Nancy R. Smestad

Nancy Smestad was an Informatics Pharmacist (retired) in the Office of Informatics and Analytics, Information Patient Safety at the Veterans Health Administration. In that role she assisted in high level analysis and documentation associated with medication management, information management and pharmacy practices. Her expertise in medication management, clinical information systems, and electronic health records was instrumental in enhanced software development and patient safety.

Following her Master of Science graduation from North Dakota State University and completion of an ASHP accredited residency in pharmacy practice, Smestad worked as a clinical hospital pharmacist in the Veterans Administration. She was promoted to the role of Pharmacy Supervisor and Informatics Pharmacist encompassing the coordination and implementation of the electronic health record and subsequently the testing, training, and implementation of the Bar Code Medication Administration Software. Smestad then accepted an Informatics Pharmacist position with the Veterans Health Administration Office of Informatics and Analytics, Information Patient Safety. For the next 6 years she coordinated the collection, analysis, and evaluation of medication software anomalies resulting in software enhancements which improved medication management and patient safety.

Smestad has retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs after over 33 years of dedicated service. Her participation within ASHP includes serving as a Delegate in the House of Delegates, and a member on numerous Section Advisory Groups (SAG) – specifically the Section of Inpatient Care Practitioners SAG on Pharmacy Practice, the Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology (SOPIT) SAG on Clinical Applications, the SOPIT Educational Steering Committee, and most recently the SOPIT SAG on Clinical Decision Support.