Pharmacy informatics: A call to action for educators, administrators, and residency directors

Pharmacy informatics involves the customization and application of information technology to improve medication-related processes. It is a critical function given the recent expansion of technology and prevalence of medication use throughout healthcare. Despite the necessity for pharmacy involvement, many pharmacists and student pharmacists are unaware of how to get started in informatics. Ideally, training should start early with student pharmacists being enrolled in introductory courses taught by leaders in the field. Students especially interested in informatics can build upon their classroom experience with postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies in several informatics-related areas. Additionally, current pharmacists can gather information from national pharmacy organizations and local information technology pharmacists to prepare for projects in the field. These approaches provide opportunities for all pharmacists to expand their knowledge and establish the basis for highly-motivated pharmacists to become experts in informatics.