Pharmacy Informatics

[rxblitzrx]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

This hasn't been discussed in about a year. Does anyone currently work as an IT Pharmacist? I'd love to hear more about what you do, what systems you work with, the future of this growing field, etc...

 

[lorain]

this is a exciting field

but the problem is its risky

when you are talking about IT

1. you run the risk of outsourcing
2. they might just try to train an internal candidate instead of hiring a rph specifically for that

 

[Its Z]

Pharmacy Informatics is an absolutely wide open industry. With the "Meaningful Use" initiative and the CMS payment and the potential for financial penalty if healthcare system does not have Electronic Health Record in near future, sky is the limit for pharmacy informatics.

20 years ago, I participated in Pyxis install as an intern. Since then, IT has been a big part of my career. I remember in 2004, I was unloading a truck load of Pyxis cabinets and wheeling them across my hospital.

But for the past 5 years in consulting management field, I don't feel like I've gotten enough hands on experience with CPOE. With only approximately 30% of the hospitals in the US with EHR, healthcare informatics and CPOE movement will be "for lack of a better term" HUGE.

There are many different reasons why I left the best pharmacy job in the world... but one of the main reasons was to participate in a system implementation of EHR and CPOE for the next 2 years. This experience will be invaluable for me.

That being said, RX Informatics system is fairly brand specific. Eclipsys, Cerner, Meditech, etc etc... so expertise in one brand may not mean you can hop on a different system and run with it.

 

[rxblitzrx]

Pharmacy Informatics is an absolutely wide open industry. With the "Meaningful Use" initiative and the CMS payment and the potential for financial penalty if healthcare system does not have Electronic Health Record in near future, sky is the limit for pharmacy informatics.

20 years ago, I participated in Pyxis install as an intern. Since then, IT has been a big part of my career. I remember in 2004, I was unloading a truck load of Pyxis cabinets and wheeling them across my hospital.

But for the past 5 years in consulting management field, I don't feel like I've gotten enough hands on experience with CPOE. With only approximately 30% of the hospitals in the US with EHR, healthcare informatics and CPOE movement will be "for lack of a better term" HUGE.

There are many different reasons why I left the best pharmacy job in the world... but one of the main reasons was to participate in a system implementation of EHR and CPOE for the next 2 years. This experience will be invaluable for me.

That being said, RX Informatics system is fairly brand specific. Eclipsys, Cerner, Meditech, etc etc... so expertise in one brand may not mean you can hop on a different system and run with it.

Thanks for your reply, Its Z. It sounds like you've been around the block a few times with IT pharmacy. I've been trying to do my homework and read up in this area, but could you answer a few questions for me?

1. I have a bachelor's degree in MIS and I was a programmer for a few years before switching to pharmacy. Some of my course work included relational databases (SQL server), object oriented programming languages, and transaction processing on the web (ASP, JavaScript, VBScript)... does this give me any significant advantage over other job candidates who have done a residency in Informatics?

2. I agree that the CPOE/EMR movement is exponentially growing. However, what happens to these implementation teams after everything is in place? Will I still have a job as the IT Pharmacist? If so, what will that roll be?

3. If I interview for a job as an IT Pharmacist, what's the typical salary range to expect?

 

[Its Z]

IT pharmacist isn't a "programmer." Your programming background is nice but not necessary unless you actually get a job with a software EHR company. Can't help you with that industry.

But I certainly wouldn't hire a fresh grad as an IT pharmacist. The IT part is easy. The hard part is actually implementing electronic health processes with the IT program you own.
There's not much into data entry of drugs and charge code descriptions into a computer screen. But making the technology functional using the tool is where it's at. And this cannot be done unless you have a full understanding of how a drug order is originated all the way through how it's administered while being verified through bar code scanning and while it's properly charged to proper patient. Basically you need to have a full understanding of healthcare system pharmacy practice, regulations, clinical program implementation, financials, and operational workflow.

You need to understand how to convert a written order into a online touch screen order or IPAD. You need to understand how to incorporate necessary clinical quality measures into treatment guideline based best practice protocol into a CPOE program. You need to understand how CPOE program interfaces with Automated Dispensing and bedside order verifications. You need to understand healthcare/pharmacy billing and charge master.

