As an informatic pharmacist, you'll be at the forefront of healthcare innovation, using technology to improve patient care and outcomes. Informatic pharmacists work closely with patients, healthcare providers, and technology to ensure safe and effective medication use.
Informatic pharmacists use their expertise in pharmacy and technology to design and implement healthcare systems, such as electronic health records and medication management systems. They also analyze data to identify trends and areas for improvement.
With the increasing demand for healthcare technology, informatic pharmacists are in high demand. According to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the demand for informatic pharmacists is expected to grow significantly in the next decade.
Informatic pharmacists can specialize in areas like clinical informatics, pharmacy informatics, or public health informatics.
What Is Informatic Pharmacist?
A career as an informatic pharmacist can be incredibly rewarding, and for good reason. The field of Pharmacy Informatics is all about applying informatics innovations and technologies in pharmacy settings, which includes electronic prescribing, tracking inventory, maintaining databases, and tracking adverse drug events.
As a pharmacy informaticist, you'll have the opportunity to work with electronic health records, medication management systems, and other health information systems to improve patient care and safety. In fact, the work of pharmacy informaticists helps to prevent errors, maintain and improve patient safety, and coordinate care.
One of the key responsibilities of a pharmacy informaticist is to interface information technology and medication use to improve safety, efficiency, and patient care, as defined by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). This can involve entering data on patients and their medications into computer systems, tracking inventories of medications, and tracking how medications are being prescribed and used.
To give you a better idea of the day-to-day tasks of a pharmacy informaticist, here are some common duties:
- Entering data on patients and their medications into computer systems.
- Tracking inventories of medications.
- Tracking how medications are being prescribed and used.
- Maintaining and improving the health information systems used by pharmacies.
- Analyzing the data input by other pharmacy informatics workers.
- Training other healthcare professionals to use the health information systems.
As a pharmacy informaticist, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your work is making a difference both for patients and for your fellow healthcare workers.
Healthcare Careers
As a career in pharmacy informatics grows, it offers a solid salary and the chance to improve care and safety in the pharmacy field.
Pharmacy informaticists can specialize in the total medication process, from ordering to administration, and be responsible for process design, development, and implementation of the Electronic Medical Record and Clinical Decision Support.
An informatics pharmacist is a resource for clinicians, supporting requests related to PharmNet, PowerChart, and Discern rule changes and additions.
They analyze pharmacy data, clinical data, cost data, and other functional data to improve clinical outcome, cost control, and system optimization.
What Is Healthcare?
Healthcare is an interdisciplinary field that brings together business analytics, information technology, and health sciences to focus on health care.
Healthcare informatics professionals utilize data, information, knowledge, technology, and automation daily in their roles.
This field integrates various expertise to leverage information for optimal outcomes and financial efficiencies.
Healthcare professionals with titles such as health care informatics professionals would be an ideal fit for a career in healthcare.
These professionals help ensure optimal patient care by utilizing all the essential elements of healthcare informatics.
Health Care Careers
Health care careers are a great option for those who want to make a difference in people's lives while also having a stable and well-paying job. The field of health care informatics is continuously growing, with a 20 percent increase in demand expected in the coming years.
Salaries in the health informatics field can range from $70,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the job, experience, and location. For example, health care managers have a median salary of $101,340 per year, while computer systems analysts average $99,270 per year.
There are many jobs available in the health care informatics field, including health care managers, computer systems analysts, and medical records and health information analysts. These professionals use their technical skills to improve care and safety in the health care system.
Some of the specific jobs in health care informatics include health care managers, computer systems analysts, and medical records and health information analysts. Here are some salary ranges for these jobs:
These jobs are not only well-paying but also offer the opportunity to make a positive impact on people's lives. Whether you're interested in management, technology, or data analysis, there's a job in health care informatics that's right for you.
Informatic Pharmacist Programs
If you're interested in becoming an informatic pharmacist, you'll want to look into programs that can provide you with the necessary education and training.
The Johns Hopkins University Pharmacy Residency Program: Pharmacy Informatics is one such program that can help you get started in this career.
To be successful as an informatic pharmacist, you'll need to have a solid understanding of the total medication process, from ordering to administration.
The HIMMS Pharmacy Informatics program is another option that can provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this field.
According to the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, there is a growing need for pharmacy informatics education in professional programs at US colleges of pharmacy.
You can expect to learn about effective process design, development, and implementation of the Electronic Medical Record and Clinical Decision Support systems.
Some informatic pharmacists specialize in turning pharmacy data into useful information, while others focus on improving clinical outcomes and cost control.
In the words of Dave Wolfe, an informatic pharmacist is someone who "takes that data and turns it into useful information."
Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Beth Breeden is an Associate Professor and Chair of Graduate Studies in Health Care Informatics at the Lipscomb University College of Health Sciences.
Dr. Jay Dorris is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and joined the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy faculty in 2023.
We have a team of experienced adjunct faculty members, including Tom Wilson, Brant Beard, Wing Liu, Ben Moore, Danny Bonn, Bryan Thornton, and Bill Wright.
These faculty members bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our program, helping to prepare our students for success in the field of health care informatics.
Here's a quick rundown of our faculty:
Our faculty's expertise and experience are a testament to the quality of our program, and we're confident that they'll help you achieve your goals in the field of health care informatics.
Informatic Pharmacist Roles
An informatic pharmacist is a specialist who uses their knowledge of pharmacy and technology to improve patient care and outcomes. They are responsible for analyzing data and turning it into useful information to improve clinical outcomes, cost control, and system optimization.
Informatic pharmacists are involved in various roles, including informatics pharmacists, pharmacy information systems technical specialists, and clinical informatics pharmacists. They work with different systems, such as Electronic Medical Records and Clinical Decision Support, to improve the medication-use process.
Informatic pharmacists are also involved in the development and implementation of pharmacy information systems, including database management, system maintenance, and updates. They work with IT departments to improve and maintain systems, and provide training to pharmacists and technicians on information systems.
Here are some of the specific roles that informatic pharmacists may take on:
These roles demonstrate the variety of responsibilities that informatic pharmacists may have, and the importance of their work in improving patient care and outcomes.
Sources
- https://www.lipscomb.edu/academics/programs/health-care-informatics-online-ms-certificate
- https://www.biohealthmatics.com/careers/pharmacy-informatics/
- https://www.clinfowiki.org/wiki/index.php/Pharmacy_Informatics
- https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2014/02/04/whats-your-definition-of-an-informatics-pharmacist/
- https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/what-is-pharmacy-informatics/7294922
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