“UAT? What’s That?” - Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Digital Pharmacy

When I first transitioned from a traditional community pharmacist role into digital pharmacy, I was introduced to a world filled with new terms: SIT, UAT, workflows, defect logs, stakeholder sign-off… all part of the project and digital transformation landscape.

One acronym that came up again and again was UAT: User Acceptance Testing.

At the time, I nodded along politely, not entirely sure what it meant in practice. I later found out this was more common than I realised.

🤔 So... What Is UAT, Really?

UAT is the final phase of testing before a new digital system or major upgrade goes live. It’s the moment when real users, not developers or digital staff, check that the system works in real clinical workflows. In the context of EPMA, that might mean checking that prescribing insulin works safely, or that the MAR displays as it should for nurses.

But here’s the thing: most clinical professionals have never done UAT before. It’s not part of our training. We know how to give safe advice, check doses, monitor kidney function… but testing software? That’s a whole different skillset.

🧠 From Confused to Confident

Recently, I was helping another EPMA pharmacist through their first UAT cycle. They were unsure where to start and I completely understood. I was in the same position when I first got into digital. No one explained the basics to me either. It wasn’t until I’d been through a couple of implementations (and learned the hard way) that it all started to make sense.

That moment, supporting a colleague and realising how widespread this gap is, is what inspired me to create a dedicated learning package on UAT for The EPMA Hub.

🛠️ Why This Matters

As more of us move into digital roles, we need to bring others with us. Clinical staff are being asked to take part in digital testing and projects without always being given the context or training.

That’s not fair, and it’s not effective.

By making resources like this accessible, we can empower our colleagues to:

• Understand how and why UAT works

• Participate more confidently in digital projects

• Build safer, smarter systems with genuine frontline input

🌱 Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt unsure about UAT (or any digital concept), you’re not alone. Every experienced digital pharmacist was once new to it. What matters is that we support each other, share knowledge, and build a future where digital is demystified, not daunting.

Explore our “Mastering UAT in EPMA Projects” learning program today, and pass it on to a colleague who might benefit.

Let’s close the knowledge gap, together.