Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To assess pharmacy informatics education, identify current competencies, and develop a foundational set of recommendations.

METHODS:

Accredited pharmacy programs were contacted. Data were collected using a mixed-mode procedure. Didactic and experiential syllabi were analyzed for compliance with informatics competencies in Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2007.

RESULTS:

Thirty-two of 89 schools responded; 25 provided syllabi (36% response rate, 28% submission rate). Twenty-seven didactic and 9 experiential syllabi were received. The syllabi contained a diverse mix of educational content, some of which represented pharmacy informatics content as defined by ACPE. Schools are teaching clinical system terminology, applications, and evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS:

Many professional programs are not providing instruction in pharmacy informatics. There may be confusion within the academy/profession between pharmacy informatics and drug information practice. Much work is required for programs to become compliant with the ACPE 2007 pharmacy informatics competencies.