Future of Pharmacy

The committee will help the FDA address issues related to digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, cyber security, and patient-generated health data.

Laura Akers, PharmD, RPh/CPh, MBA, BCOP discusses the role of the pharmacist, how the pharmacy profession has changed, and what is to come in the field.

The people who come to the community pharmacy represent the surrounding population at large, making the pharmacy an ideal place to identify and recruit underrepresented patients.

With pharmacies around the country shifting to provide more comprehensive care and becoming true health care destinations, Chichi Ilonzo Momah, PharmD, RPh said she is excited for the future of the field.

AI is revolutionizing pharmacy practice by improving medication management, streamlining workflow, and enhancing patient safety and outcomes.

The seamless integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to accelerate research and enhance efficiency in a new era of personalized medicine.

Advanced technology can automate many pharmacovigilance tasks to build workflow efficiencies, reduce manual intervention, and free up team members for more strategic activities.

With the help of new and complex algorithms and self-learning models, we are currently privy to what we may look back on as the golden era of AI.

By embracing collaboration, optimizing work hours, and prioritizing patient care, pharmacy technicians are leading the charge towards an inclusive, technologically advanced, and patient-focused era in pharmaceutical practice.

Researchers recommended less restrictive policy regarding telepharmacies to improve access to medications and pharmacists, while ultimately improving outcomes and adherence to treatment regimens.

Session at NACDS Total Store Expo leadership discusses NACDS initiatives and world events.

Stakeholders need to convene honest, actionable discussions about the challenges and the safeguards needed to address appropriate use of artificial intelligence in health care.

Session at NACDS Total Store Expo discusses minor changes that retail companies can make to mesh artificial intelligence into their work to increase sales, improve margins, and lower costs.

In terms of science and technology, the health care community has everything needed to clinically implement pharmacogenomics testing.

Product verification allows technicians to practice at the top of their license and frees pharmacists to interact with patients.

Many living in lower-income rural populations face significant unmet social needs that can bar access to important mental health services.

Mobile apps can help consumers acquire medications, but few help with adherence beyond automatic refills or medication synchronization.

Using artificial intelligence to sort and respond to patient queries could streamline processes and alleviate provider burnout.

During separate panel discussions at McKesson ideaShare 2023, pharmacists discussed advocacy for pharmacy benefit manager reform and community health worker training.

Pharmacists can recognize evidence of successful interventions and learn how to integrate them into their own practice.

Access, diagnosis, and treatment for BIPOC patients suffering from migraines is yet another unflattering reflection of the lack of health equity in the United States.

Community health workers can address issues of health equity to enhance the services of the pharmacy and support a value-based care model.

Pharmacists can address the needs of health care consumers earlier in the care journey by building interpersonal relationships and community trust, as well as by leading institutional and public policy reform.

It’s imperative to redefine the future of pharmacy to help ensure a robust pipeline of future pharmacists and create a culture that helps ensure pharmacists live their purpose and passion.

Pediatric drug development, which has a complex background and history, has fundamental catches based around how children are defined in the context of clinical studies.

Radio frequency identification-enabled automation for inventory management has only achieved its massive adoption in the retail space over the past 2 decades.

A professional with a newly-minted pharmacy doctorate degree today has many options for a rewarding career.

Commonly, essential yet routine and time-consuming tasks, such as answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, or other administrative work, prevent health care workers from focusing on more value-added and enjoyable job functions.

Pharmacists, in particular, must be cautious and deliberate in using ChatGPT to ensure that its benefits are fully realized while minimizing risk and misinformation.

There are still significant unresolved issues in artificial intelligence and machine learning, which must be addressed before they can be safely and effectively used more broadly in medicine.