The two dimensions of pharmacy artificial intelligence tools
Steven M. Smoke · American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy · 2024
In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, promising to revolutionize various aspects of pharmacy practice. From streamlining back office tasks to enhancing patient care, AI tools are being developed and implemented at an unprecedented pace. However, the sheer diversity of these tools, ranging from chatbots to predictive algorithms, can be overwhelming for pharmacists and informaticists seeking to leverage AI’s potential, particularly as AI may not be the best solution for every challenge. Other articles have provided a foundational background on AI and pharmacy considerations, including definitions of key terms.1,2 Yet, an additional framework is needed to equip pharmacy leaders with the skills to assess and scrutinize specific AI tools. This article proposes a 2-dimensional model to categorize and evaluate AI tools in pharmacy. The first dimension emphasizes the distance from the patient, reflecting the different settings AI can be used, from administrative tasks far from the patient to direct patient-facing uses. The second dimension differentiates the breadth of applications, from generative AI with broad applications to predictive/discriminative AI with narrow applications.