What Is Next?

Thank you to the team at The Nontraditional Pharmacist - Matt Paterini, Nicholas Kirkpatrick, Lynn (Switaj) Paterini - for hosting me on their Student Series, as part of the Pharmacy Podcast Network. It was a pleasure sharing my thoughts and experiences about the future of pharmacy.

There is still plenty for me to learn and I am grateful for all the pharmacists and mentors who have been, and continue to be, a part of my journey, especially as I soon transition from student to practicing pharmacist in industry. I remain enthusiastic about the role technology has in evolving medicine, therapeutics, and most importantly, patient care, and I hope that I will be able to integrate this passion into my industrial residency this upcoming Fall.

There is no doubt that Pharma companies are starting to take on a more digital-forward approach, and rapidly gaining momentum doing so. Over the past few months, we have seen collaborations such as that between Boehringer Ingelheim and IBM Canada to integrate blockchain technology into clinical trials. Companies like Sanofi, Bayer, and Roche are speaking out regarding digital therapeutics and its potential in providing valuable real world evidence, as opposed to the highly selective patient populations seen in traditional randomized controlled trials. With a new era of technology, which includes machine learning, data mining and analytics, and blockchain, it is more than integral that the Pharma industry starts to adapt. Maybe it is time for us, as pharmacists, and in this industry, to think outside of the box and to see how we can leverage technology to improve therapy for our patients.

I would love to hear your ideas about the intersection between technology and Pharma, so please do not hesitate to reach out!

Finally, to learn more about areas of nontraditional pharmacy and to view other videos from the Student Series, please visit the The Nontraditional Pharmacist Blog.