Embracing AI: Pharmacy’s new frontier
Chad Brown is a third-year PharmD candidate at the Idaho State University College of Pharmacy.
Technology is constantly evolving, with artificial intelligence (AI) now at the forefront. In the medical and pharmaceutical fields, AI is being used to process test results and image data, make recommendations to help with treatment decisions, and develop new technologies that can treat conditions such as chronic pain and diabetes.1 Pharmaceutical companies have adopted or invested in AI to accelerate drug discovery, drug manufacturing, diagnostic assistance, and optimize medical treatment processes. These advancements are attempting to make pharmaceuticals more affordable and efficacious while improving the probability of FDA approval.2
The field of education is also finding ways to implement AI to better meet the needs of students today to help accelerate their development and prepare them for the future.3 As student pharmacists, we can utilize AI in pharmacy school to increase our efficiency.
How AI can impact learning
Two personal examples of AI use include the following:
1. Generation of practice questions: I found an AI program that allowed me to upload my lecture slides and notes. I then asked the program questions about the material. I was able to ask the program to generate practice questions with surprising accuracy and relevancy, which required me to use my own knowledge to double-check the program’s output.
2. Assistance in critical appraisal of literature: I used a different AI program in which I copied and pasted small excerpts from an article into the program and asked it to find and interpret specific information (e.g., strengths and weaknesses) of the study. The program could also assess the quality and veracity of the article.
These examples represent a small sampling of how AI can impact learning. It can also assist in writing emails, creating mnemonics, summarizing complicated text, and other assignments. All of these tasks allow us to use evidence-based learning strategies more effectively. It’s important to note that AI is not perfect, but it is improving and is already very capable of helping us where we are now.
Embrace AI responsibly
The use of AI in education requires responsibility, professionalism, and judicious use. There is the temptation to have AI do all your work; however, doing so would be unprofessional and could jeopardize opportunities to maximize the potential of AI in education. Rather, we must use AI to augment and enhance our work, always reviewing and editing its output.
We should also be open in our use of AI with professors. This includes confirming its use is acceptable and properly citing AI when used. Transparency in using AI in assignments will help professors facilitate the appropriate use of AI in education and better prepare us all for the future.
Embracing AI responsibly today in our education as future pharmacists better prepares us to fulfill the Oath of a Pharmacist tomorrow. We can “embrace and advocate changes that improve patient care.”⁴ AI is a new frontier, and learning how to use it now will make us better pharmacists in the future. We will be able to collaborate with other health care professionals and patients, improving the quality of care we provide.
References
- NIH. Artificial intelligence and medical research. NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2023/01/artificial-intelligence-medical-research
- McGrail S. AI in the pharma industry: Current uses, best cases, digital future. PharmaNewsIntelligence. pharmanewsintel.com/news/ai-in-the-pharma-industry-current-uses-best-cases-digital-future
- Kopp W, Thomsen BS. How AI can accelerate students’ holistic development and make teaching more fulfilling. World Economic Forum. weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/ai-accelerate-students-holistic-development-teaching-fulfilling/
- Oath of a Pharmacist. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. aacp.org/resource/oath-pharmacist