A Pharmacy Leadership Journey: From MS HSPAL Online Grad to Program Director 

Since its inception in 1959, Ohio State’s Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration (sometimes known as the Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership) program has prepared the next generation of pharmacy leaders, including past American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) presidents, Harvey A.K. Whitney recipients, and more than 50 current directors of pharmacy across the country.  

When the College of Pharmacy was recruiting for a new Program Director to lead this program, they turned to online MS HSPAL graduate Lisa Mostafavifar, whose experience as a practicing pharmacist, working professional student, and leader in the field gave her a unique perspective to lead the program and its students.   

Lisa brings 15 years of clinical pharmacy experience, five years as a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director, and three years of leadership experience as a Clinical Operations Pharmacy Manager at OhioHealth. But it is Lisa’s experience as a student that motivated her decision to return to the program that helped her in her career.  

“I wanted to grow the program that afforded me new opportunities in my pharmacy career,” Lisa said.   

Experience as an online MS HSPAL student 

While Lisa was working as a Specialty Practice Pharmacist, she became interested in growing her career.  She knew she wanted to move into a formal leadership role, and the MS HSPAL online degree for pharmacists ended up being the perfect fit for her.  

“I knew that it was the right next step for my career, and I knew that if I put in the time, the rewards would be great,” she said. 

Lisa is all too familiar with weighing the pros and cons of deciding to go back to school, including how difficult it is for students to juggle school alongside all of life’s responsibilities.  

“I don’t think there’s ever a right time to go back to school. I entered the program right after I had my third child, so time management between working a full-time job, three kids, and school was challenging, but manageable. With everything I had going on in my life at that moment, I was really grateful that this program allowed me to self-pace myself in an asynchronous way,” she added. 

The program is designed with working professionals in mind, and the asynchronous coursework ended up helping Lisa manage her life, work, and studies.  

Learn more about Lisa’s experience as a working professional student.  

Preparing pharmacy leaders for their next steps 

Through the program, Lisa was able to view her organization’s operations through a new lens. “There was so much about my job that I had no idea went on in the background,” she explained. “As a pharmacy specialist, you spend much of your day in a niche area. As I moved through the program, I was learning about operations and finance, whereas my job on the floor wasn’t involved in all those aspects of pharmacy.”  Now as the Program Director, Lisa is committed to ensuring the curriculum prepares future pharmacy leaders for managing all areas of the healthcare system.  

Lisa earned a managerial position while she was still a student in the program, which opened her eyes to the benefits of being a working professional applying classroom learnings immediately to her job.   

“Everything that I was doing as a manager, I had learned about in the program and I was able to then apply it,” she said. “I got thrown a lot of challenging situations in my first year as a manager, but I knew how to execute on it because I had prepared for them it in the program.”  

Connecting future pharmacy leaders 

The program’s vast alumni network is often a selling point for future students.  

As Program Director, Lisa hopes to develop this network to benefit alumni and students alike.  

“I can use my existing relationships to collaborate with health-system leaders and residency program directors on the future direction of the program. I like to work closely with students as they progress through the program, with the ultimate goal to remain connected throughout their leadership journey as part of the alumni network,” she said.  

Recognizing the importance of building relationships, Lisa plans to introduce the INSPIRE (Inspiring Next-generation Students through Pharmacy Innovation, Relationships, and Excellence) program to partner first-year students with alumni mentors who will help guide students through the program and beyond.  

Alumni frequently join as guest lecturers so that students can see what the program is preparing them for.  

“We really try to engage with our alumni as much as possible,” she explained. “Our alumni work in over 30 different states throughout the country. We call them in as guest lecturers because we want students to establish those connections and for our alumni to share their expertise.” Lisa’s emphasis for building relationships between students, alumni, and industry leaders will help past, current, and future students build connections later in their careers.  

The future of the MS HSPAL program 

Now in her role as the Program Director, Lisa is excited to improve the program, adjusting the curriculum to prepare future pharmacy leaders to get the most out of the program. This includes identifying professional development opportunities for students and alumni as they look for their next step into formal administrative and leadership positions, much like she did when she was a student. “We can connect with organizations who identify potential leadership candidates who need formalized training,” she shared. 

Ultimately, the program’s goal is to prepare future leaders for their next opportunity.  

“This program sets students up for success in the future for any pharmacy administration and leadership position,” she said. “We want to prepare you to take on your next career step, whether that be a coordinator, manager, director, or a Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO).”