Dan Kistner, PharmD

Dan leads the Vizient pharmacy program, which assists customer hospitals in transforming their pharmacy program into a central point of integrated care with solutions that help manage cost and improve quality outcomes for patients. Under his direction, the program supports more than half the nation’s health systems and a robust portfolio of 12,000 contracted pharmaceutical products, providing access, choice and value across acute, specialty, non-acute, home infusion and long-term care facilities.

Dan has been an active voice on behalf of Vizient customers. He regularly updates government leaders and elected and federal officials, including the Food and Drug Administration, on issues and trends related to drug price increases, shortages and the need for more transparency across the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Dan also oversees Vizient’s highly successful, 30-year Novaplus private label pharmacy program. Under his leadership, the program has expanded to include an Enhanced Supply program that helps ensure the availability of essential medications in the supply chain.

Under Dan’s leadership, the Vizient pharmacy team has published important analysis of the hidden costs of drug shortages and pricing practices for existing drugs after receiving regulatory approval. His team also published a list of essential medicines, the absence of which could threaten hospitals’ ability to provide care.

With a doctor of pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Dan joined Vizient through the MedAssets integration, where he previously served as general manager of pharmacy. He has a diverse background in the pharmaceutical industry that includes experience in benefits management, retail, hospital, specialty and mail order.

Dan is a frequent industry speaker and has been interviewed and quoted in numerous publications such as NBC, CNN, Bloomberg News, Politico, Modern Healthcare, Becker’s Hospital Review, Drug Topics, Managed Healthcare and The Center for Biosimilars. He has been recognized in the industry as a NextGeneration Pharmacist award finalist and as the 2022 Change Maker of the Year for the work he has led on ending drug shortages.