How can pharmacists retain relevance in this brave new world? This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. The digital revolution has made life more convenient for millions of people. “Imagine if a nurse calls the hospital pharmacy to ask where a patient’s medication is,” Aungst told Today. Additionally, they can consult with real pharmacists about their medication or medical concerns. With that in mind, here are 5 technology-dependent trends that are increasingly making an impact on pharmacy. AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 6, 2021 / Austin-based clinical pharmacist Trupti Sarang recently shared her expert opinion on how lifestyle and technology affect our health in two articles with Thrive Global and TMC.net. In two recent articles, Trupti Sarang lent her expertise as a clinical pharmacist. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that pharmacists receive a national median pay of $111,570 per year. While shopping for a new automobile for the first time in 7 years, my wife and I were in awe over the advances in technology. Several types of robotic, computer-controlled devices for measuring drug doses for customers have come to market at the time of publication. landscape may affect the demand for these services in the future. Copyright © 2021 Informa Connect Limited. “If you go back 20 or 30 years before the widespread use of the Internet, patients and providers relied on pharmacists for drug information because we had the information, and they didn’t,” said Aungst. “I have been meeting with pharmacists and students interested in leveraging technology and using it in pharmacy practice, so as a whole we do have active players involved, but we could use more support across the profession.”. “Could someone do the same for pharmacy?”, Today, there are many machines on the market capable of filling prescriptions and checking medications. Any discrepancies, such as incorrect medications or broken pills, will result in an error report. Although this could eliminate a patient’s trip to the community pharmacist, a medication identification app could have a positive influence during the hospital admission medication reconciliation process. “I don’t think any taxi driver thought that they would eventually have competition like this, but there is because someone thought of something different,” Aungst explained. When an employee is efficient, he turns out to be productive. Pharmacists are an integral part of the health care team, and are among the most trusted and accessible health care professionals. The use of modern technology and information systems help pharmacists service customers faster and significantly reduce the likelihood of errors in prescription refills. “These technologies help speed up the logistics of drug preparation and verification so patients get their medications faster,” said Aungst. Another improvement in pharmacy service has been the implementation of machines specifically engineered to count out individual doses. Traditionally, this involved a system of inputting the information, filling the prescription, a technician visual check of the prescription, and a pharmacist visual verification. Training: Following graduation from a Pharm.D. Electronic Prior Authorization Student pharmacists and practicing pharmacists need to keep an eye out for opportunities where technologies can be incorporated into pharmacy practice. “One could imagine technology replacing people, but we’ve seen the opposite,” said Scheckelhoff. The pharmacist “has a huge scalability to reach as many people as possible.”. Not all patients can or need medication therapy monitoring by pharmacists. Browse our events, training, articles and people by topic, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). As technology continues to evolve, the medical field as a whole is trying to learn how to adjust to technology, noted Aungst. “Imagine if the time comes when a pharmacist offers counseling on medications, and the patient says, “No need, I can just use my phone to look up the information’,” said Aungst. Advances in health care technology such as computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and electronic medical records (EMRs) free up pharmacists’ time by automating certain tasks so they can dedicate more time to patients. Over the past 40 years, information technology has had a major impact … According to the company’s website, the service has more than 20,000 scientific journals, more than 20 million scientific articles, and several other resources. The future of pharmacy has been an ongoing discussion for some years. The role of information technology in pharmacy practice is dynamic and not likely to lose relevance in the coming years. A total of 43.4% of hospitals use computerized data mining to identify patients in … On the positive side, automation technologies can offer many benefits. I Like to Work Directly with Patients. By now, most hospitals already make use of an EHR (Electronic Health Record) system, but pharmacies around the country are finding this system beneficial as well. As society’s use of technology continues to increase, and as technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, digital health is here to stay. A major concern throughout the healthcare community is the growing problem of drug addiction, especially as it relates to prescription opiates. “This will have huge ramifications because not only does the pharmacy have that laboratory data, the patient’s provider will want that data, which will need to be shared through an integrated electronic health record system.”