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Graduate works to automate the future of pharmacy

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of retail pharmacists in the US is on the decline. There are, however, many other opportunities for graduates of the PC School of Pharmacy,

The Future of Pharmacy

Dr. Arlin Ashemore ‘18 has taken one such path. He is currently completing a research fellowship at Omnicell in automation and outcomes research.

“My decision to pursue the fellowship in Automation and Outcomes Research originated from my desire to reshape and help inform the future for health system pharmacy departments,” Ashemore said.

“During my experiences working in various health system settings, I became aware of the consistent challenges that constrain the efforts of pharmacists today as they work to deliver a safe and effective medication management process.”

Ashemore works on studies to identify areas that could be improved by automation.

“As the Automation and Research Outcomes fellow, I lead several multi-site hospital studies focused primarily on objectively identifying the benefits to be realized from increasing automation and technology within our health system pharmacy spaces,” he explained.

“My typical day involves meeting with respective stakeholders to discuss study designs, protocol development and data collection at those sites.”

Automation in Practice

Ashemore has been able to see the benefits of his field of work.

“Today there are many impressive automation products that help improve safety and efficiency in our pharmacy departments; The Omnicell XR2 cabinet comes to mind, for example, which provides fully automated, robotic cart fill replenishment service for health system pharmacy departments.”

These sorts of innovations are key to continue to advance healthcare, Ashemore anticipates.

“I believe this technology perfectly encapsulates the possibilities that can be brought to market as we strive to replace current state processes with more future state technology that aid in the shift away from historically labor-intensive, manual processes to more automated solutions.

“A Unique Perspective”

From his time at PCSP to his current position, Ashemore has gained a new viewpoint on how his pharmaceutical education can be implemented.

“The fellowship program has provided a unique perspective on the profound role that healthcare companies have in supporting the daily operations of pharmacy departments throughout retail and health system pharmacy environments,” he said.

“This fellowship has encouraged a new career outlook to continue to work with thought leaders aiming to define the future state of our pharmacy practice.”

Become a Pharmacist

Are you interested in making an impact as a pharmacist? Please call 864-938-3913 or complete this form to learn more information about PC’s School of Pharmacy.


by Zoe Montague ‘20

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