Have you wondered to yourself as you peruse job listings for Epic Willow positions for pharmacists… “Why is Epic Pharmacy Called Willow?” Well, one day in the midst of boredom, I asked myself this.
Having been in the world of Epic for quite a while now, I have just always assumed that it had to do with the quirky uniqueness that is Epic because a number of their other modules also have what seem to be offbeat names. There’s Beacon, Cupid, Kaleidoscope, Stork, Phoenix, ASAP, Grand Central, and the list goes on.
Some module names make perfect sense like ClinDoc and Anesthesia, and Nurse Triage. But for those modules where Epic went “rogue”, they kinda make you go “hmmm…”
Well wonder no more. I’ve cracked the case! Cracked the case for the Epic Willow module at least.
Think back to your days of pharmacology in pharmacy school. Remember all the medications we learned about that had their roots (get it…? Their “roots”) in plants?
- Digoxin – from foxglove
- Caffeine – from kola nuts
- Morphine and codeine – from the opium poppy
- Quinine – from the cinchona calisaya tree
- Penicillin – from mold
- Paclitaxel – from the bark of the pacific yew
- Vincristine and Vinblastine – from the bark of the Madagascan periwinkle plant
I think you get where this is going.
And the big reveal…
Aspirin from the bark of the willow tree!
Naturally then, one could make the point that the Epic pharmacy module could very well have also been called Epic Foxglove or even Epic Kola… (okay, maybe not Epic Kola).
All that to say, mystery solved. Now you know what I know with regard to why the Epic pharmacy module is called Willow 🙂
It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy.
Anonymous
Quick Update:
2020 was a hard year for many of us and 2021 was not the the year of deliverance from 2020 that many had hoped it would be.
I understand that times are hard right now and keeping up with the blog was a struggle in the midst of what we were all living through.
Let me know what topics you’re interested in reading about here on the blog. I am working on creating more posts for the rest of the year and getting more frequent into 2022 also.
Don’t forget, if you have a question, ask me here or read all the questions already asked and answers I’ve given. There are no silly questions here 🙂
Diane says
I believe sitting in front of a computer via webx training for 16hrs in three days in a row was not a sufficient way to train. It was system overload, and not given any extra time to use EPIC.
My department feels yes, we were trained in EPIC, but NOT trained to do our job.
The Willow pharmacy is way to busy can’t filter out appropriately why do you need to see consults for both hospitals and out pt infusion, then you have to scroll to find our assignments. I’m seriously thinking of quitting my job and work for another company that doesn’t use EPIC!!!!!
Dani says
Hi Diane,
Yes, thanks to COVID Epic has adjusted how they do their training. They still have the option for in-person classes and offer study halls after the main class but only for those present for the in-person classes. It’s unfortunate that your organization chose not to send you or other new Epic Willow analysts to Epic for training and instead chose the budget option via WebEx or Zoom.
It’s really hard to learn that way. I agree that your Willow build sounds very confusing. Sounds like whoever built it to begin with did a poor job of it.
I also agree that stressing out over something like this that you can’t control isn’t worth your health and peace of mind. Maybe quitting and going to an organization that doesn’t use Epic might be a good move for you. A poorly-built Epic system is not anyone’s cup of tea.
The job market for pharmacists is vast right now and there’s so much more a pharmacist can do than work in central pharmacy as a staff pharmacist. Think outside the box while you’re job hunting.
Best of luck and feel free to keep us posted here on your progress.
Thank you for commenting.
Jerry Stafford says
I had my epic training way before covid and I had the same feeling after my training.
Dani says
I agree Jerry, and I think it’s the same for new pharmacy grads also… We are trained in the basics but not in how to actually do our jobs.
You get the basic knowledge that you need, and then you learn what you actually need to know to function in you your job on the job. That’s the nature of these things. 🙂