Technology has helped advance healthcare practices which enables health practitioners around the globe to provide better services for their patients. This is often called “medical informatics” – a term coined in the late 1870s. At the time, pharmacists helped introduce a primitive telemedicine system that connected one drugstore to multiple physicians, making their operations more efficient. This is just one of many historical accounts which reveal how pharmacy has been an early adopter of information technology to enhance patient care. This is better known as “pharmacy informatics.”
What is pharmacy informatics?
In general, medical informatics is the use of information technology to analyze, process, and disseminate medical data to improve outcomes. Pharmacy informatics, in particular, stores and integrates health data and information to carry out effective medication use in patients.
Some pharmacy informatics applications include the following technologies that help organize and monitor data points:
- Automated dispensing units (ADUs) – Computerized medicine cabinet that stores and dispenses medicines in hospitals and health clinics
- Prescription drug monitoring system – Automated database that tracks prescriptions for controlled substances
- Electronic medical or health records – A confidential digital repository of patient records that may include data on medical history, diagnosis, treatment, and test results, among others
- Immunization registries – A confidential computerized database of immunization records of a certain population
- Computerized prescriber/physician order entry (CPOE) – Electronic entries of patient prescriptions and treatment plans from a physician that are relayed to medical staff and healthcare diagnostic departments to help carry out the orders
The Benefits of Pharmacy Informatics
The use and continued exploration of new technologies in the pharmaceutical field allows practitioners to carry out their mission to provide care for their patients through effective:
- Prescription management
- Drug distribution
- Inventory management & monitoring
- Documentation
Simply, pharmacy informatics is beneficial because it enables practitioners to serve the right person with the right drug, and equips the patient with proper information on the right dosage, time, and route, for better compliance—all while monitoring and storing complete data points.
Technology is fast-evolving and healthcare practitioners want to keep leveraging new tools and techniques to enhance their practices. As your partner, we want to continuously support pharmacists in your journey to advance your skillsets through education.
