Medication Access Specialist

About the role

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. With strategic hospital and physician partnerships, the center delivers on its mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. The organization works with hospital and physician partners to provide state‑of‑the‑art treatments and collaborative, comprehensive cancer services, attracting top cancer minds from expert physicians and scientists to forward‑thinking leaders in supportive care and other disciplines. The Medication Access Specialist role supports centralized medication access services for patients receiving high‑cost infusion and specialty therapies.

Responsibilities

The Medication Access Specialist 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 role 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.

• Benefit Investigation & Medication Access
• Prior Authorization & Payer Coordination
• Drug Channel & Specialty Access Support
• Patient / Care Team Communication & Handoffs
• 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 are preferred 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.

Skills

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.