Expanding the Future of Pharmacy With Technology

Next-Generation Pharmacist Future Pharmacist of the Year award winner, Hoda Masmouei, PharmD, created the first student group for pharmacy informatics in the nation to be recognized by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

During her time at Nova Southeastern University, Hoda Masmouei, PharmD, aimed to impact the field of pharmacy through leadership and technology innovation. The 2013 Next-Generation Pharmacist Future Pharmacist of the Year award winner created the first student group for pharmacy informatics in the nation to be recognized by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists—the Pharmacy Informatics Special Interest Group.

“One of the main goals of health care is to offer quality care in a cost effective manner,” Dr. Masmouei said. “So the use of technology and incorporating pharmacy informatics in providing patient care in variety of settings will help us reach this agenda.”

Initiated in the spring of 2012 as part of a professional development project within the student chapter of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the group focuses on creating awareness, training, and opportunities in pharmacy automation and informatics.

“We were lucky to be on a campus which was the home of United States’ first Center for Consumer Health Informatics Research and could utilize many of their resources to launch our special interest group,” she explained.

In the group’s first year, Dr. Masmouei helped to arrange a tour of the pharmacy informatics initiative of the Cleveland Clinic Florida for student members. During the tour, students were given a lecture on computerized physician order entry, automated dispensing systems, the use of tablets for pharmacy, and other technology advancements that are used throughout the clinic.

“Our goal was to provide a practical presentation of how information technology plays a role in providing high quality, cost effective care in health-system pharmacy settings,” she said.

The pharmacy informatics special interest group continued to grow, hosting guest speakers from the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Consumer Health Informatics Research (CCHIR) at the university. In April 2013, the group collaborated with CCHIR and provided a live simulcast of the entire 3-day TEDMED conference in Washington, DC, to student members, free of charge.

The hard work Dr. Masmouei and her peers put into the group was recognized in that same month when the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recognized their student chapter of the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists for establishing the group.

“Students who are interested in the field of pharmacy informatics should pursue post graduate training opportunities, such as fellowships. Students should also expand upon their leadership skills to be able to keep the profession moving forward in this dynamic health care environment,” noted the Next-Generation Pharmacist winner.

Dr. Masmouei graduated with her PharmD from Nova Southeastern University in May 2014 and is currently a pharmacy resident at the Cleveland Clinic Florida.