Kristin Wiisanen, PharmD, FAPhA, FCCP, named dean of the College of Pharmacy in October, is a national leader in clinical pharmacogenomics, a field that works to improve the safety and efficacy of drugs by incorporating genetic information. She emphasizes foundations for tomorrow’s pharmacist, including pharmacogenomics, artificial intelligence, industry and big data.
Helix: What’s your vision for the College of Pharmacy?
Dr. Wiisanen: Pharmacy is embracing the increasing role of technology and science, whether that’s through automation, artificial intelligence, digital health or other emerging technologies. Doctors of pharmacy are increasingly being integrated into the interprofessional team and are being empowered to take on new roles in diagnosing, treating and monitoring patient therapy. Within the College of Pharmacy, we want to prepare our graduates to take on those new roles so that our pharmacists can meet changing healthcare needs.
“We are preparing students to not only see the breadth and the scope of the profession, but to be prepared for their best fit within that profession.”
How do we prepare pharmacists for that future?
At RFU, we believe in a quality, evidence-based curriculum. What students are learning needs to include foundational knowledge and skills, but also needs to provide them with the lifelong skills for innovation, adaptation, critical thinking and leadership. That’s what will make the difference for new pharmacists establishing their careers. There’s no question that pharmacists are drug therapy experts, and they’re the most accessible frontline healthcare provider. Pharmacists are an important resource for patients. But patient care needs are changing and becoming more complex. We want to make sure that we’re helping pharmacists have the right tools in their toolbox to be able to care for patients both now and in the future, and apply this new knowledge to improve patient outcomes.
How do you envision the future of pharmacy given the trend to emphasize prevention and well-being and changes that make care and treatment more accessible?
That trend is a really important one, and screening and medication adherence are crucial for prevention and wellness. Pharmacists play a key role in both screening for chronic disease and also assisting patients in taking their medications as prescribed, which can help prevent problems before they start.
What are the structural issues that affect the pharmacy profession?
Pharmacy is facing challenges at the state and federal level around scope of practice and reimbursement. At the federal level, we aren’t eligible to be reimbursed for the care that we provide to patients. But what we do see happening is that on the state level, there are windows of opportunity that are opening for pharmacists not only to be reimbursed for the care that they provide, but also to provide new avenues of care, such as test-and-treat or point-of-care testing and diagnosis and treatment of some minor, non-chronic illnesses. We hope to see more windows continue to open up and catch on. As the momentum increases, we’ll see more and more of a role for pharmacists, both at the state and federal level.
Pharmacists are highly qualified health professionals. Do you think they should have an expanded role in initiating therapies and decision-making around which drugs to dispense?
We definitely hope things will continue to move in this direction in practice, because pharmacists are very qualified to make important decisions about drug therapy. We are seeing state legislation that includes pharmacists in testing and treating, point-of-care testing, immunizations, dispensing naloxone, oral contraceptives and many other areas. In these roles, pharmacists have expanded responsibilities that include initiating therapies, diagnosing certain conditions and making decisions around patient care — not just in the use of a patient’s medications, but in which medications are prescribed.
Are RFU pharmacy students showing more interest in working for health systems, research labs and other settings beyond community pharmacy?
We’re seeing an increased interest by both pharmacy students and practitioners in finding ways to diversify their work setting and skills. The community pharmacy is the face of the practice of pharmacy. But there is much more to the profession than that one setting, whether that’s health systems, research laboratories, industry or specialized areas of practice. We are preparing students to not only see the breadth and the scope of the profession, but to be prepared for their best fit within that profession.