. They can help improve patient safety by potentially reducing medication errors. While this process was once very time-consuming, modern technology has made it easier and faster to process a prescription. “Technology offers hospital pharmacists the ability to counsel more patients, have a greater visibility on hospital floors, and expand clinical roles, but only if we are willing to take a leap of faith and embrace change,” said Timothy Dy Aungst, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the School of Pharmacy at MCPHS Un… We cannot be complacent with current practice, but rather question how can we get better,” he said in an interview with Pharmacy Today. By automatically filling prescriptions, pharmacists have more time to spend in patient counseling roles. By customizing each individual's service, the pharmacy boosts its overall efficiency. “Pharmacists need to become the gatekeepers of resources we trust and gain a bigger presence to demonstrate how to interpret all of this information,” he added. The advances in technology of all kinds, and their impact on the profession, are a serious concern. He noted that companies that produce medication adherence apps may not even involve a pharmacist or have one on the clinical staff. “Technology offers hospital pharmacists the ability to counsel more patients, have a greater visibility on hospital floors, and expand clinical roles, but only if we are willing to take a leap of faith and embrace change,” said Timothy Dy Aungst, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the School of Pharmacy at MCPHS University in Worcester, MA. An emerging technology that has the potential to improve patient care is placing remote tags on medications dispensed in hospitals. “We need to make technology work for us. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that emphasizes the … program, pharmacists seeking an advanced position, such as a clinical pharmacy or research job, may need to complete a one- to two-year residency. This serves as a method for verifying the technician's count was accurate. “We are in a good position to seize the initiative and use technology to take us places we couldn’t before.”, He noted that when used correctly, technology could lead to improved patient care. Become a member today and see what APhA can do for you. Fortunately, technological advances are improving this industry, just as tech is improving other aspects of healthcare. Someone has to verify the drugs going into the machine and the final product, because at the end of the day, someone needs to be accountable.”. Excessive prescriptions for certain drugs can be identified and flagged by the system, alerting a pharmacy to at-risk customers. This accessibility allows them to perform more patient care activities, including counseling, medication management, and preventive care screenings. Best-in-class events, experts and engagement for delivering innovative and compliant meetings and promotional programs. “We need to stay abreast of what is coming out and get involved with technology at the development phase,” said Aungst. Ten years earlier, only 13 percent of pharmacis… The discussion regarding the role of pharmacy technician and pharmacy support workforce roles is strongly influenced by the discussion on Number 3099067. Computer technology helps pharmacies better manage their supplies. For instance, some pharmacies have started offering apps that patients can download onto their smartphones, which let them know when it's time to take medications, when a prescription is running low, and can also let them send a refill request. “I like this story because despite all that robots can do, it reminds me that pharmacists will need to be part of the operations. Making use of this data can help the pharmacy provide better service to its customers. In addition to answering drug information queries, InpharmD collates information from accurate resources to speed up topic searching. Aungst believes these apps could be viewed as a threat to pharmacists. March 2015, Vol 3, No 3 - The First Word. Individuals in remote locations can fill prescriptions, which will be mailed to their location. Featured below is a detailed review of some of the greatest innovations in the industry. For example, all pharmacies use pharmacy management systems for medication records, dispensing, labelling, ordering and stock control. Some systems require the techs to check off boxes to ensure each prescription has been verified, increasing efficiency with a simpler system. “Pill identification apps could be a threat, but they could also be great in the grand scheme of things because it would free up that technician to have more time to dedicate to patient care responsibilities,” said Aungst. The bar codes also make it easier to confirm that the right product has been delivered, stored, retrieved and dispensed to customers. Bar codes on bottles and containers allow the pharmacy staff to record what drugs and compounds they have on hand and in what quantities. In the new version, Mr. Bucket is replaced by a robot to screw the cap on toothpaste. Artificial Intelligence. Besides enabling a transition in drug preparation and dispensing, technology also enables medication therapy management by pharmacists. Understanding Pharmacy Technology. According to the National Pharmacist Workforce Survey, in 2014, 60 percent of pharmacists provided medication therapy management and 53 percent performed immunizations. A pharmacy is a business and, just like any other business, each pharmacy has competitors, which may be local, regional, or national. The Impact of New Technology on Pharmacy. Registered in England and Wales. By customizing each individual's service, the pharmacy boosts its overall