Navitus’ Sharon Faust Reflects on Career Path from Pharmacy to Business Strategy | PBMI Innovator

Sharon Faust, Pharm.D., MBA, has been recognized as one of the winners of Managed Healthcare Executive’s inaugural PBMI Innovator Award. As the senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Navitus Health Solutions, Faust is helping shape the future of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) at a time of major change in the industry.

Faust’s journey from clinical pharmacy into the strategic side of pharmacy benefits has been both surprising and rewarding, she told MHE in an interview. While she originally saw herself as a scientist focused on patient care, she found that her skills in problem-solving and critical thinking were a natural fit for the business side of healthcare.

“I think getting into the business side of specialty and pharmacy benefits has actually been really interesting for me, because it is a lot of strategy and thinking through how (you) align benefits,” Faust said. “When I went through pharmacy school, I would have never thought I’d be so focused on business components. I grew up thinking I was just a scientist, but the ability to think creatively and strategically really does align with business strategy—and also with aligning your entire organization around that strategy and goal.”

At Navitus, Faust plays a leading role in designing pharmacy benefit models that aim to improve outcomes and manage costs. Her work often involves coordinating across departments, using data to guide decision-making and staying focused on the patient impact of every strategic choice.

Winning the PBMI Innovator Award highlights her leadership and innovative thinking at a time when PBMs are under intense scrutiny and expected to evolve rapidly. This recognition reflects not only her professional success but also the growing importance of bringing clinical insight into business strategy.

As the pharmacy benefit landscape continues to change, leaders such as Faust are helping push the field forward by bridging science, strategy and a commitment to better healthcare outcomes.