Robert Pugliese

Robert’s Story

Robert graduated from Northeastern University School of Pharmacy in 2008. After graduation he moved to Philadelphia, PA where he was given the opportunity to train as a pediatric pharmacist and establish an Emergency Department Pharmacy Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Robert has participated in the 2009 ASHP Patient Care Impact Program for establishing emergency department pharmacy services and is currently an Emergency Medicine Clinical Specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Assistant Clinical Professor at Thomas Jefferson University College of Pharmacy. Robert continues to be active in ASHP by serving on the ASHP Section Advisory Group for Emergency Care.

Facility

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) is a 950 bed tertiary academic medical center in Philadelphia, PA. The Emergency Department at TJUH is a Level 1 Trauma Center, Stroke Center, Chest Pain Center and Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center that sees around 120,000 patients per year.

Significant Projects

This year Robert was appointed to the ASHP Section Advisory Group for Emergency Care where he serves on the Twitter Committee. In this role, he works with colleagues to develop content that promotes the education and advancement of emergency medicine pharmacy practice via social media. Robert is very passionate about promoting and leveraging non-traditional teaching/learning outlets such as online Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed), and social media via his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @theEDpharmacist. He is also an author and peer-reviewer for ALiEMU.com CAPSULES, free online pharmacology courses for emergency medicine providers and is a regular contributor to Pharmacy Times. Robert was recently appointed as Design Faculty in the College within the College Design Track (CwiC-Design) program, within the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at TJU. The first-of-its-kind for a U.S. medical school, CwiC-Design teaches med students to apply design thinking to solve healthcare challenges with a focus on innovation and the maker mindset. In the future his goals are to help bring this innovative concept to other health professions, such as pharmacy and nursing.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

“Emergency Medicine has one of the most active and involved online communities in health care. There are thousands of clinicians and caregivers having countless conversations on every online platform imaginable. From blogs, to twitter, to podcasts, engaging with this online community is a great way to keep you connected to your peers and up-to-date on the latest issues and controversies surrounding the specialty. Engaging with peers online is also an excellent springboard for your career, as I liken it to a conference that continues year round, enabling you to connect and make impressions with other clinicians from around the world.“

Involvement in ASHP

“ASHP’s model of pharmacy practice advancement is what first inspired me to become a pharmacist. Today ASHP continues to advance the profession by supporting groups such as the Section for Emergency Care where some of the most dedicated clinicians come together and continue to re-define what it means to be a pharmacist.“

ASHP’s Value to Members

“ASHP is the pharmacy organization that gives us all a voice. Regardless of where you stand in your career, new or experienced, community focused or academic, there is a way for you within ASHP to make a difference and advance the profession.“

“ASHP continues to demonstrate its dedication to advancing the profession and supporting the needs of its members. The significant collection of online resources such as ASHP Connect, the Emergency Care Resource Center, the Recorded Emergency Pharmacist education Series (REPS), and the member managed specialty Twitter account @ASHP_EMPharm are all examples of ASHP’s dedication to modernization and listening to the needs of its members.“