efficiency. The system, called electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS), is still in its infancy, but it's expected to be implemented in pharmacies across the country within a short time. “We as pharmacists need to step up to the plate and be involved in the development process and give our two cents,” said Aungst. While this type of system is certainly beneficial to the individual, it also collects data that helps the pharmacist offer more efficient and personalized services to each customer. New systems are enabling pharmacies to provide better resources to their employees, which means customers can benefit from improved service. With technology changing current medical thought and practices, it is critical for pharmacists to embrace the use of technology to expand pharmacy services and grow beyond traditional roles. InpharmD, developed by Ashish Advani, PharmD, professor at Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy, is the first iPhone app to offer customized drug information. When Walmart announced an initiative in March 2017 allowing patients to fill prescriptions via its mobile app and providing express pickup service for medications, the conversation around technology in pharmacies made headline news. The efficiency of workflow is especially important in a pharmacy, where customers may only have a limited time to wait for service. Most of which will affect patient care greatly from ordinary to exemplary. “They have all the photos of the medications, and they are trying to figure out a way a patient could take a photo of a drug and identify it,” said Aungst. Using technology can potentially create new revenue streams for your pharmacy. by Ayers Career College on October 15th, 2019 in Articles Career Training News Pharmacy Tech Training. To some degree, pharmacists are interested in information technology because we can envision it increasing efficiency in our daily tasks and improving our access to vital information. Role of Pharmacists ... new research evaluating how pharmacist services affect immediate and downstream care costs, particularly as part of health care teams, will ... the use of health information technology (HIT), … This can help them develop or contribute to wellness plans that can improve the patient's quality of life. PHI is broadly encompassing as defined by HIPAA1: Protected health information means individually identifiable health information: acquisition of new tasks by hospital pharmacist. “If we don’t, everyone else will make the technology without pharmacist input. The implementation of data analytics has helped the government and healthcare industry identify the misuse of opiate pain killers, especially where one prescriber may seem to be operating a pill mill. We should not have to work for technology,” said Aungst. Technology similar to the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), in use at hospitals provides digital images that make it easier for the tech and pharmacist to verify the prescription. The pills are poured onto a tray and examined by the machine for accuracy. Advancement of technology … Faxed and emailed patient census data, neither of which are … However, many pharmacies do not use all of the av… How to Become One: Pharmacists must have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D. Pharmacists rely heavily on technology to help them do tasks that are often complex. What They Do: Pharmacists dispense prescription medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions.. Work Environment: Pharmacists work in pharmacies, including those in drug, general merchandise, and grocery stores.Pharmacists also work in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. This gap is clearest when it comes to the problem of medicines adherence. © Copyright 2021, American Pharmacists Association All Rights Reserved. One study identified 6.5 adverse events related to medication use per 100 inpatient admissions; more than one fourth of these events were due to errors and were therefore preventable.2 Among serious medication errors, about one third occur at the ordering stage of the medication process, another third occur during medication administration, and the rema… The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) recently surveyed a sample of community pharmacists, finding that 58% consider theft and fraud to be “a serious problem.” All too often, prescription drug inventory management systems and workflow processes lack truly comprehensive security or real-time inventory tracking.Prescription drug security is not simply an issue of lost inventory or fraud, it is also a serious safety concern. In this environment, exciting opportunities emerge for … With technology changing current medical thought and practices, it is critical for pharmacists to embrace the use of technology to expand pharmacy services and grow beyond traditional roles. Don't miss out on all the great benefits an APhA membership has to offer. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is exploring the development of an app to identify tablets and capsules. As innovations in life sciences and new technology disrupt the health care value chain, consumers are increasingly focused on well-being, demanding greater health care access, convenience, and customized products. This site is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC. The growth of technology has positively affected how pharmacists and pharmacy technicians go about their work, according to the survey. Pharmacy technicians must have a wide range of technical skills and specialized knowledge to carry out their duties. 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