Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics

• A candidate for the position of Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics (could also be Director of Medical or Health Informatics) first and foremost should be a pharmacist, with a graduate degree in Health Informatics.
• The primary responsibilities of this position are being a champion among clinicians for the adoption of information technologies, streamlining report processes, coordinating IT projects to address physician concerns, and working to implement process changes that promote higher-quality, more humanistic patient care.
• In the critical role of being a champion among physicians, the Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics offers considerable clinical and corporate insight into articulating the value of pharmacists adopting a new information technology.
• As each organization looks to optimize their information systems, the Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics should continually review the processes used to produce and disseminate clinical reporting – implemented to track and monitor the use of prescription drugs through the hospital – to identify potential process improvements and implement them.
• Perhaps the greatest benefit of this role is the ability to act as a liaison between pharmacists and information services during IT projects to ensure that pharmacy concerns are addressed and that such projects remain on track. In addition, he or she should help to educate pharmacists about the use of the new technology. This is crucial as we know that the greatest obstacle to successful implementation of information systems in health care is end-user resistance and indifference.
• Ultimately, the goal of the Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics is to ensure that medical data are accessible wherever needed to enhance the quality of care provided throughout the health system.

Career Requirements

• A Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics is required to have a Pharmacist standing with either a BS and/or masters degree. He or she must also have a certification in informatics or have strong background experience in pharmaceutical informatics. In addition most positions for Director of Pharmaceutical Informatics require three to five years experience in nursing, preferably in a setting similar to the one that he or she is applying for.
• Experience with the various medical informatics or electronic medical record software including Cerner, Epic, GE, Meditech, McKesson or Siemens, IDX and PICIS is highly desirable. Knowledge of basic programs such as Excel, Access and Outlook is expected.

Job Outlook

• The increasing demand for hospitals or health care facilities to use electronic or computer systems to record and retrieve patient records and information has lead to an increasing demand for those individuals that can combine medical knowledge and computer skills.
• Demand for pharmacists trained in informatics will continue to increase at a higher than average rate for the next several years. The need for qualified individuals to work as supervisors in roles such as director of pharmaceutical informatics will also continue to grow.