The roles and perspectives of an informatics pharmacist practicing in the Australian healthcare setting: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background The implementation of digital healthcare systems in hospitals globally and in Australia has led to the introduction of the informatics pharmacist as a career in the healthcare system. However, informatics pharmacists are not yet part of routine clinical services in Australia, so their perspective and roles are not well understood. Aim To explore pharmacists' and other health professionals' perspectives of the roles of informatics pharmacists within interprofessional teams in Australian health care. Method This study used semi‐structured interviews with experts in pharmacy and/or informatics. They were recruited using convenience sampling and snowballing. The interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic techniques to identify major themes. Ethical approval was received from the local institutional Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval No: 2020000069). Results The process of inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcriptions of 11 participants. Six themes were identified: (1) a promising future for the informatics pharmacists, (2) education, (3) specific skills, (4) scope of informatics role, (5) impacts, and (6) barriers. Participants described the career of informatics pharmacists as an emerging specialty in today's healthcare systems. The roles of informatics pharmacists in Australian health care are described together with the skills and knowledge required for these roles. Conclusion A key role of informatics pharmacists is to facilitate the appropriate use of digital systems to prevent medication errors and improve patients' safety. While international experience has shown the potential scope for an informatics pharmacist, this research shows the use of informatics pharmacists in Australia is in its infancy.

Building a Hospital Pharmacist Workforce by a Diversified and Position-Oriented Learning System

“… 17 Informatics pharmacists specialize in utilizing and developing hospital information systems and health-related software, aiming to optimize patient outcomes. 18 Although this role is still being standardized in Chinese hospitals and involves various responsibilities, the informatics pharmacist is pivotal in collaborating with information engineers to ensure that pharmaceutical informatics needs are effectively addressed.…”

“…These professionals often receive additional training to fully understand the informatics concepts applicable to healthcare. 18 Their responsibilities generally focus on managing information technology projects rather than direct involvement in system development. 19 , 20 To cater to these specific training needs, we have integrated an online course from the China Medical Education Association, tailored for informatics pharmacists.…”