Artificial intelligence has already started to transform hospital and health system functions, communications, imaging and other operations, but what role could it have in pharmacies?
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists published a guide June 6 that describes the role the technology can play in clinical pharmacies.
Andrea Sikora, PharmD, an associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy in Augusta and upcoming presenter at ASHP's Pharmacy Futures 2024 conference, said it is crucial for pharmacy executives, leaders and workers to invest in and understand AI because there is an "incredibly important need for infrastructure to utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, in the medication-use space."
Here are four ways Dr. Sikora said AI can be valuable to clinical pharmacists:
- In some cases, clinical pharmacists may be using the technology without knowing it. A process used in nearly all drug studies called logistic regression is associated with machine learning, which plays a part in training AI technology.
- Advanced machine learning models are beginning to come on the scene to offer predictions and support for clinical decision-making, but Dr. Sikora noted this area of AI currently has "limited validation for drug therapy."
- AI tools by the bedside can help with rapid sepsis detection and alert providers, including clinical pharmacists, about appropriate interventions.
- Another emerging AI use for clinical pharmacists is related to ICU medication models. Currently, AI models exclude these medications from datasets, according to Dr. Sikora, but more advanced models in the near future might be able to bring aid to this area, as a typical ICU patient has 13 medications ordered at a given time.