Big Data: Implications for Health System Pharmacy

Abstract

Big Data refers to datasets that are so large and complex that traditional methods and hardware for collecting, sharing, and analyzing them are not possible. Big Data that is accurate leads to more confident decision making, improved operational efficiency, and reduced costs. The rapid growth of health care information results in Big Data around health services, treatments, and outcomes, and Big Data can be used to analyze the benefit of health system pharmacy services. The goal of this article is to provide a perspective on how Big Data can be applied to health system pharmacy. It will define Big Data, describe the impact of Big Data on population health, review specific implications of Big Data in health system pharmacy, and describe an approach for pharmacy leaders to effectively use Big Data. A few strategies involved in managing Big Data in health system pharmacy include identifying potential opportunities for Big Data, prioritizing those opportunities, protecting privacy concerns, promoting data transparency, and communicating outcomes. As health care information expands in its content and becomes more integrated, Big Data can enhance the development of patient-centered pharmacy services.

Big data, farmacoepidemiología y farmacovigilancia

“…1,6,17,34 Another relevant advantage of the use of big data in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance is the diversity of the data since medical records can be analyzed with information on hospitalization, outpatient consultations, drug prescriptions, and laboratory tests, besides opening up the possibility of continuous monitoring using intelligent electronic devices. 1,2,6 Due to the limitations of secondary data sources, their interpretation is associated with some important challenges, such as accumulation of estimation errors and spurious correlation. 3 These massive data flows must adjust to changing conditions all the time, so the algorithmic intelligence of digital epidemiology must be harnessed.…”

“…This information, altogether, allows healthcare providers and government agencies to adjust the treatment plan by phone or applications, e-mails, or directly using the measurement device, thus promoting healthcare compliance. 2,3,5,17 Big data for drugs in the post-marketing phase…”

“…These large-scale databases may consist of genetic, medical, environmental, economic, geographical, or social network data; for this reason, they are often so extensive and poorly organized that it is not possible to analyze them using traditional computing techniques. [1][2][3][4] Despite its great popularity and multiple uses, there is no clear definition of the concept of big data. Therefore, its definition is based on the four "Vs": volume, velocity, variety, and veracity.…”

Advancing Pharmacy Service using Big Data – Are We Fully Utilising the Big Data’s Potential Yet?

“…The well-known applications of Big Data today are the ability to use information to understand consumer demand and purchasing pattern for retail business. [3] With the expected growth of healthcare data volume to reach zettabytes (10 21 ), there is an increase in the awareness and innovation of garnering data for drug discovery, precision medicine and patient-centred pharmacy practices with personalised approaches to prevention, early detection, treatment and optimum management. [2] The examples of Big Data application are the electronic medical record (EMR) and clinical decision support such as the First Databank and the use of Big Data Analysis in predicting epidemic tropical diseases.…”

“…[2] The examples of Big Data application are the electronic medical record (EMR) and clinical decision support such as the First Databank and the use of Big Data Analysis in predicting epidemic tropical diseases. Although the growth in this area is still modest, it is undoubtedly a highly potential field to shift the paradigm of current pharmacy practices towards personalised care approaches and better pharmaceutical care [3][4].…”