Nicole Mayo

Dr. Mayo obtained her Pharm.D. and MBA degrees from the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. She subsequently earned a Master's in Health Informatics with a concentration in Data Analytics at George Mason University.

As a member of the McKesson Pharmacy Optimization RxInsight team, Nicole supports health system customers in making key decisions using the McKesson Utilization Analytics tool. After pharmacy leadership identifies goals and initiatives, Nicole reviews utilization, reimbursement, and dispensation data available within the Utilization Analytics toolkit to highlight opportunities to optimize drug purchases, analyze actual drug usage, and understand payer reimbursement trends. Equipping health system pharmacies with these data insights allow them to collaborate with revenue cycle, finance, and supply chain stakeholders and contribute to critical decisions which impact the entire health system.

Overview of Facility/Health System:
While McKesson is primarily associated with pharmaceutical and medical supply distribution, they offer solutions to support customers in every aspect of their pharmacy business. Pharmacists are embedded in multiple aspects of customer support including operational consultants, business advisors, and account management. 

Significant Projects:
Recent projects include examining the financial impact of Covered Entities when converting to different facility designations, designing strategies to support providers in prescribing biosimilars at the point of care, and helping pharmacy leaders with understanding how payer mix and other nuances impact profitability across their health system.

Initial Involvement in ASHP:
Over the years I have been involved as a student and member, often attending local and national meetings. I recently joined the Section of Pharmacy Informatics and Technology. 

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area
Flex your networking skills to identify ways in which pharmacists can continue bringing value to the field of informatics. Realize that the skill set that you have built during your journey as a pharmacist is a strength and can be leveraged in many non-traditional ways. Ask questions, stay curious, and think outside the box.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?
I was active in ASHP as a pharmacy student, but working with a cohort of pharmacists and technicians who are actively engaged even now has demonstrated how important involvement in ASHP is not only for the purpose of increasing visibility of pharmacists but also to support the enormous advocacy efforts that ASHP is involved in. Additionally, I think it's important to not only be involved with the organization, but also use it as a platform to show this upcoming group of pharmacists how many different career paths lie ahead of them.  

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?
The value of pharmacists and influential organizations like ASHP can be seen every day in the news cycle. Between drug shortages, programs that ensure that hospitals are able to provide medications to all patients in need, and bringing awareness to less than optimal pharmacist working conditions, one can very easily see why ASHP is a valuable organization.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession? 
From the pharmacist stance, ASHP is great organization for networking, keeping abreast on issues impacting other pharmacists, and gaining insight into how other pharmacists are navigating the always evolving healthcare system. Additionally, this is an organization that embraces involvement from everyone, from students to seasoned pharmacists -- it is an organization that benefits everyone.