Pharmacy Alumna Credits St. John’s for Dynamic Career

“A couple of young St. John’s graduates worked there and encouraged me to attend,” she recalled. “It’s kind of what pharmacists do in the workplace. We encourage young talent to go to pharmacy school.”

Today, as Senior Vice President and Head of CVS Specialty Operations, Ms. Accetta leads CVS Health’s specialty pharmacy business. Her responsibilities include supporting patients with complex and chronic conditions, including mail and retail specialty pharmacy, home infusion and nutrition care, physician sales management, and specialty strategy.

Ms. Accetta also serves as Chief Pharmacy Officer at CVS Health, where she is responsible for advancing the role of pharmacists and technicians with key stakeholders, such as industry associations, state boards of pharmacy, policymakers, educators and students.

A first-generation college student, Ms. Accetta ultimately chose St. John’s not only for its acclaimed Pharmacy program but also for core classes such as theology, philosophy, and English. “I was placed in an honors English class and had never taken philosophy. I really enjoyed them.”

Recalling a medical issue that forced her to miss two weeks in the first semester of her third year, Ms. Accetta spoke lovingly about faculty who permitted her to take midterms later and fellow students who diligently took notes on her behalf. 

“I always remember the camaraderie and the friendships that I made there,” she recalled. “Everybody helped each other, and everyone was willing to support each other. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through pharmacy school without that supportive team of friends.”

“I also met my husband, Robert at a Student American Pharmaceutical Association trip representing St. John’s University,” Ms. Accetta added.

Ms. Accetta has enjoyed a long and varied career, working in community pharmacy (at one time owning her own pharmacy), hospital settings, for pharmaceutical companies, and pharmacy benefit managers. She credits St. John’s for her ability to shift gears and brave a formerly male-dominated field of study.

“St. John’s gave you this entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “School was a foundation for knowledge, but it also gave you vision, mission, and belief that you could do anything. That’s been a theme for my whole career.”

She added, “By networking through word of mouth and professors, I was offered these incredibly out-of-the-box jobs that always intrigued me.”

Of her current role, Ms. Accetta said, “For me, it’s an honor and a privilege to represent CVS Health, the largest employer of pharmacists and the one company that can transform our profession. I don’t think there’s anywhere else I would want to be right now in this profession, and I’m proud to be part of the CVS culture and leadership team. I aspire to make real changes.”

Ms. Accetta sees CVS as a role model in public health and the community and wants to deliver on that reputation. “I’m really proud of the pharmacists we have working for us, and especially proud of our St. John’s alumni who are doing great work here as well.”

Currently, she sits on the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board.“It has been an absolute privilege and honor,” she stressed. “I’m so supportive of the College, and at this point in my career I want to give back and honor the legacy of those who got us started in our careers and give back to current students.”