David A. Agüero, PharmD, MSTL, FAMIA, FASHP ([email protected]), is a seasoned pharmacy leader currently serving as the director of medication systems and informatics and the program director of PGY2 pharmacy informatics residency at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. His expertise lies in coordinating, communicating, and supporting pharmacy services and the medication use process with experience spanning multiple electronic health record and medication distribution platforms in multi-hospital systems and academic medical centers.
In his role at St. Jude, Agüero leads the medication-use systems and supporting technologies, including informatics, pharmaceutical data analytics, and supply chain service lines.
Agüero earned his PharmD from Virginia Commonwealth University, then pursued a specialized residency in medication-use systems and technology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and a master’s degree in science and technology leadership from Brown University.
Since his days as a pharmacy student, Agüero has been deeply involved with the Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology (SOPIT), serving as a member and Chair on multiple SOPIT Advisory Groups. He has volunteered on the Educational Steering Committee for several years and served as a director-at-large for the Section.
Agüero is recognized as a Fellow of both ASHP and the American Medical Informatics Association. He lends his expertise in RFID technology to the Executive Leadership Committee for GS1 US Healthcare and serves as an expert panel member for the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
Throughout my professional journey, I have been fascinated by the design, implementation, and optimization of the medication-use systems and supporting technology solutions. The medication-use system becomes increasingly complex as organizational and regulatory pressures shift, our patient demographics change, and the technological solutions ingrained in our healthcare infrastructure evolve. However, each change presents an opportunity for improved safety, enhanced outcomes, and increased patient satisfaction.
My primary career objective is to strategically expand the use of technology and analytics across the healthcare continuum, achieved by driving value through innovative research, data-informed decision-making, and thoughtful leadership. I firmly believe that a strong clinical ability and a resilient attitude are invaluable. As professionals, we should use these traits as the cornerstone for robust, empathetic patient care, which is crucial for achieving safe, optimal outcomes in line with my daily practice at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
We practice during an exciting time in history when our roles in Pharmacy Informatics are poised to evolve - and I would be grateful for the opportunity to represent your voice as the Chair for the Section as we make decisions about our profession. Pharmacy informatics is a career path born out of necessity and creativity, seeking smarter ways to achieve goals while optimizing patient care – because everything we do is for our patients.