Artificial Intelligence and Public Health: Addressing Pharmacy Practice Challenges and Policy Issues

Abstract

This research study focuses on the induction of artificial intelligence into pharmacy practice, including challenges associated with AI application and policy issues. The aim is to acquire how to harness AI in a time-saving manner to enhance service at a pharmacy, coupled with an understanding of its potential pitfalls and governance arrangements. It included government reports, systematic literature reviews of peer-reviewed studies, and policy papers spanning the years 2021–2024. All data required were derived from literature searches in PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, and Google Scholar. The results show that artificial intelligence can contribute so much to the practice of pharmacy by making the drug-dispensing procedure ideal to guarantee better patient care and prevent human mistakes. Coupled with this promising potential were concerns related to data privacy, rigorous regulatory frameworks, and job losses. This will require the development of clear policies and guidelines in the regulatory framework so that AI can be ethically and effectively applied in the pharmacy practice. While the present work adds to a growing literature on AI in health care, it also has the potential to act as a launch pad for future research toward working out the challenges identified herein and thinking out newer opportunities for such innovation.