Brianne Bakken

Her Story

Dr. Bakken received her PharmD from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She then completed a PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. During her residency, Dr. Bakken also received a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Dr. Bakken is currently an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) School of Pharmacy with an administrative practice site at Children’s Wisconsin where she serves as a Pharmacy Manager working on strategic projects related to operations, technology, patient/medication safety, and pharmacy education. Through her work as a faculty member and pharmacy manager, a typical week includes teaching, precepting, solving problems, leading teams and projects, and conducting research.

Facility

The Milwaukee Regional Medical Center is a consortium of health care institutions, which includes Children’s Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, and the Medical College of Wisconsin, among several other institutions located on campus, that collectively provide a full range of patient care services. The MCW School of Pharmacy offers an accelerated, three-year PharmD curriculum, several residency programs, and a pharmacy teaching certificate program. Dr. Bakken led the development of the pharmacy teaching certificate program and no oversees ongoing operations and delivery. Dr. Bakken’s primary teaching responsibilities include healthcare systems, practice development and management, leadership, informatics, law, and residency preparation. She also coordinates the Longitudinal APPE program at Children’s Wisconsin.

Recent Significant Projects

Dr. Bakken is a member of the Midwest Pharmacy Workforce Research Consortium, which produces the National Pharmacist Workforce Study, a systematic nationwide survey of pharmacists that is conducted every five years. Dr. Bakken and her research colleagues recently published their work exploring experiences of discrimination and harassment among pharmacists. She also recently finished a major research initiative to conduct the first Wisconsin Pharmacy Workforce Study, which characterized the pharmacist and technician workforce and also explored how COVID-19 impacted work-life.

At Children’s Wisconsin, Dr. Bakken recently finished a year-long project to redesign the inpatient medication labels, including changes to the label stock used for printing and changes to the layout and formatting that would ensure compliance with legal standards, align with best practices, enhance medication safety, and improve workflow.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

Dr. Bakken initially became involved with ASHP as a student pharmacist and is now the Faculty Advisor for the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) chapter at MCW. She is currently a member of the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders and serves on the Section Advisory Group on New and Emerging Leaders.

Why did you become involved in ASHP? 

I first became involved with ASHP as a student and believed ASHP would provide valuable resources and relationships that would prepare me for residency. After completing residency training and establishing my career, I now have the opportunity to pay it forward by contributing to the organization that has helped me so much. I enjoy being able to provide resources and opportunities for students interested in residency and/or hospital practice.

Advice for Someone New to Specialty Area

I grew up in a small town in rural Iowa. To me, the profession of pharmacy is like the small town of healthcare professions. Everyone knows each other and everyone is willing to help one another for the sake of improving the overall community (or profession). I continue to be amazed by our profession, the comradery, teamwork, and the overall desire to give back and help one another. The best advice I can give to new practitioners, including new pharmacy leaders, is to continually build, expand, and maintain your professional network. The value of having mentors, advisors, sponsors, coaches, and friends in the profession is immeasurable. If you are facing a challenge, remember there are thousands of other pharmacists that are either going through the same thing or maybe have already solved it. Leverage the network of people and resources around you, including professional organizations like ASHP.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?

ASHP advocates and supports pharmacists in all settings. They provide countless resources for pharmacists and students, but also provide a place for community and networking where pharmacists can engage with one another, share knowledge and best practices, collaborate, and solve problems.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?

ASHP advocates on behalf of pharmacists and ensures that pharmacists are considered and included when important policies, regulations, and initiatives are being developed. They also open doors and create opportunities to expand or improve pharmacy practice.