Medication Access Specialist

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is Louisiana’s leading cancer care organization, caring for more patients each year than any other facility in the region. And with strategic hospital and physician partnerships, we are delivering on our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.

Mary Bird Perkins and its partners work together to provide state-of-the-art treatments and unparalleled collaborative, comprehensive cancer services. This culture of innovation helps attract the best cancer minds in the country, from expert physicians and highly specialized scientists to forward-thinking leaders in supportive care and other disciplines.

Together, with our hospital and physician partners, we are one-hundred percent focused on cancer care.

Why Join Us? We are looking for talented and highly-motivated individuals who demonstrate a natural desire to support the meaningful work of community oncologists and the patients we serve.

Job Description:

SCOPE: The Medication Access Specialist supports centralized medication access services for patients receiving high-cost infusion and specialty therapies. As part of the Centralized Drug Channel & Specialty Access function within Pharmacy, the position evaluates medical and pharmacy benefit coverage, investigates payer requirements, coordinates prior authorization and access activities, and communicates benefit findings to support timely progression through the enterprise-approved drug channel pathway. The Specialist works collaboratively with the Medication Access Manager, Drug Channel Coordination, Specialty Pharmacy Access, Specialty Pharmacy Operations, Infusion Pharmacy, clinical teams, patient financial advocacy, payers, and pharmacy leadership to minimize treatment delays and support appropriate medication access and financial stewardship.

FUNCTIONS:

1. Benefit Investigation & Medication Access
2. Prior Authorization & Payer Coordination
3. Drug Channel & Specialty Access Support
4. Patient / Care Team Communication & Handoffs
5. Documentation, Quality & Compliance

QUALIFICATIONS:
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Associate or bachelor's degree in healthcare, business, pharmacy, finance, or a related field preferred but not required.

Minimum two years of experience in medication access, patient access, business office operations, medical or pharmacy benefits, prior authorization, reimbursement, specialty pharmacy, infusion services, or a related healthcare setting preferred.
Experience evaluating medical and/or pharmacy benefits for high-cost medications preferred.
Oncology, infusion, specialty pharmacy, reimbursement, or complex medication-access experience preferred.

No certifications required, however pharmacy technician registration and/or Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) certification preferred only when applicable to an individual's background or assigned responsibilities. Any activity requiring pharmacy technician registration, certification, pharmacist licensure, or other authorization must be performed by appropriately credentialed personnel.

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE:

Working knowledge of medical and pharmacy benefit structures, prior authorization processes, payer policies, specialty pharmacy requirements, site-of-care restrictions, and high-cost medication access.

Familiarity with drug channel concepts including medical versus pharmacy benefit, buy-and-bill, specialty pharmacy routing, payer-mandated specialty pharmacy, 340B, GPO, and limited-distribution requirements.
Ability to distinguish benefit/access functions from pharmacist-required clinical, counseling, prescription verification, and dispensing responsibilities.
Strong communication, organization, documentation, problem-solving, prioritization, attention to detail, and follow-through skills.
The Medication Access Specialist is an access/business-office role and does not inherently require pharmacy technician credentials. Individuals with pharmacy technician credentials may perform additional pharmacy-specific activities when permitted by law, organizational policy, and pharmacist supervision.