh?

Keep these certification comments going. I would love to have more amunition for more $.

Name of Facility: Arnot Ogden Medical Center

City, State: Acute Care 256 beds

Years as a Buyer: 7

I just went online to look at the ISM Certification. It is extremely expensive, if you are not going to receive compensation from your facility, either in tuition reimbursement, or salary compensation.

It seems like a great program and it requires you to complete several hours of CE to maintain your certification (84 over 5 years). However, I couldn't find online, whether there were criteria for the CE (ie would our Conference CE count towards the total).

I am truly interested in certification. I guess I just didn't know how much it costs to get started. Whoa!

Name of Facility: Arnot Ogden Medical Center

City, State: Acute Care 256 beds

Years as a Buyer: 7

Jennifer,

Give me a call and I will try to answer some of your questions. 504-456-8066

Name of Facility: East Jefferson General Hospital

City, State: Acute Care Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 6