What is Pharmacy Informatics?

The technology of today is transforming countless industries, and healthcare is among them. From robotic surgeries to virtual visits, the world of medicine is adapting to these technological advances and using them to innovate patient care and medication, enable further research, and improve efficiency throughout the field of healthcare.

Pharmacy technology is also rapidly expanding, allowing pharmaceutical professionals to improve accuracy and safety, solve complex problems, and streamline operations through hardware and software advancement. With a projected 8,700 new jobs available each year, it’s a great time to consider becoming a licensed pharmacist.

As this field continues to grow, there is an emerging need for professionals who are skilled in both pharmacology and technology, leveraging data to create better outcomes for doctors, pharmacists, and patients alike. If you are looking for a way to combine technological skills with a passion for medicine and data, pharmacy informatics may be the perfect field for you.

What Does an Informatics Pharmacist Do?

Health informatics is a field that is growing rapidly alongside technological advances in healthcare. It seeks to collect, store, and analyze personal health information (PHI) to improve outcomes for patients.

An informatics pharmacist works within the field of health informatics to oversee patient care as it relates to medicine. By combining their knowledge of medicines and technology, they come up with innovative solutions that help physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Often, pharmacy informatics works with electronic health records (EHR) to simplify communication between patients, pharmacies, and providers, which creates an opportunity for faster prescription fulfillment and reduces the margin for error.

Pharmacy informaticists work in a variety of settings, but a passion for data is essential to each of them. They examine patient data points like medication dosage, side effects, drug interactions, and contraindications, then share their findings with the patient’s healthcare team through electronic health records. This allows providers to treat patients accurately and effectively.

Informatics pharmacists also study data points on a bigger scale, searching for ways to optimize healthcare information systems and software technologies. They often work alongside IT professionals to improve or revamp the technological systems that keep patient records.

In addition to being proficient data analysts, pharmacy informaticists must also have excellent communication skills. They are often tasked with sharing their findings with other healthcare professionals, breaking down complex medicinal and technical information into actionable steps for improvement. Their ultimate goal is to improve the quality of medicinal data available to providers and pharmacists and create better ways to share that data with the necessary parties.

The Future of Pharmacy Informatics Careers

Pharmacy informatics is an emerging field that provides a host of opportunities for those pursuing this career. If you’re interested in a career in pharmacy, pharmacoinformatics allows you to step outside traditional pharmaceutical careers and become a “pharmacist innovator” who shapes the future of medicinal information and patient care.

The career outlook for pharmacy informaticists is promising. As this field continues to grow, more job opportunities will become available. And if you’re wondering, “How much does an informatics pharmacist make?”, the current average salary for this role is nearly $130,000, with even higher rates available for those with specialized training and certifications.

Depending on your area of interest and expertise, there are several informatics pharmacist positions you might consider after becoming a doctor of pharmacy. Your future career offers many promising paths, including:

• Pharmacy Data Analyst – If you prefer to analyze clinical data, you could specialize in studying pharmacy data to make sure information is being used accurately and effectively, modifying processes to optimize the system along the way.
• Pharmacy Administration Specialist – If you’re passionate about drug safety, you could become a specialist who tracks the use and administration of medicine, audits inventory and stock, and creates reports based on your findings to share in your healthcare setting.

How to Become a Pharmacy Informaticist

There are many rewarding career paths within pharmacy. With the ability to work anywhere in the United States, help your community, and take home a competitive salary, a career in this field is well worth it. Whether you’re considering a career change or just starting out in your educational journey, the path to becoming a licensed pharmacist begins with your decision to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree.

Earning your Doctor of Pharmacy degree is challenging, but the benefits are numerous. This doctoral program opens up countless opportunities in your future career and provides you with an advantageous resume for potential employers. You’ll be a confident expert in your field, no matter which pharmacy career you choose to pursue.

After graduating with your Doctor of Pharmacy degree, you’ll complete two years of residency, gaining real-world experience based on your PharmD education. Following completion of your PharmD degree, you’ll apply for licensure as a pharmacist. Every state in the U.S. requires pharmacists to be licensed. As a licensed pharmacist, you can pursue a career in your chosen specialty within the field.

Earn Your Doctor of Pharmacy Online at the University of Findlay

Pursuing a traditional doctorate degree while balancing the demands of life can be difficult for even the most passionate and intelligent of candidates. Through our innovative pharmacy pathway at the University of Findlay, you now have the option to earn your PharmD degree online. You can experience the convenience of online coursework while still gaining valuable in-person experiences through on-campus immersions and experiential learning right in your local community.

Our Distance Doctor of Pharmacy program is available to students in 48 states in a four-year distance learning format with zero summer classes required. The University of Findlay also has several graduate dual degree options available, including a Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) that can propel you into a promising career as an informatics pharmacist. This unique degree combination opens a world of opportunity to pursue your passions in healthcare and technology simultaneously.

At the University of Findlay, you’ll find dedicated faculty and staff who are committed to providing personal development opportunities for each future pharmacist, preparing you well for the future of healthcare and technology. You’ll experience the Findlay difference firsthand through our one-week immersion programs, and you’ll earn valuable insights in the field through extensive Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences. Coupled with our ACPE-accredited degree program, you’ll be prepared to become a pharmacist who excels wherever you land.

To discover how bright your future can be as a pharmacy informaticist, speak to a dedicated PharmD Enrollment Advisor at the University of Findlay today.