Healthcare Technology

This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing regarding healthcare technology or commonly referred to as HIT. As emerging technologies are developed, you may find that there are so many options to choose from that it can become mind-numbing. I will walk you through the different types of technology, and help you navigate the questions you should be asking yourself and partners, in addition to shedding light on some of the new technologies that are worth reviewing for your practice. Primarily, I will be discussing pharmacy technology, but I will also be discussing technologies that are closely tied to the pharmacy and patient care.

Why technology plays a significant role in pharmacy

In an ideal world, a pharmacist would spend the majority of their time dedicated to counseling patients and ensuring the best possible outcomes. However, pharmacists now spend a large amount of time on administrative tasks to ensure they are providing medication in a timely fashion, with the best price, while ensuring overall safety. Technology now helps manage these administrative tasks, reducing the burden on the pharmacy team and allowing a better patient experience.

Patients evolving

Today, almost every patient owns some type of smartphone or at a minimum has access to the internet. This has brought about new methods of communicating with patients. It also means that patients are more educated about their healthcare and medications than in the past. Depending on the sources of information that patient is using, this can cause challenges for Pharmacists educating patients.