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Barrett, VP Pricing, Contracting and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Advize Career Interview

A career with Jazz Pharmaceuticals as a VP of Pricing, Contracting, and Reimbursement, is about ensuring patients have access to life-changing medications at the lowest possible cost.

The path involves a "unique path" in education and work that is incentivized and rewarded by employers for continued education and career advancement.

The VP role has responsibilities such as working to get Jazz Pharmaceutical's drugs on formularies to ensure availability for all "appropriate patients to utilize" and collaboration is key, with much time spent working with team members, colleagues, and others across the organization. "Hungry, humble, and smart" individuals who value collaboration and assisting patients can thrive, even without extensive pharmaceutical industry experience.

The biggest challenge is navigating the evolving pharmaceutical landscape while maintaining a patient-centric focus. What's most rewarding is the direct, positive impact on patients' lives.

The advice from this professional for a student wanting to pursue a career in this field is to pursue internship programs and that excelling in business courses provides valuable practical experience.

Most importantly, value diverse perspectives and recognize the profound impact the role can have on patients, experiencing firsthand the significant change medicines have for them.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Barrett Land

VP Pricing, Contracting and Reimbursement

Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Vanguard University

CSU Long Beach - MBA

Business Management & Admin

Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical

Operations and Project Management

Worked 20+ Hours in School

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Career Path Of A VP Pricing And Reimbursement At Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Barrett took "a unique path" in education and work, earning an associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree while working full-time and raising a young family, forgoing internships as a result, but being incentivized and rewarded by employers for continued education and career advancement.

Main Responsibilities Of A Pricing And Contracting VP At Jazz Pharmaceuticals

As VP of Pricing, Contracting, and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Barrett's core responsibility is ensuring patients have a "smooth path" to accessing medications with the lowest possible out-of-pocket costs, while also working to get Jazz Pharmaceutical's drugs on formularies to ensure availability for all "appropriate patients to utilize".

A Day In The Life Of A VP Pricing & Reimbursement At Jazz Pharma

A day for a VP of Pricing, Contracting, and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals is "different day by day," involving many meetings, "routine processes," and "special projects" where leadership is provided; collaboration is key, with much time spent working with team members, colleagues, and others across the organization.

Skills for a VP Pricing, Contracting and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals

For a role like VP Pricing, Contracting and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical industry experience is helpful, but Barrett emphasizes the importance of being "hungry, humble, and smart" and having a collaborative mindset focused on "assisting patients." According to Barrett, skills can be taught to those with the right character and motivation.

Favorite Parts of Being a VP, Pricing and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Barrett enjoys the team collaboration aspect of the role, noting that taking time off earlier in their career made them realize how much they missed "working with people in teams...on a common goal." Further, Barrett finds "helping patients to...stay on our medications" to be a very rewarding experience, even more so than helping open Disney's California Adventure.

Biggest Challenges Faced By A VP Pricing At Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Barrett, a VP of Pricing, Contracting, and Reimbursement at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, identifies the evolving pharmaceutical industry landscape as the biggest challenge, marked by "a lot of scrutiny on drug prices" and unclear legislation. Navigating this complex legal environment while "maintaining a focus on doing what's right for the patients" is a key priority.

Favorite Parts of Working in the Pharmaceutical Industry as a VP Pricing

Barrett enjoys the pharmaceutical industry most because of the direct, positive impact drugs can have on patients' lives, recalling the rewarding experience of launching an "orphan drug" and hearing firsthand how it changed the lives of patients and their families. Being able to work on drugs "that have an impact very significant on...patients and caregivers" is what Barrett finds most gratifying.

Who Thrives in Pharma According to a Jazz Pharma VP Pricing

Barrett believes individuals who thrive in the pricing, contracting, and reimbursement industry, and generally across industries, possess core traits of being "hungry, humble, and smart," emphasizing that the "drive and that will...to do the right thing and focus to...get it done" are crucial for success. While specific industry skills can be taught, that internal motivation and ethical compass are fundamental elements for individuals to flourish in this career and others.

What A Reimbursement VP At Jazz Pharma Wishes They Knew Before Pharma

Barrett wishes someone had emphasized the profound impact the role could have on patients' lives, noting that working for a smaller biopharmaceutical company allowed them to "see, hear, feel, and touch" patients and understand the "significant change the medicines have" for them. Seeing this impact firsthand has been a surprisingly rewarding aspect of their career.

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Pharma Professionals

Barrett suggests that most pharmaceutical companies offer "internship programs" that students trying to enter the industry should pursue; additionally, Barrett recommends students research companies on LinkedIn and "go where the internship programs are" as potential pathways. Although entry level positions exist, Barrett notes that they "can be difficult to get into without experience."

Significant Career Lesson From a VP Pricing at Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Barrett learned the importance of valuing diverse perspectives and career aspirations early in their career. A mentor's comment, "if everybody was like me, the world would be a boring place," highlighted the necessity of different backgrounds and experiences within an organization, a lesson that has remained relevant and significant throughout a career in pricing, contracting, and reimbursement.

College Experiences That Helped a VP Pricing at Jazz Pharma Succeed

Barrett emphasized the importance of focusing on academics, particularly excelling in business courses, to avoid being held back later in one's career. The MBA program at Long Beach State provided valuable practical experience, with its focus on "real life challenges, strategic issues," and collaboration with professionals from diverse industries being particularly beneficial.

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