Brent I. Fox , Margaret R. Thrower , and Bill G. Felkey .Building Core Competencies in Pharmacy Informatics. Washington, D.C.: American Pharmacists Association; 2010. 507 pp, $44.95 (hardcover), ISBN 989-1-58212-144-4.
In 2007, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) mandated pharmacy programs to incorporate informatics competencies in their curricula. Since then, both new and existing pharmacy programs have taken the initiative to address informatics in their programs. Some programs have created standalone courses; while others may have spread the competencies throughout the curriculum in courses such as drug information, communication, public health, and many others. Informatics is fairly new to pharmacy, which is coupled with the challenge of providing didactic instructions in this area to pharmacy students. The need for a comprehensive reference guide is therefore warranted. Few published books have addressed informatics; however, this book is comprehensive and addresses practitioners and educators as well as students. 
 
This book is divided into 9 units and 28 chapters. Unit 1: Foundations of Pharmacy Informatics, Unit II: Computing and Telecommunication Fundamentals, Unit III: Health Care Data Management and Exchange, Unit IV: Medication Use Process I, Unit V: Medication Use Process II, Unit VI: Medication Use Process III, Unit VII: Medication Use Process IV, Unit VIII: Medication Use Process V, Unit IX: Pharmacy Informatics Ecosystem. 
 
Each unit begins with clearly defined competencies and a brief description. This is followed by specific chapter objectives. This approach directs the reader to the content in a way that enhances learning. Unit 1 describes the 5 core competencies linking them to pharmacy practice, education, medication use processes, and technology. It also highlights the driving forces, enablers, and barriers of health information technology (HIT) adoption. The support and contributions from various associations and organizations are emphasized. Unit II and III address the computer systems and telecommunications. These units detail basic technology as the foundation for health information exchange. The basics target the different generations in pharmacy workforce and help with the understanding of the concepts and foundation of informatics. 
 
Unit IV through VIII focus on medication use process, emphasizing core informatics: computerized provider order entry, electronic prescribing, pharmacy automation systems, and electronic health records. Each of these core areas is elaborated, indicating driving forces, programs, issues, and how to overcome the limitations. These units integrate evidenced-based medicine into the concepts of informatics, helping readers such as students to understand. The book ends with Unit IX, which focuses on Web 2.0 applications and the new frontier in pharmacy: telepharmacy. Security and privacy issues in informatics are clearly discussed along with other technological challenges. This helps prepare pharmacists in advance as interoperability becomes a reality. 
 
The book has several strengths. It is well organized and each unit has specific intent. The sequencing and organization of the chapters make the content flow appealing to the reader. It is geared toward all pharmacists including practitioners and educators, as well as students. The unit on computer systems and telecommunication may be too technical for readers with limited background in technology. However, the content will reach the current student population and enrich other generations of practitioners and educators. Telepharmacy coverage is limited in this book, and the authors could have expanded the content to include the newly emerging clinical telepharmacy practice. 
 
Sullivan University College of Pharmacy has implemented a standalone course in informatics since 2008. Finding a comprehensive book that is basic enough for the course has been challenging. I will therefore recommend this book for pharmacy educators, practitioners, trainees, and students. It can serve as a reference book for informatics courses that have been developed in pharmacy programs as well as for academic-based drug information centers and libraries.