Patient Access Manager - San Francisco

Role Summary

Patient Access Manager (PAM) at Acadia, a field-based expert supporting healthcare providers in navigating access and reimbursement for Acadia therapies. Acts as a liaison among healthcare providers, specialty pharmacies, payers, patients, hub services, and internal teams to remove barriers to care in the assigned geographic territory. This is a non-promotional role with travel required.

Responsibilities

• Proactively educate healthcare providers on navigating programs, processes, and access-related requirements to facilitate patient access to ACADIA products via in-person and virtual interactions.
• Serve as the subject matter expert in preventing and addressing access and reimbursement issues through education, problem-solving, and issue resolution to support the patient’s access journey and deliver excellent customer experience.
• Proactively build and maintain access-related relationships with HCP accounts and their office support staff.
• Demonstrate deep market knowledge and apply this to navigating the patient access process, supporting coverage and reimbursement requirements.
• Conduct proactive in-services with HCPs on all aspects of the access journey, including coverage pathways, prior authorization, specialty pharmacy coordination, appeals, hub resources, and patient support services.
• Escalate local payer issues to National Account Managers and PAM Leads.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to simplify complex issues, improving customer experience and educating offices on coverage status, prior authorization, and appeals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ACADIA customer support programs and serve as the territory expert.
• Provide proactive pre-referral educational in-services to prevent coverage barriers before referral.
• Provide post-referral support to HCP offices by addressing education needs and coordinating with support programs and specialty pharmacies to monitor referral status.
• Support continuity of patient access by educating offices on reauthorization requirements, payer transitions, and program services to minimize interruptions.
• Facilitate patient reimbursement and affordability by guiding offices through prior authorizations, appeals, and financial support options.
• Build relationships with pharmacy staff and share key insights.
• Provide expertise on regional and national payer plans to team members and PAM Leads.
• Support development and implementation of national-level initiatives to improve access and reimbursement strategies across brands.
• Champion and manage appropriate utilization of patient support services and ensure compliance with legal/regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; life sciences concentration preferred. Advanced degrees (RN, MSN, MBA) are a plus.
• Minimum of 4+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical sales, market access, national accounts, or specialty pharmacy; deep expertise in access and reimbursement strategies.
• Medicare expertise strongly preferred with understanding of the field environment in the healthcare industry.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Required Skills

• Track record of increased responsibilities.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and ability to lead without authority.
• Experience working with provider offices such as physician practices or patient assistance programs.
• Patient-centric and service-oriented mindset with exemplary interpersonal skills.
• High emotional intelligence and empathy; strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Understanding of HIPAA rules and patient privacy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Strong computer skills including Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to manage expenses within budgets; adaptable to change; team-driven.
• Ability to travel up to 60%.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree; life sciences concentration preferred. Advanced degrees (RN, MSN, MBA) are a plus.

Additional Requirements

• Physical requirements: ability to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, see, talk, and hear; may lift up to 20 pounds.