Foundations of Pharmacy Informatics

Pharmacy Informatics

Is a field that merges pharmacy practice, information science, computer technology, and systems management to optimize how medication-related information flows through the healthcare system

Because modern medication use requires precise, reliable systems that support the safety delivery of drugs from prescription to monitoring

Why does Pharmacy Informatics exist

Pharmacy Informatics

Is the scientific and practical discipline that uses information systems, communication technologies and workflow design to support the safe and effective use of medications throughout the healthcare system

• Information management

• Technology application

• Practice optimization

The definition of Pharmacy Informatics highlights three key components:

Information management

Three components of Pharmacy Informatics

• Organizing medication-related data for safe use

Technology application

Three components of Pharmacy Informatics

• Using systems to support decision and processes

Practice optimization

Three components of Pharmacy Informatics

• Improving medication-use workflows and patient outcomes

Health informatics

• A broad domain concerned with how health information is collected, stored, transmitted, and applied.

• Nursing informatics

• Medical informatics

• Public health informatics

• Pharmacy informatics

Health informatics includes areas such as:

Pharmacy informatics

Is a specialized branch that deals specifically with medication data and systems

Biomedical informatics

• The scientific foundation underlying all health informatics

• Biology

• Medicine

• Computer science

• Information theory

Biomedical informatics combines:

• data structure

• algorithms

• decision-making models

Biomedical informatics emphasizes:

False

Pharmacy informatics is not an applied science built upon the principles of biomedical informatics. T or F

Clinical informatics

Applies informatics directly to clinical care settings

• Diagnosis

• Treatment

• Patient monitoring

Clinical informatics supports Clinicians in:

• EHRs

• CPOE

• Decision support tools

Clinical Informatics includes the development of:

True

Pharmacy informatics exist under clinical informatics, focusing on medication therapy? T or F

Medication-Use informatics

This emphasizes improving each step of the medication-use process of Prescribing, Transcribing, Dispensing, Administration, and Monitoring.

Medication-Use informatics

This term is often used interchangeably with pharmacy informatics

• Electronic Health Record (EHR)

• Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)

• Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

• Pharmacy Information Systems (PIS)

• Automated Dispensing Systems

Core Systems in Pharmacy Informatics

• Pharmacist are essential to informatics work because the medication-use system is highly specialized and requires clinical judgement.

• Pharmacist-informaticians serve as clinical, technical, analytical, and administrative experts

What is the role of pharmacist in informatics?

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Digital platform containing patient information

• Medication lists

• Allergies

• Labs

• Notes

• Diagnostic data

EHR contains patient information such as:

Computerized Provider Order Entry

Tool for prescribers to enter medication orders electronically, reducing handwriting and transcription errors.

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

Provide alerts and recommendations

• Drug-drug interactions

• Drug-allergy warnings

• Dose adjustments

• Therapeutic duplications

CDSS provides alerts and recommendations on:

Pharmacy Information Systems (PIS)

Manages medication inventory, dispensing processes, and workflows within hospital or community settings

Automated Dispensing Systems

Includes robots, dispensing cabinets, barcode medication administration, and automated compounding machines.

• System Design, Build, and Implementation

• Clinical Decision Support Development Responsibilities

• Medication Safety and Quality Programs (Pharmacist-Informaticians)

• Data Management and Analytics

• Automation and Technology Oversight

• Education, Training, and Support

• Policy, Governance, and Regulatory Compliance

Role of Pharmacists in Informatics: