Innovations-Magazine-June-2023 - 10

The Transformative Power and Challenges of AI
The use of AI in tasks that have traditionally required human perspective and expertise has gained
significant mainstream attention over the last year, most visibly with the emergence of advanced
chatbot applications such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and increasing integration into other services.
In pharmacy, AI could be used to help automate routine
and traditionally manual tasks that might include ordering,
verifying, dispensing, and even administering medications,
for example. AI could also provide an elevated level of support
for pharmacists and other clinicians across many aspects of
medical therapy. In fact, some pharmaceutical companies have
already been exploring similar functionality in specific use
cases. Abbott, for example, has utilized a coronary imaging
platform powered by AI that can detect the severity of calciumbased
blockages and measure blood vessel diameter to improve
decision making during coronary stenting procedures.
Applications of this technology to pharmacy practice might
be used to improve patient outcomes by increasing medication
adherence. This includes apps that remind patients to take
their medications, or pharmacy-based AI systems that prompt
patient follow-ups. AI may even be used to help monitor
patient health statuses, predict and detect risks of adverse
events, and even take steps to intervene in certain conditions.
In clinical settings, some health care facilities are also
implementing AI to reduce paperwork. For example, the
company Glass Health is one of several companies utilizing
chatbot technology to offer services to doctors. Glass Health's
first product was an electronic method of keeping medical
notes. The company has since created a program called Glass
AI, based on ChatGPT, but utilizing a virtual medical textbook
as its source of information. Health care providers can input
patient symptoms and other information, and the program
can suggest possible diagnoses and even treatment plans.
It remains uncertain how programs like Glass AI might
be utilized by providers. Pharmacists, pharmacy owners,
and pharmacy regulators will ultimately decide
which aspects of their responsibilities are best handled by
pharmacists and technicians, by AI, or by staff who receive
support or suggestions from AI-based systems. In a statement
published by the American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists (ASHP) in December 2020, the organization
recommends that pharmacists and other stakeholders apply
a scientific approach when determining the degree to which
AI is used to automate certain tasks. ASHP suggests that full
automation that utilizes AI " should be reserved for algorithmic
tasks for which it is demonstrated that AI performs as well or
better than pharmacists. "
The risk of misinformation and actions taken because of that
misinformation are concerns that exist in most applications of
AI. Because of these dangers, an emerging area of AI governance
commonly referred to as " responsible AI " is gaining prominence
among organizations that are pursuing AI technology. Responsible
AI emphasizes principles of fairness, transparency, privacy, human
safety, and explainability, as outlined in the book Turning Point:
Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.
Despite the controversy, there can be no denying that this
technology has the potential to transform thousands of professions
and industries, including pharmacy. With that potential comes
concern about the risks and challenges associated with the way AI
technology might be used in pharmacy practice.
Using Augmented and Virtual Reality in Pharmacy Education
and Beyond
Over the last decade, AR and VR have become more prolific, due in part to improved technologies and more
affordable hardware. As a result, more users than ever are exploring potential applications in a variety of
industries and venues, including both clinical health care and education for providers.
Virtual pharmacy education in interactive environments has been
explored by at least some educators for well over a decade. Notably,
between 2010 and 2015, educators at the Rangel College of Pharmacy
at Texas A&M University experimented with utilizing Second Life,
which they describe as " an interactive three-dimensional virtual
environment that simulates the real world. " In an article published in
Advances in Medical Education and Practice, the educators explained
that, though the Second Life system was limited in certain ways,
including requiring access via standard two-dimensional screens,
educators were able to create virtual pharmacy school classrooms and
even a virtual pharmaceutical science and compounding laboratory.
Students who participated indicated the experience was more useful
than virtual lectures by video, though they still preferred a live session.
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The development and increased access to more sophisticated virtual
technologies, including headsets that allow greater immersion into
three-dimensional virtual environments, has allowed for additional
educational applications. For example, in 2018, first-year students at
the University of South Florida Health Taneja College of Pharmacy
were using VR hardware to see how certain drugs interact in the body.
Specifically, students were able to visualize how beta blockers may affect
the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. In another application, students at
Auburn University Harrison School Pharmacy have been working with
VR for several years, according to Drug Topics Journal. There, students
are combining VR and haptic devices - mechanical devices that can
simulate the sensation of touch - to learn about physical limitations
patients can experience as part of an empathy-building learning activity.

Innovations-Magazine-June-2023

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