Q: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Pacific Beach, San Diego, a lovely little beach town.
Q: Where did you go to college?
I attended the University of Southern California.
Q: What are your favorites?
Food: Chili
Movie: The ShawShank Redemption
Musician: Eric Clapton
Destination: Hawaii
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
I really enjoy cooking outside of work, and I also love photography. Cooking has been my favorite pastime recently, especially if I can find guinea pigs to try my new recipes. I love experimenting with different dishes, and I recently made a cinnamon roll bundt cake that I am particularly proud of.
Q: What kind of work does your company do in 340B and what makes it stand out?
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a 340B safety-net provider. At AHF Pharmacy, our clinically trained pharmacists provide personalized, compassionate care to clients across the country. The 340B program helps us ensure that our clients have access to the medications they need to stay as healthy as possible, regardless of their ability to pay. While we specialize in HIV care and services, we fill all prescriptions and welcome clients regardless of their status.
As a Senior Manager at AHF, I have a unique perspective on our organization. I have a broad view of the ways that AHF stands out as an organization, from our work in housing with the Healthy Housing Foundation and our wellness programs that offer testing and prevention services across the country to our pharmacies, healthcare centers, and global programs, it’s an honor to be a part of an organization that puts the client at the center of the work we do each day.
Q: Why did you choose to work in the 340B space?
I chose to work in the 340B space to support underserved populations. AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a global organization providing medicine and advocacy to millions worldwide. It’s been a dream come true to work for an organization that can help so many people worldwide. We all have tough days at work, but every day when I go home, I know we’ve done something pretty special here in the U.S. and around the world—knowing that the tough day evaporates.
Q: What do you feel is your most significant contribution to the 340B world or to a 340B customer/client?
Here at AHF Pharmacy, we make it our mission to solve problems for our patients, anticipate their needs, and develop meaningful relationships with them. We don’t just dispense medication. We make sure we remove all barriers to care. AHF is unique in that we can offer one-of-a-kind adherence packaging designed around the needs of our patients. Clients also benefit from our model of service. Not only are all of our pharmacists clinically trained, but we’re able to work directly with their providers and nurses to monitor their HIV status and any comorbidities. Our pharmacists are an essential part of the AHF clinical team, who not only provide high-quality personalized services but medications as well.
Q: What advice do you have for a young professional who has recently launched a career in the 340B space?
You’ve got to have compassion above all. Compassion will be the driving force in the work that you do. You must also have patience and understand that the client’s needs must come first. If you put patient needs first, you’ll be able to have a tangible impact on the clients that you serve.
For questions, Scott can be reached at scott.carruthers@ahf.org.
