PHARMACIST'S ROLE IN HEALTHCARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

To strongly advocate key decision-making roles for pharmacists in the planning, selection, design, implementation, and maintenance of medication-use information systems, electronic health records, computerized provider order entry systems, and e-prescribing systems to balance the security and integrity of data with the ability to facilitate clinical decision support, data analysis, and education of users for the purpose of ensuring the safe and effective use of medications; further,

To advocate for incentives to hospitals and health systems for the adoption of patient-care technologies; further,

To recognize that design, maintenance, and cyber-security of medication-use information systems is an interdisciplinary process that requires ongoing collaboration among many disciplines; further,

To advocate that pharmacists must have accountability for strategic planning and direct operational aspects of the medication-use process, including the successful deployment of medication-use information systems and continuity plans when the systems are unavailable.

Rationale

ASHP recognizes that design, maintenance, and cyber-security of healthcare information systems (e.g., medication-use information systems, electronic health records, computerized provider order entry systems, e-prescribing systems) is an interdisciplinary process that requires ongoing collaboration across many disciplines. Maintaining the privacy of health information, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Affordability Act (HIPAA), and ensuring patient safety in the face of cyber-attacks are essential concerns for every healthcare organization. Given the ever-evolving nature of pharmacist patient care, medication use, and health information technology,  it is essential  pharmacists have key decision-making roles in the planning, selection, design, implementation, and maintenance of such systems in order to help prevent and respond to cyber-attacks. To ensure the safe and effective use of medications, pharmacists must have accountability for strategic planning and direct operational aspects of the medication-use process, including the successful deployment of medication-use-related information systems by assessing vulnerabilities and vendor systems to validate the security and integrity of the data. Increased connectivity with vendor systems creates a mutual need to share access to patient information and other vital data, so risk mitigation must be considered at all points of access.  This includes, for example,  facilitating clinical decision support by assessing the minimum amount of patient health information vendors require to provide services, data analysis, education of users, and developing and implementing business continuity plans, to include fail-over testing of these plans, for when the systems are unavailable.