By Emi Radetich, PharmD, BCPS
A question that I get asked often is “How did you learn about pharmacy informatics?” Much like a lot of specialties in pharmacy, it is a hidden gem within the landscape of pharmacy. For those who don’t know, pharmacy informatics is the use of technology to enhance every facet of the medication use process and collect, organize, and analyze data.
I didn’t learn about pharmacy informatics until my fourth year of pharmacy school. I was scrolling LinkedIn, and I stumbled upon a pharmacy networking group. After getting to know several people, one pharmacist stood out most to me: Natalie Park, PharmD. She is the CEO and co-founder of a company, Pharmesol, an agentic AI connected to clinics to allow patients to ask questions about their medications. It was my first exposure to digital health and pharmacy informatics innovation. I was mesmerized by the glimpse of this new world: the world of start-ups.
Now, I hope I haven’t lost you. If you were anything like me at that time, I thought start-ups were just for the Zuckerberg's of the world. But I hope this quote from Innovation Tournaments by Christian Terwiesch gives you pause: “Innovation is finding a new match between a solution and a need.”
What better way is there to describe what a pharmacist does for a living? Every single pharmacist I know is a problem solver. Furthermore, entrepreneurship is woven into the fabric of pharmacy as a profession, with some of the earliest apothecaries dated back to the 17th century. As a founder of my own start-up, I am passionate about teaching new practitioners and students about this path to innovation.
How I got started with a start-up
There are several resources I used to familiarize myself with the start-up world. The first was books. There is an endless supply of books to choose from, but some that helped me wrap my head around start-ups and founder leadership are:
• Dare to Lead by Dr. Brené Brown. If you know me, would I even be me if I didn’t mention Dr. Brown? This book focuses on how vulnerability, courage, and shame interface with leadership in the workplace. Regardless of where you are within an organization, this is an essential read to unlearn bad habits rooted in shame and learn how to lean into your courage at work.
• Innovation Tournaments by Christian Terwiesch. An innovation tournament is a structured process to innovation, where you call upon your workplace, community, etc., to send solutions for an existing problem. Then, the solutions are pit up against each other to find a winner, and that solution is implemented. This can be done with others or even on your own to start spinning the wheels for the best approach to an issue.
• Zero to One by Peter Thiel. This author is the founder of both Paypal and Palantir. While I don’t agree with Thiel on everything, I did find this read helpful in its core concept: The best businesses create a solution that did not exist before.
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. This author is the chief technology officer and co-founder behind IMVU, as well as other companies. He describes the difference between management systems in start-ups versus established companies, which provides structure to the fluid environment of a start-up.
Newsletters and networking
The foundation of a start-up is made up of excellent people, but where do you find them? The first place to start is working with your local university or college to find an accelerator. There is a high likelihood that the medical, engineering, and/or computer science departments within the institution have some sort of course, program, or event that accelerates the growth of a product or even company with the help of students of those disciplines.
Another great way to meet new people is via newsletters and LinkedIn. Follow resources related to your field. If you are a pharmacist interested in digital health, for example, look for companies on LinkedIn and then follow top voices talking about digital health. Newsletters are also a great way to stay on top of news related to start-ups. Some of my favorite newsletters are:
• Morning Brew, Healthcare Brew, Tech Brew
• Unicorner
• Steph Mui aka Steph the Founder’s Everything You Need to Read This Week
Y Combinator
One of the most comprehensive resources about start-ups is Y Combinator, often abbreviated to YC. Have you ever heard of Doordash, Reddit, or Airbnb? These are all companies that started at YC. At its core, YC is a start-up accelerator company. Start-ups of all stages apply to be a part of a program and receive funding from YC.
The best part about YC, in my opinion, is the copious, free resources about start-ups. There is a free start-up school, co-founder matching program, and a repository of podcasts, articles, videos, and newsletters. While I could get into the details of start-ups in this article, I would much rather you head over to YC and check out their education about Early Stage Advice and beyond. You will even run into some familiar faces, such as Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
NPs are well-equipped to innovate
If there is any main takeaway I have about innovation, it’s that anyone is capable of it. I would argue that new practitioners in the profession of pharmacy are especially well-equipped to innovate, as we are not deeply embedded into status quo and fresh eyes can spot gaps in the practice around us.
I embolden all new practitioners to find a new match between a solution and a need because I know the world needs diverse, sharp minds solving its greatest problems.
Emi Radetich, PharmD, BCPS, is a pharmacy informaticist, Epic Willow and Beacon Analyst, and health tech start-up founder. She is currently a consultant who provides Epic Analyst services to health systems in need. Outside of work, you can find her spending time with loved ones (notably her niece), trail or road running, and traveling as much as possible to New York City.