Debbie Wu

Debbie Wu received her PharmD degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2012 and completed her PGY1 pharmacy residency at UMass Memorial Medical Center in 2013.

Current Responsibilities:
Wu currently works as a clinical informatics pharmacist-specialist and precepts pharmacy students and pharmacy residents.

Facility: 
UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC) is an 818-bed academic medical center and is part of UMass Memorial Health, the largest health care system in Central Massachusetts. UMMMC is the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School. The Medical Center consists of three campuses in Worcester, MA: University, Memorial, and Hahnemann Campus. It offers care in over 41 different service areas.

Recent Significant Projects:
I have recently been involved with the integration of the existing EHR into a newly acquired health care system. I worked with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure standardization of workflows to ensure streamlined operations. I have also been involved with the implementation of an oncology pathways system in the EHR to display evidence-based treatment options.

Advice for Someone New to a Specialty Area:
No one becomes an expert overnight, and it will take time to learn the different nuances in various health information systems. This is the normal part of the process. You are never expected to know everything, so do not be afraid to ask questions.

Involvement with ASHP:
I am currently a member of the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Section Advisory Group on Clinical Applications. I helped facilitate a Hospital at Home: Informatics Considerations CE webinar and am involved in the Get It Done workgroup.

Reason for ASHP Involvement:
I initially joined ASHP as a student interested in learning more about health system pharmacies. Currently, as a member of SOPIT, I am able to connect with other members and learn about the new informatics trends.

Value of ASHP for Peers or Colleagues:
ASHP provides resources to help any pharmacy team member looking to learn more about a large variety of topics. It connects members with a similar mission to help patients achieve optimal health outcomes. The different perspectives ASHP members bring will lead the profession closer to that goal.

Value of ASHP for the Profession:
ASHP has continued to advocate on key issues that impact pharmacies today, including drug shortages, opioid epidemic, drug pricing, and many other issues.