Under direct supervision from a pharmacy informatics specialist, a pharmacy technician informatics specialist is responsible for oversight and integrity of the computer systems and software applications that support pharmacy operations and services. These systems may include pharmacy order entry, automated dispensing, and compounding systems, centralized and decentralized automation, telehealth, digital and virtual care.
The pharmacy technician informatics specialist also may act as the pharmacy ad hoc "Hospital Application Coordinator (HAC)" for the healthcare system, and may be responsible for:
- Participation in planning, implementation and oversight of:
- New installation
- Interface upgrades
- User training
- Routine maintenance and troubleshooting of systems and associated equipment;
- Maintaining application tables and files
- Report-writing and data analysis
Statements and Guidelines
ASHP Statement on the Pharmacy Technician’s Role in Pharmacy Informatics [PDF] ASHP
Roles of Pharmacy Technicians in Pharmacy Informatics
ASHP Advanced Technician Practice Model – Case Study, Informatics Technician
Data analyst technician: An innovative role for the pharmacy technician
Knowledge, Skills, and Resources for Pharmacy Informatics Education
Articles and Additional Pharmacy Informatics Resources
ASHP eLearning Pharmacy Informatics Certificate
ASHP Pharmacy Practice Informatics Resources Center
ASHP Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology
Online resources for informatics education and training
Tips for Interested Pharmacy Technicians
- Network at your place of employment or your community for opportunities with pharmacy informatics.
- Investigate areas related to:
- Analytics software
- Centralized and decentralized pharmacy automation
- Machine readable technology
- Electronic order entry
- Electronic records management
- IV Compounding technology
- Medication adherence solutions
- Medication and supply dispensing automation
- Robotics
- Telehealth
- Review job position descriptions and postings
- Analyze required knowledge/skills/abilities needed to move into the field of informatics
- Update your resume; be sure to include:
- Hands-on experience with implementation and maintenance of pharmacy information systems
- Barcode assisted medication administration (BCMA) and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) proficiency
- Pharmacy database maintenance experience
- Analysis, design, testing and implementation of new processes and systems experience
- Ability to prioritize work to meet patient needs
- Review PTCB CPhT 2020’s knowledge reference document.
- Complete continuing education modules that contain pharmacy informatics. For available T-designated activities to meet pharmacy technician CE requirements visit ASHP’s PharmacyTechCE.org.
- Visit the ASHP store for relevant pharmacy technician tools and resources on pharmacy informatics, like Manual for Pharmacy Technicians or The Pharmacy Informatics Primer