Pharmacist manager vs medical director

The differences between pharmacist managers and medical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a pharmacist manager and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $93,996 average annual salary of a pharmacist manager.

The top three skills for a pharmacist manager include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Pharmacist manager vs medical director overview

	Pharmacist Manager	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$93,996	$230,317
Hourly rate	$45.19	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	61,178	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a pharmacist manager do?

A pharmacist manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations of a pharmacy, ensuring that all pharmacy personnel provides the right medication to the customers based on the prescription. Pharmacist managers assist in advising the customers for the instructions of their medications, including its dosage and instructions of intake. They manage the inventory and keep safe and clean storage for the products at all times. A pharmacist manager must have a comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry, as well as excellent communication skills, especially in responding to the customers' concerns and inquiries.

What does a medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Pharmacist manager vs medical director salary

Pharmacist managers and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pharmacist Manager	Medical Director
Average salary	$93,996	$230,317
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $153,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Safeway	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between pharmacist manager and medical director education

There are a few differences between a pharmacist manager and a medical director in terms of educational background:

	Pharmacist Manager	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Pharmacy	Medicine
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Pharmacist manager vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between pharmacist managers' and medical directors' demographics:

	Pharmacist Manager	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between pharmacist manager and medical director duties and responsibilities

Pharmacist manager example responsibilities.

Schedule procedures, manage caseload for physicians in clinic and surgery.
Addressed customer complaints with compassion, tact, and respect to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
Manage a team of 6 (1 pharmacist and 5 techs) prepare shift schedules according to Rx plan and payroll.
Manage educational training for technicians relate to federal HIPAA guidelines.
Manage established high-volume independent community pharmacy operation focuse on the local HIV/AIDS community.
Achieve extensive expertise in third party adjudication and rejection resolution, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Pharmacist manager vs medical director skills

Common pharmacist manager skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 17%
Patient Care, 11%
Compassion, 6%
Inventory Management, 6%
Federal Laws, 5%

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Pharmacist Manager vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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