PROVIDENCE, RI – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has named Samir Mistry, Pharm.D, vice president and chief pharmacy officer. In this role, Mistry will lead BCBSRI’s pharmacy strategy and oversee the company’s relationship with its pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) Prime Therapeutics, LLC.

Mistry joins BCBSRI with two decades of experience in managed care, focusing on strategies to improve quality and lower costs through provider partnerships and innovative contracting. He also has deep domain knowledge in pharmacy trend management, innovative contracting, program development and utilization management.

“I’m pleased to have Dr. Mistry join our team and bring his considerable expertise to an area that is integral to our business," said Kevin Splaine, executive vice president of care integration and management at BCBSRI. “He will be a critical partner to our provider community through his leadership of Blue Cross’ pharmacy operations and clinical support areas."

Prior to joining BCBSRI, Mistry was with pharmacy benefit manager Abarca Health, where he served as vice president, rebates and pricing strategies. In that role, he led trade relations, analytics, outcomes and value-based contracting. He has also served as corporate vice president of pharmacy at InnovaCare Health, Inc., pharmacy practice leader at Optimity Advisors. Mistry has also held roles at Optums’s Ingenix Consulting, Express Scripts, Inc., and Allied Medical Management, Inc.

Mistry is a member of the America's Health Insurance Plans association and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy organization, where he served on the finance committee. He earned his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and completed a residency in managed care pharmacy practice.

Mistry is relocating to Rhode Island from Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife Shweta and two young boys, Nikhil and Tejas.