Blue Cross of Idaho logo
Blue Cross of Idaho
Meridian, Idaho

Pharmacist - Emerald Specialty Pharmacy

PharmacistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$119k-$178k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Be Part of Building Something New

This is a rare opportunity to join Emerald Specialty Pharmacy at the ground level as we prepare to launch an innovative specialty pharmacy operation. While supported by the strength, resources, and stability of an established healthcare organization, Emerald offers the unique experience of helping build a new business from the ground up.

If you are energized by the opportunity to shape processes, influence patient experience, and contribute to a growing specialty pharmacy focused on improving health outcomes, this role offers the best of both worlds: entrepreneurial excitement and organizational stability.

As a Staff Pharmacist, you will play a critical role in establishing safe, compliant, and patient-centered pharmacy operations while helping create the foundation for Emerald's future success.

Position Summary

The Staff Pharmacist is responsible for the safe, accurate, and efficient dispensing of prescription medications through a specialty mail-order pharmacy model. This role ensures compliance with federal and state pharmacy regulations, provides clinical oversight of medication therapy, and delivers exceptional care and support to patients managing complex and chronic conditions.

Working closely with pharmacy technicians, patient service representatives, inventory staff, and pharmacy leadership, the Staff Pharmacist helps establish operational workflows, maintain accreditation standards, and support the successful launch and growth of Emerald Specialty Pharmacy.

Key Responsibilities

Prescription Verification & Dispensing

  • Review and verify prescription orders for accuracy, clinical appropriateness, and potential drug interactions.
  • Ensure prescriptions comply with state, federal, and pharmacy-specific regulations and policies.
  • Perform final verification and approval of dispensed medications.
  • Supervise pharmacy technicians involved in prescription processing and preparation.

Clinical Review & Patient Care

  • Conduct drug utilization reviews (DUR) and identify potential therapeutic concerns.
  • Consult with prescribers regarding medication optimization, clarifications, and therapy recommendations.
  • Provide patient counseling and education, particularly for specialty medications and chronic disease therapies.
  • Support medication therapy management and adherence initiatives.

Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation

Maintain current knowledge of pharmacy laws, regulations, and industry best practices, including DEA, FDA, HIPAA, and state Board of Pharmacy requirements.

  • Support pharmacy licensing, accreditation, and audit readiness activities.
  • Ensure proper handling and documentation of controlled substances.
  • Participate in internal, external, and accreditation-related audits.

Operational Excellence

Collaborate with pharmacy technicians, inventory personnel, and shipping teams to support efficient workflow management.

Use pharmacy management systems and technology platforms to oversee prescription processing and patient records.

Identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, and patient experience.

Contribute to the development and implementation of new pharmacy processes and procedures.

Quality & Patient Safety

  • Promote a culture of patient safety and continuous improvement.
  • Document and report medication errors, adverse events, and quality concerns in accordance with established procedures.
  • Participate in quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

Education

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy.

Licensure

  • Active pharmacist license in good standing.
  • Ability and willingness to obtain additional state licenses as business needs require.
  • Eligibility to support multi-state pharmacy operations.

Experience

  • Minimum of 3 years of pharmacy experience required.
  • Specialty pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, or high-volume pharmacy experience strongly preferred.
  • Experience working within accreditation standards such as URAC or ACHC preferred.

Experience supporting startup operations, process improvement, or implementation activities is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • Strong understanding of pharmacology, specialty medications, drug interactions, and clinical best practices.
  • Excellent attention to detail and commitment to patient safety.
  • Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
  • Effective communication skills with patients, providers, pharmacy staff, and cross-functional partners.
  • Proficiency with pharmacy technology platforms and pharmacy management systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to adapt, innovate, and embrace change.

What Success Looks Like

The ideal candidate combines clinical excellence with an entrepreneurial mentality. You are energized by the opportunity to help build something new, comfortable navigating ambiguity, and committed to creating an excellent experience for patients and providers alike.

You are a collaborative team member who values innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement, and you are excited to help shape the future of Emerald Specialty Pharmacy.

Work Environment

  • Pharmacy distribution and office environment.
  • May require prolonged periods of sitting or standing.
  • Occasional lifting of packages up to 20 pounds.
  • Flexible schedule may be required during implementation, launch, accreditation, or peak-volume periods.

Ready to help build the future of specialty pharmacy? Join Emerald Specialty Pharmacy and be part of a team creating innovative, patient-centered pharmacy services that make a lasting difference.

As of the date of this posting, a good faith estimate of the current pay range is $118,506 - $177,758. The position is eligible for an annual incentive bonus (variable depending on company and employee performance).

The pay range for this position takes into account a wide range of factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, relevant experience, skills, seniority, performance, travel requirements, internal equity, business or organizational needs, and alignment with market data.

At Blue Cross of Idaho, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top range for the position. Compensation decisions are dependent on factors and circumstances at the time of offer.

We offer a robust package of benefits including paid time off, paid holidays, community service and self-care days, medical/dental/vision/pharmacy insurance, 401(k) matching and non-contributory plan, life insurance, short and long term disability, education reimbursement, employee assistance plan (EAP), adoption assistance program and paid family leave program.

We will adhere to all relevant state and local laws concerning employee leave benefits, in line with our plans and policies.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout employment. The company does not provide employment-based visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future

Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. For roles under Range Health, Ruby Analytics, Emerald Specialty Pharmacy or other non-licensed corporate entities: These services and products are managed or delivered by separate operating units or affiliates which are independent from, and not licensed by, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Reasonable Accommodations

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Drug utilization reviewTeam collaboration

Pharmacist Career Context

Of the 40 active Pharmacy listings this role was benchmarked against, 30% are remote, 60% have no call, 40% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Idaho is 95.5 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$148k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $155k in an average-cost state. 58.2% of Idaho clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

How many Pharmacy jobs are remote?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$119k–$178kPharmacy median $138k (middle half $134k–$148k)124 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$155k in purchasing powerIdaho index 95.5 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Pharmacy listings in Idaho82 active10,258 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 30% remote · 60% no call · 40% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS pharmacist listings (all specialties): 22% state a sign-on bonus (median $25k) · 18% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Pharmacy listings3,645 in the last 30 days3,212 the 30 days before (+13%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Pharmacy pay trend+3.6% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Pharmacist Jobs

18 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

18 jobs · 16 employers
7
<$150k
3
$150k-170k
5
$170k-190k
2
$190k-210k
1
$231k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

15 jobs
401k / retirement match
93% this job
Sign-on bonus
53%
Loan repayment
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Senior Clinical Pharmacist, Oncology Strategy (Remote)

UnitedHealth Group · Minneapolis, Minnesota

$135k-$231k
#2

Clinical Pharmacist

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$157k-$196k
#3

Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

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#4

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist - Specialty (Oncology, Remote-Hybrid)- Full-Time Days

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+ 16 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 1.5
Better work-life than 10% of Pharmacy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 10,041 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Blue Cross of Idaho logo

About Blue Cross of Idaho

Insurance
Meridian, Idaho
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Paid time off
Paid holidays
Community service and self-care days
Medical/dental/vision/pharmacy insurance
401(k) matching and non-contributory plan
Life insurance
Short and long term disability
Education reimbursement

Living in Meridian

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$483k≈ 4.1× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,056/mo≈ 21% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
98.4
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Boise City, ID metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.