How do you learn all this? Work experience. Basically know everything there's to know about pharmacy operation then convert the processes into EHR platform.

And for that...you'll make a little more than a staff pharmacist but you'll work sane hours...M-F 8 to 5 type of schedule. And constantly monitor and update the system... IT pharmacist will always have a job.

 

[filipelli]

I can answer some of your questions, being that I am an informatics pharmacist currently building CPOE in a multifacilty health system.

1. I have a bachelor's degree in MIS and I was a programmer for a few years before switching to pharmacy. Some of my course work included relational databases (SQL server), object oriented programming languages, and transaction processing on the web (ASP, JavaScript, VBScript)... does this give me any significant advantage over other job candidates who have done a residency in Informatics?

You won't need any of those experiences in the acutal job, but it may be good that your employer knows that you have the capability of deeper problem solving or understanding of systems than the average pharmacist.


2. I agree that the CPOE/EMR movement is exponentially growing. However, what happens to these implementation teams after everything is in place? Will I still have a job as the IT Pharmacist? If so, what will that roll be?

IT NEVER ENDS. Trust me. Even though CPOE is all well and implemented, there is a inordinate amount of maintenance that goes into the system including in the realm of report building and running, formulary management, new initiaites and work flow (for example I am currently building a workflow for breast milk labels to go from order entry to NICUs). There will be buildng of rules, customizing of clrinical decision support, managment of formulary and automation. An IT pharmacist has to be a jack of all trades.


3. If I interview for a job as an IT Pharmacist, what's the typical salary range to expect?


Depends.... on the experience you have, what stage the health system or hospital is in with its technologies, what responsibilities you are given etc.With a residency you may get slightly more than an entry level staff pharmacist, but you prove yourself down the line and once you have gained experience in desiging, building, and implementing tyou prove yourself invaluable.

 

[filipelli]

IT pharmacist isn't a "programmer." Your programming background is nice but not necessary unless you actually get a job with a software EHR company. Can't help you with that industry.

But I certainly wouldn't hire a fresh grad as an IT pharmacist. The IT part is easy. The hard part is actually implementing electronic health processes with the IT program you own.
There's not much into data entry of drugs and charge code descriptions into a computer screen. But making the technology functional using the tool is where it's at. And this cannot be done unless you have a full understanding of how a drug order is originated all the way through how it's administered while being verified through bar code scanning and while it's properly charged to proper patient. Basically you need to have a full understanding of healthcare system pharmacy practice, regulations, clinical program implementation, financials, and operational workflow.

You need to understand how to convert a written order into a online touch screen order or IPAD. You need to understand how to incorporate necessary clinical quality measures into treatment guideline based best practice protocol into a CPOE program. You need to understand how CPOE program interfaces with Automated Dispensing and bedside order verifications. You need to understand healthcare/pharmacy billing and charge master.

How do you learn all this? Work experience. Basically know everything there's to know about pharmacy operation then convert the processes into EHR platform.

And for that...you'll make a little more than a staff pharmacist but you'll work sane hours...M-F 8 to 5 type of schedule. And constantly monitor and update the system... IT pharmacist will always have a job.

I agree whole heartedly with this reply. You cannot just be focused on IT IT IT. You have to be a pharmacist first to really become a good informatics pharmacist.

 

[rxblitzrx]

Thanks for the replies everyone; this was very helpful information.

Really quick - who does all the IT pharmacist hiring? I'm getting my phone calls from the CIO branch of the hospital and supposedly reporting to the Director of Applications.

 

[filipelli]

Interesting..

I suppose it would depend on the hospital. I was hired by the clinical supervisor and director of pharmacy.

 

[tydt]

I will be a pharmacy student this fall, and just want to know what are the prefer requirements to get a position as an informatics pharmacist? Any recommendations? Should I go do residency after graduation or go straight into retail for a while?

 

[filipelli]

You should look at ashp's website. They have some job listings on there for the requirements

 

[rxblitzrx]

You should look at ashp's website. They have some job listings on there for the requirements

ASHP definitely has some excellent articles. Any other sources with useful info for Pharmacy Informatics?