Julie A. Pawola, PharmD (jpawola@uwhealth.org), is a clinical informatics pharmacist at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. She supports the medication use process within the electronic medical record (EMR). Her work involves collaborating on multidisciplinary and pharmacy projects to ensure safe medication use. She also is a clinical instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, teaching students, precepting residents, and serving as the residency coordinator for the PGY2 informatics residency.
Pawola received her PharmD at University of Illinois at Chicago and completed a PGY1 residency at University of Iowa Healthcare. Her commitment to practice advancement includes membership and work group leadership in the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology (SOPIT) advisory group on Education and Professional Development, previously serving as vice chair and chair. She has also served as vice chair and twice as chair of the SOPIT Educational Steering Committee. She has been a panelist on a webinar reviewing the PGY2 informatics competency areas, goals, and objectives (CAGOs), developed an informatics resource for students, published an article on informatics education resources in AJHP, coordinated and participated in a webinar on EMR usability, contributed to four Informatics Bytes podcasts, wrote a blog post on incorporating informatics education into residency programs, and is working on a publication on artificial intelligence training for informatics students and residents. She worked with experts across the country to write a petition to the Board of Pharmacy Specialists to create a board certification for informatics pharmacists and served on the SOPIT Committee on Nominations in 2021 and 2024.
Meet Julie A. Pawola
Informatics and technology are foundational to the present and future of pharmacy practice. Pharmacists rely on these tools every day, and members of the ASHP Section on Informatics and Technology bring expertise in how technology supports safe, efficient, and effective medication-use processes. As healthcare continues to evolve, technologies—particularly artificial intelligence (AI)—are transforming care delivery and reshaping health-system pharmacy enterprises. Pharmacists must play an active leadership role in the development, validation, governance, and ongoing optimization of health information technologies. This includes ensuring that technologies are clinically sound, ethically implemented, and aligned with patient safety and equity. Equally important is our responsibility to educate pharmacists, learners, and interprofessional colleagues on the appropriate use of these technologies to enhance clinical decision-making and professional practice. The Section on Informatics and Technology is uniquely positioned to lead this work by fostering collaboration, advancing innovation, and supporting professional development across the pharmacy workforce. My involvement in this Section has been both professionally and personally rewarding, providing opportunities to collaborate with passionate colleagues who are committed to advancing informatics, automation, and data-driven care. It would be an honor to serve as Director-at-Large and contribute to the Section’s mission by supporting members, advancing strategic initiatives, and helping shape the future of pharmacy informatics. Thank you for your consideration and for your continued dedication to getting IT done for our patients.