As a pharmacy IT or pharmacy informatics professional, your primary focus is to participate on projects that have to do with enhancing the operation of your organization's pharmacy software, automation, and technology. As you work in this setting for a while, you'll gain exposure to a number of different projects, such as implementing a pharmacy system, CPOE, barcode administration, medication reconciliation, to name just a few.
As you acquire this exposure, you may come to realize that there are certain projects you’ve preferred to be a part of. Naturally, you would like to work on similar projects again. However, once you’ve implemented a certain pharmacy software, technology, or process within your current organization, the most exposure you’ll continue to get to that specific area will, most likely, be in a supporting role with some minor upgrades. The opportunity to participate in a new implementation or, at the very least, a major upgrade will likely be a few years away.
For this reason, some people will explore a career in consulting. As a pharmacy IT or pharmacy informatics professional you can join a consulting firm that specializes in pharmacy software, automation, and technologies, and develop a career in which you’re a specialist focusing on specific projects for a living. Many people choose just such a path and, before long, establish a reputation as the go-to expert within their area of specialization.
Let’s say you enjoy installing barcode medication administration specifically with Cerner products. Well, instead of jumping from project to project time and again, let’s say you focus in this one specific area. Before long you’ll have participated in this type of project five or six times. With that much experience under your belt, you’ll have put yourself within the top 5%-10% of people nationwide with that much specific experience. Not many people in any industry are able to develop such deep knowledge in one particular area. And it’s this knowledge that can make someone a highly sought-after individual, which is precisely how you want to be regarded when you’re a consultant.
So, if there’s an area in which you would like to specialize, but you realize that it will be a while until your hospital pharmacy operation explores it once again, consulting may be a career path worth looking into.
Comments