Coming for Your Job or Improving Your Performance? The Future of Pharmacy in the Age of AI
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is prompting critical questions within the pharmacy profession. As AI tools begin to take on tasks traditionally handled by pharmacists – even medication data gathering and reporting, as evidenced by AI-driven care management systems – the role of the pharmacist is being actively redefined. A common argument suggests AI’s superior knowledge base will render pharmacists obsolete, viewing them primarily as medication distributors rather than direct care providers.However, this perspective overlooks crucial opportunities for pharmacists to leverage AI and solidify their position as essential medication optimization experts.
The speed of AI development is particularly noteworthy. Nvidia, a key player in AI processing, has experienced a stock price increase exceeding 900% in the last three years, signaling the accelerating pace of AI integration. Experts predict AI agents could be conducting autonomous research within 6 to 18 months,potentially achieving complete expertise across all fields of study by 2030 – or even sooner.
Currently, the pharmacy world appears largely reactive to this shift, observing AI’s progress rather than proactively integrating with it. This lack of strategic planning is concerning,particularly as the implications are not a distant concern but a near-term reality. The profession must engage in critical discussions with state boards of pharmacy, collaborate with technology solution providers, and adapt educational curricula for both current and future pharmacists to focus on utilizing AI for safer, more effective, and innovative care.
A fundamental shift in the pharmacy business model is paramount. historically, the argument for expanded pharmacist roles centered on freeing up time for patient care. However, without a corresponding economic model supporting billable care delivery, this argument lacks sustainability. The future viability of the profession hinges on establishing pharmacists as providers, not clerical workers. If pharmacy is perceived as a profession focused on administrative tasks, it risks displacement.
The need for demonstrable economic value is critical.pharmacists must demand evidence of billable time from employers, policymakers, and regulators. In a landscape where the “peripheral brain” – the core of information processing – resides in the cloud, and AI represents the most advanced version of that brain, a enduring future for pharmacy depends on proving its value as a provider of essential, billable services.
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- Graham J. The big, beautiful health care squeeze is here: what that means for your coverage.Investor’s Business Daily. July 18, 2025.Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.investors.com/news/big-beautiful-bill-trump-budget-health-care-coverage/
- Constantino AK. Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer to sell blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis at 40% discount. CNBC. July 17, 2025. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/bristol-myers-squibb-pfizer-to-sell-eliquis-at-40percent-discount.html
