Today I’m sharing a guest blog post by Dr. Tony Dao, informatics pharmacist.
Embrace Technology
Blue screen? Frozen computer? Virus attack?
These are normal day-to-day problems that are not uncommon to us. This is because our world is rooted in the deep ends of technology and our daily lives are controlled by it. However, you don’t need to let it control you; you can take control of the technology around you by learning and understanding how they work. But why should you embrace technology? Being a pharmacy student or a pharmacist, you may wonder, “Why should I care? How would embracing technology help me?”
Healthcare is Changing
When the HITECH Act was passed, we didn’t know how big of an impact that would make on our healthcare industry. The government pushed out incentives and regulations to get every hospital and health care system on an electronic platform. No matter what you’re going to eventually do, you will be surrounded by new machines and software that you’ll need to use. It’s not only going to be you; it will be everyone around you in all other departments of whichever facility you’ll be in. Embracing this fact will allow you to mesh well with the transition that our country is going through for healthcare advancement.
Pharmacists Roles are Evolving
We know that health care and patient care is a complex world. Pharmacists have to study for years in order to master the art of clinical pharmacy practice. However, pharmacists use a lot of tools in order to reach the final decisions when in clinical practice. With the change in the healthcare landscape to be more technology-driven, so will the tools of a pharmacist. It’s your duty to be aware of these tools and maybe delve into new technology-based niches that will no longer be “niche” in the future, such as data analytics, clinical informatics, and medication use process pharmacists.
Time is Money
By learning and embracing the technology around you, you will be able to make your day more efficient and your clinical practice more impactful. Even if you don’t end up being in a pharmacy informatics profession, just knowing the inner workings of how data is stored and analyzed can help you immensely with reaching conclusions on treatment plans. Time is money, so the more efficient you are, the less time you’ll need. You’ll be saving yourself some time and be providing more efficient and better care to those around you.
Remember, technology is the tool, patient care is the goal.
About the Author:
Tony Dao, PharmD, CPEHR, CPHIT, CPHIMS, received his pharmacy degree at USC School of Pharmacy in 2012. After graduating, Tony worked on the build and implementation of the pharmacy module for the new electronic health record at the Ventura County Healthcare Agency (VCHCA). Since then, his primary area of practice has been clinical pharmacy informatics at VCHCA for 5 years and currently practices at CHOC Children’s in Orange County. He also works as an inpatient pharmacist for Kindred Healthcare and volunteers his time precepting health fairs, providing guest lectures on clinical informatics, and participating in multiple professional organizations and section advisory groups.
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Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.