If you’re a practicing pharmacist curious about transitioning into managed care, you’re not alone. Many pharmacists – from retail to inpatient – find themselves craving a new challenge that still allows them to use their clinical skills, make an impact on patient outcomes, and work on a broader scale.

Managed care pharmacy offers just that. Whether you’re looking for better work-life balance, more analytical work, or the change to influence formulary decisions and policy, the field has room for experienced pharmacists ready to pivot.

Here are four actionable steps to help you break into managed care:

Highlight Your Clinical Knowledge – With a Managed Care Lens

Your clinical experience is one of your strongest assets. You’ve already spend years assessing therapy appropriateness, identifying interactions, and guiding patient care. The key is to frame your experience in a way that resonates with managed care priorities. In job applications or interviews, emphasize how you’ve:

• Make cost-conscious therapy decisions
• Work with providers on guideline-aligned regimens
• Identified medication safety concerns at a population level
• Educated patients on optimizing outcomes and adherence

Managed care teams value pharmacists who can evaluate medications based not just on efficacy and safety – but also on value, outcomes, and population impact.

Leverage AMCP to Learn the Language of Managed care

If you’re not already a member, now is the time to join the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). It’s the best starting point for understanding the field.

Connect with Current Managed Care Pharmacists

Don’t underestimate the power of networking. Managed care pharmacy can feel like a hidden world – but the best way to break in is to hear directly from those who’ve done it.

• Reaching out on LinkedIn to ask about people’s career paths
• Scheduling brief informational interviews to learn about roles and responsibilities
• Attend local AMCP events or webinars to grow your network

Many pharmacists are happy to share advice – and these connections often lead to referrals, insights about hirings, or roles you didn’t know existed.

Apply for MTM or Prior Authorization (PA) Roles as a Steppingstone

If you didn’t have prior managed care experience, look at entry points like MTM or PA roles – often offered by PBMs, health plans, or vendor partners.

These roles allow you to:

• Review therapy appropriateness based on plan policy
• Analyze claims data and clinical documentation
• Identify care gaps and improve quality performance

Even if they’re remote or part-time, these positions build highly relevant experience and can lead to full-time opportunities in formulary strategy, drug pipeline evaluation, or clinical program development.

Final Thoughts

Breaking into managed care as a practicing pharmacist might seem daunting – but with the right strategy and mindset, it’s completely possible. Highlight your clinical strengths, invest in learning the business side of pharmacy, and be proactive about networking. Whether you take a direct path or pivot through an entry-level managed care role, you can successfully transition into this dynamic and impactful space.