Meet Dr. Ramya Devineni, PharmD, RPh—a pharmacist with a distinctive path in healthcare. She serves as a Medicare Part D manager at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, where she blends regulatory compliance with clinical knowledge to ensure patients receive necessary medications under Medicare guidelines.
What Kind of Pharmacist Is Dr. Devineni?
Dr. Devineni is a managed care pharmacist. Her work focuses on overseeing pharmacy benefits for health plans, particularly those under Medicare Part D. She ensures her organization complies with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations and provides expertise on the clinical aspects of those benefits.
A Unique Career Path
Her career path is unique because it emphasizes regulatory pharmacy rather than the more common clinical or retail tracks. Even though her role is largely administrative, she regularly applies her pharmacy education to navigate rules, optimize medication access, and support public health initiatives.
A Day in Her Life
There’s no typical day in her role. Since Medicare Part D follows an annual cycle from January 1 to December 31, she’s constantly juggling tasks related to both the current and the upcoming year. Her weekly responsibilities include:
- Collaborating with the organization’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM)
- Communicating with internal teams about plan operations
- Handling CMS-related audits and reports
- Monitoring ongoing compliance and preparing for regulatory changes
Most Rewarding Experience
Dr. Devineni finds the greatest satisfaction when her team helps patients access necessary medications without errors or delays—especially those from elderly or vulnerable populations. Days without complaints or coverage issues are her proudest moments, as they reflect smooth operations and compassionate care.
Most Challenging Experience
The toughest part of her job? Staying up-to-date with evolving federal regulations. A small mistake in interpretation or reporting could result in non-compliance, making attention to detail absolutely critical in her role.
Why She Chose Pharmacy
Drawn to both chemistry and biology, and inspired by her father—a pharmacist and pharmaceutical executive—Dr. Devineni saw pharmacy as a natural fit. It offered a way to engage with science while also directly helping people.
Her Advice to Pharmacy Students
- Build strong relationships with your professors and mentors early on.
- Be curious, open to new experiences, and willing to learn.
- Take full advantage of internships and practice sites—not just to pass your courses, but to understand what real-world pharmacy work looks like.
Dr. Devineni’s story shows that pharmacy is far more than dispensing medications—it’s also about leadership, policy, and creating systems that truly serve patients.
Also Read : Inside the World of an Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist
