April 16, 2010 – The first major milestone in the task of replacing Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) Director Jimmy Mitchell has been reached.
The deadline for applications for the job Mitchell has held since 1997 passed at 11:59 p.m. on April 14. The long-time director, 68, announced his retirement in late January, citing the need to attend to his health and his and his wife’s desire to spend more time with their grandchildren. Mitchell said he will step down after his replacement has been hired, which sources say could occur as soon as early this summer.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the pharmacy office’s parent agency, conducted a nationwide search for the post, which encompasses day-to-day administration of the 340B drug pricing program and oversight of HRSA’s patient safety and clinical pharmacy collaborative.
Spokespersons for HRSA declined to disclose how many applications the agency received for the post and whether there is a timetable for selecting Mitchell’s successor. The position’s annual salary ranges from $123,758 to $155,500.
“HRSA is eager to fill this critical position with the best candidate,” the agency said in an emailed response to questions about the job search. “We are confident that through this nationwide search for a director of [OPA], we will be successful in identifying a dynamic individual.”