Cigna Pharmacy Residency Programs

Take the next step on your journey toward career success with a 12-month, accredited, managed care pharmacy residency at Cigna, a global health service company. Cigna's mission is to improve the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those we serve by making health care simple, affordable, and predictable.

While the role allows for a global company view, the residency is focused on Cigna Medicare pharmacy services. The pharmacy team supports beneficiaries to live healthier, more active lives through personalized, affordable, and easy-to-use health care solutions. 

Develop the knowledge and skills necessary for pharmacists to assume leadership roles within a managed care organization through:

• Development and administration of research to present at regional and national conferences
• Medicare Part D formulary and utilization management policy development and maintenance
• Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program development and oversight
• Pharmacy claim trends and outcomes analysis
• Development of pharmacy quality improvement initiatives to improve health outcomes and Star ratings
• Mentorship by Cigna health care personnel
• Teaching certificate program and ability to precept APPE students
• Opportunity to gain experience in areas such as:
  • Comprehensive medication reviews
  • Interdisciplinary care teams
  • Coverage review
  • Claims adjudication
  • Drug utilization reviews
  • Medicare Star measures and interventions
  • Overall pharmacy operations
  • PBM Services (in partnership with Cigna's Evernorth/ Express Scripts colleagues)
  • Teaching certificate program and ability to precept APPE students.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive salary
• Eligible for 401K
• Comprehensive health plan, including medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off, paid holidays, company paid volunteer community service hours, and more
• Conference registration and travel expenses paid for required professional meetings
• Cigna Medicare headquarters is close to the sights and sounds of Music City, USA, located within 25 miles of Nashville International Airport, and near many global health care organizations.

Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

Provide medication education and counseling to optimize customers’ health and well-being.

• Provide evidence-based medication therapy management.
• Conduct comprehensive medication reviews.
• Provide medication education and counseling.
• Be involved with operational aspects of program, including eligibility criteria development.
• Monitor medication use based on:
  • Appropriate dosing and indication.
  • Efficacy
  • Adverse effects
  • Cost-effectiveness

Formulary

Help to design effective formularies.

• Focus on the ongoing maintenance of formularies.
• Complete and present a drug monograph or therapeutic class review.
• Develop and implement clinically appropriate utilization management criteria.
• Contribute to the annual formulary build and benefit design process.
• Monitor concurrent drug utilization review edits.¹

Coverage Review

Use established criteria and clinical judgment to evaluate coverage review requests.

• Evaluate coverage review decisions such as:
  • Prior authorization (PA) requests
  • Quantity limit exceptions
  • Non-formulary requests

Transitions of Care

Assist in post-discharge care transition for our Medicare Advantage customers.

• Improve transitions of care by providing patients with tools and support that promote knowledge and self-management of their transition as they move from hospital to home.
• Complete a post-discharge medication review, including medication reconciliation and counseling.
• Collaborate with providers and case management staff to identify and resolve drug therapy problems and provide medication-related recommendations to optimize care.

Research

Utilize and enhance your project management and research skills.

• Identify, design, and execute a research project related to a current managed care topic.
• Present at regional and national conferences and create a draft manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Pharmacy Quality Improvement

Continuously monitor, evaluate, and improve the clinical care and services provided through the pharmacy benefit.

• Learn how quality initiatives impact patient care and population health management.
• Use knowledge of evidence-based medicine to positively impact health outcomes.
• Gain an understanding of the Part D STAR metrics and initiatives to improve the measures.
• Develop medication safety presentations.
• Answer drug information questions.
• Conduct medication use evaluations.

Pharmacy Administration

Interact with key stakeholders.

• Be actively involved in projects and discussions with the:
  • Clinical Pharmacy Team
  • Pharmacy Network Team
  • Finance Team
  • PBM Account Management Team
• Gain experience in the management of:
  • Pharmacy networks
  • Drug pricing
  • Fraud, waste, and abuse
  • Contractual compliance
  • Claim adjudication
  • Pharmacy billing
  • Benefit design
  • Clinical edits
  • Pharmacy messaging

Integrated Patient Care

Serve as the pharmacy subject matter expert on an interdisciplinary team.

