C+D’s Counter View 25 survey asked readers for their thoughts on the biggest issues affecting working pharmacists today, and one of the fastest-changing areas of the industry right now is AI and automation.
Many pharmacies across the UK are already using some automated services or AI in the workplace, but the technology is set to play an even greater role in pharmacists’ day-to-day lives in the near future.
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Respondents were broadly happy with the accuracy provided by automated dispensing, with several referencing its value for hub and spoke services.
One reader said “automation has improved accuracy” in hub and spoke dispensing, adding that they have “seen a drop in errors and near misses, which is undeniably good for patient safety”.
Another reported that they had seen automation in hub dispensing reduce errors “to practically zero”, and said they were “in favour of systems that remove human error” from tasks like drug selection and quantity.
“Risky to rely on”
But while several people noted the usefulness of automated dispensing, many were sceptical about AI’s use in clinical services.
One reader responded that dispensing robots are a “mainstay”, but said widespread use of AI in prescribing would “[not] be beneficial” as “we risk relying on unverified information to make clinical decisions”.
A second response expressed concerns about patients “gaming” an AI-driven prescribing system “in order to obtain medication that they want, but don’t need”.
And another argued that while AI and automation is “useful for the more menial tasks”, it is “risky to rely on this for final checks and clinical decisions”.
In-person vs remote
Responses to the survey also highlighted the value of pharmacists in being able to help patients in person, with one person noting that automation will cause “a reduction in advice and interventions when patients collect” medicines.
Another reader emphasised that community pharmacy’s “best asset is seeing patients every month” and that “collection lockers do not allow for a pharmacist to ‘eye’ the patient”.
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Unsurprisingly, another concern for pharmacists is that the rise of automated services will result in less footfall for the pharmacy - which means fewer patients paying for services.
One respondent warned that patients who use online or automated pharmacy services will then “expect to come into a brick-and-mortar pharmacy for advice without supporting the pharmacy financially”.
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Another took aim at automated lockers, branding them “costly, unfunded services” that limit “access to add-on revenue.”
“A customer collecting from a locker is less likely to get a flu jab or purchase stock from the shop,” they said.
Blame game
Two readers brought up the vital issue of culpability when it comes to using automated and AI services.
One said there needs to be a greater discussion over “who is liable for errors” at the pharmacy, while another insisted that “AI won’t take over the clinical responsibility - it will always be tied to a named, registered person”.
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The disparity between the two responses highlights the level of confusion surrounding responsibility and liability when using automation or AI in pharmacies.
And much debate will continue. One reader arguably put it best when they said: “AI is coming whether we like it or not. We just need to adapt.”
