The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has published guidance on the “safe and effective use of AI in pharmacy practice”.
It said the guidance supports pharmacists to “understand the opportunities, limitations and professional responsibilities associated with artificial intelligence”.
The body has launched a survey alongside it, prompting members to share their “experiences, views and concerns regarding the use of AI in pharmacy practice”.
Read more: MedPal AI’s new robotics hub to deliver over 300k scripts a month
The survey is intended to help identify “where AI is already being used, what support pharmacists need, and what safeguards they believe should be in place to protect patients, professional standards and pharmacist accountability”.
The PDA said the guidance is based on a “Professional-in-the-Loop” approach.
“This means pharmacists must retain active oversight, professional judgement and accountability for decisions that may be influenced by AI,” it said.
Read more: GPhC publishes new position statement on AI in pharmacy
The body said that while “AI can support decision making”, it “must not replace professional judgement”.
The guidance series includes 15 documents, covering themes such as regulation, bias, data quality, and liability considerations.
Support is essential
“As AI becomes more embedded in pharmacy systems, workflows and patient interactions, pharmacists may increasingly be asked to rely on outputs generated or shaped by technology,” the PDA said.
“The PDA believes it is essential that pharmacists are supported to understand how those systems work, how their outputs should be assessed, and where professional judgement must be applied.”
The body said the responses from the accompanying survey “will help inform the PDA’s ongoing policy” and ensure that “the pharmacist voice is central to discussions about how new technologies are introduced and governed in pharmacy practice”. It will close on September 20.
Read more: AI and automation in pharmacy: Transformative, risky, or both?
It comes after the digital health platform MedPal AI opened a robotic centre last month that has the capacity to fulfill more than 300,000 prescription items a month.
And it follows a statement by the General Pharmaceutical Council on AI in April that stressed the “new risks that need to be managed”.