• Review medical and pharmacy claims to identify medication optimization opportunities and benefit affordability options.
• Collect and analyze patient information to provide recommendations based on patient educational needs, formulary and utilization restrictions, cost barriers, and drug therapy problems.
• Complete comprehensive medication reviews for high risk Medicare Advantage customers.
• Provide evidence-based, patient-centered care in collaboration with other health professionals.
• Directly contribute to interdisciplinary patient care plans to improve health outcomes.

Teaching Certificate

Earn a teaching certificate upon completion of a partnering college of pharmacy's program.

• Gain hands-on experience by taking advantage of opportunities to:
  • Present didactic lectures
  • Lead discussion groups
  • Precept APPE students

Annie Schuster joined the company over 15 years ago as a Clinical Pharmacist.  Over the years she’s contributed to various pharmacy services and currently leads the clinical pharmacy team providing services for Cigna’s Medicare customers. After helping start up the residency program over 10 years ago, Annie continues to enjoy the energy that residents bring to the program as well as the reward that comes with helping residents grow professionally over the year. In 2019, Annie was honored to receive the AMCP Managed Care Pharmacy Residency Director/Preceptor Award for her commitment to resident development.

Kassie Herbst, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Quality Improvement

Shenita Outland, PharmD
Clinical Program Advisor, Formulary

Oliver (Trey) Holmes, PharmD
Project Management Sr Advisor Part D Stars

Shivani Patel, PharmD, MBA, BCPS
Clinical Program Sr Manager, Quality Improvement

Annie Schuster, PharmD, FAMCP
Sr Director, Clinical Programs

Jeff Tunney, PharmD
Clinical Program Director, Quality Improvement

Julie Walker, PharmD
Quality Clinical Management Sr Advisor, Quality Improvement

Lindsay Brent, PharmD, MHHC
Pharmacy Resident, Cigna

Emily Ragland, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Cigna

Andrew Frey, PharmD, MBA
Clinical Pharmacist, Cigna

Kassie Herbst, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Cigna

Paul (P.L.) Prater, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist, Cigna

Hamzah Whatley, PharmD
Staff Pharmacist, Utilization Management, Cigna/ Express-Scripts

Jonathan Collar, PharmD, MBA
Director of Pharmacy, Oak Street Health
Clinical Program Sr. Advisor, Cigna

Dana Hale, PharmD, MBA
Clinical Program Sr Advisor, Cigna

Oliver (Trey) Holmes, PharmD
Program Management Sr Advisor, Cigna

Joel Hahn, PharmD, MBA
Product Strategy Sr Advisor, Cigna

Rachael Williams, PharmD, MBA
Pharmacist, Large National Community Pharmacy

Tola Oluyide, PharmD
Consultant Pharmacist
Clinical Advisor, Large National PBM

Vanitra Carlisle Richards, PharmD
Clinical Content Specialist, Wolters Kluwer
Clinical Pharmacist, Large National PBM
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, a College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy Informatics Resident, Vanderbilt Medical Center
Clinical Pharmacist, Cigna (formerly Healthspring)

Applicants must:

• Be a graduate or candidate for graduation from an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited degree program (or one in process of pursuing accreditation) or have a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Committee (FPGEC) certificate from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
• Be eligible for licensure in state will reside in during residency year
• Submit completed application through Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) by end of day, December 27, 2022, and include:
  • Complete application
  • Letter of intent
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcript from school of pharmacy
• If extended a virtual interview, successfully complete Cigna’s role application and interview Process. More information can be found at: How We Hire | Cigna Careers
• Be registered and go through the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) Match process.

Important Reminders:

• Applications are due December 27, 2022. Please refer to PhORCAS for more information.
• Applicants must become licensed within 90 days of residency start.

A large portion of the Cigna Medicare pharmacy team works at home. We are committed to making the work at home arrangement as successful as possible and leveraging technology to maximize the virtual collaborations. We focus on building and enhancing connections with our colleagues and minimizing the challenges as we “work together apart.” During the residency year, the resident may have the opportunity to travel to meet with the Residency Program Director, Preceptors, and other team members for key in-person meetings. Additionally, if the resident is located near a Cigna office, such as the office in Nashville, TN, it may be possible for the resident to reserve a flex space on a first come, first served basis. The resident will be provided the site to review the Cigna global real estate guide and use the reservation system.