November 2024 Pharmacy AI Newsletter

Welcome to the November Issue of AI.pothecary!?

Greetings to all our dedicated readers—pharmacy professionals, AI enthusiasts, and curious minds alike! We are excited to bring you another issue of AI.pothecary, your go-to resource at the intersection of pharmacy and artificial intelligence. This newsletter continues to highlight transformative ideas, groundbreaking research, and essential industry insights that keep you informed and inspired.?

This issue features a comprehensive roundup of recent innovations and trends in the realm of AI and pharmacy, showcasing everything from AI's growing role in drug discovery to its application in clinical settings. We explore AI’s impact on streamlining processes, enhancing patient care, improving pharmacist roles, as well as?businesses around the industry.?

You’ll discover highlights from recent publications and research, from universities pioneering AI-based educational tools to collaborative breakthroughs in drug development that promise faster, safer outcomes. We also examine the evolving regulatory landscape and practical implications for pharmacists and?companies aiming to leverage these technologies effectively.?

We hope this edition fuels your curiosity, sharpens your insights, and enriches your understanding of how AI is shaping the pharmacy field today and in the future.?

Thank you for joining us on this journey as we navigate the intersection of technology and healthcare. Happy reading! ??

AI Pharmacy Case Use:???

AI in Pharmaceuticals Promises Innovation (October 1, 2024, S&P Global) Generative AI is set to transform pharmaceutical research and development by driving innovation, improving cost efficiency, and accelerating the traditionally slow drug development process. By enabling more effective data analysis, drug discovery, and streamlined clinical trials, AI can help bring treatments to market faster and at lower costs. Large pharmaceutical companies that invest heavily in AI could gain a competitive advantage over smaller rivals. However, the full benefits of AI will take time to materialize, as its widespread adoption depends on continued investment, regulatory evolution, and effective change management.?

AI Unleashed in Pharmacy: Current Use and Regulatory Trends (October 10, 2024, Innovations Magazine) The article discusses how AI is improving pharmacy operations by assisting with tasks like prescription verification, which reduces errors and saves time. AI is also helping prevent drug diversion through anomaly detection tools that identify suspicious activities in pharmacies. The authors also address how government regulation is evolving, highlighting a 2023 executive order that sets new safety and security standards for AI, including in pharmacies. Additionally, states are exploring ways to protect the use of AI in areas such as insurance decisions.?

Revolutionizing Drug Development through AI (October 14, 2024, Pharmacy Times) AI is transforming drug development by optimizing data use, reducing inefficiencies, and speeding up timelines through integration with wearable tech, EHRs, and medical devices. It also enhances regulatory processes by automating routine tasks, improving decision-making, and ensuring compliance, while human expertise remains essential for interpreting results and ethical considerations. The pharmaceutical sector’s significant investment in AI underscores its potential, though a shortage of skilled professionals highlights the need for workforce development. AI’s impact on precision medicine and regulatory operations promises more personalized treatments, enriched clinical trials, and faster drug discovery.?

Pharmacy 2050: A New Clinical and Patient Experience (November 8, 2024, Science Direct) As the U.S. healthcare system becomes more personalized and localized through digital technologies, AI will play a key role in transforming pharmaceutical care. Over the next 25 years, innovations like AI-driven clinical research, prevention strategies, and smart devices will reshape the industry. Pharmacists will evolve from traditional roles to become integral members of care teams, using AI, data, and technology to improve patient outcomes. However, this shift will require updates to regulations and reimbursement models. By 2050, AI and automation could enable pharmacists to focus on roles such as clinical specialists and digital coaches while robots and technology handle repetitive tasks.?

Free AI Tools Hone New Pharmacists’ Skills (October 2, 2024, PharmacyPracticeNews) Pharmacy Technology Report highlighted a new initiative where Binghamton University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and California Northstate University collaboratively developed free AI tools, such as PharmtutorAI, to enhance pharmacy education. These tools help students practice essential skills, including creating master formulation records (MFRs), patient counseling, SOAP notes, and more, while receiving immediate, customized feedback. The AI tutors offer flexibility and adaptability across platforms and support multiple languages to improve pharmacy training globally. More tools are planned for release to further aid students.?

Researchers warn against relying on AI chatbots for drug safety information (October 10, 2024, NEWS Medical & Life Sciences) Researchers concluded that AI-powered search engines and chatbots often provide inaccurate or potentially harmful drug information. They found that many answers were incorrect or incomplete, and the complexity of the language used made it difficult for patients without a degree-level education to understand. Despite the potential of these tools, they can generate disinformation and harmful content, highlighting the need for patients to consult healthcare professionals for accurate and safe medication information. Pharmacists need to be aware of these limitations to guide patients effectively and ensure they receive accurate and safe medication information.?

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AI Healthcare Business News:???

Microsoft extends AI capabilities for healthcare data solutions (October 11, 2024, MobiHealthNews) Microsoft introduced several innovations in Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, including AI-powered tools and multimodal imaging models, to enhance healthcare data integration, streamline workflows, and support healthcare professionals in delivering better patient outcomes. For pharmacists, this is important as it enables better access to comprehensive patient data, improves collaboration with healthcare teams, and enhances their role in personalized care and medication management by leveraging AI-driven insights.??

GE HealthCare announces AI Innovation Lab showcasing five new research projects (October 21, 2024, GE HealthCare) GE HealthCare launched an AI Innovation Lab to develop AI-driven tools that enhance diagnostics, streamline clinical workflows, and improve personalized care across various medical fields, including cancer detection and maternal health. This initiative is important for pharmacists as it exemplifies how AI integration in healthcare can support pharmacists in clinical decision-making, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance patient care, particularly through data-driven insights for personalized treatment plans and safety.?

Hong Kong university to test four genAI models in hospitals (November 10, 2024, HealthcareITNews) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has developed four large language models (LLMs) to assist in various healthcare applications, including cancer diagnostics, pathology analysis, medical chatbot services, and AI-driven explanations.?This development is important for pharmacists as it demonstrates how AI can enhance diagnostic accuracy, support clinical decisions, and streamline patient care, highlighting the role of advanced technologies in improving healthcare outcomes and interprofessional collaboration.?

GE Healthcare announces time-saving AI tool for doctors who treat cancer (October 21, 2024, CNBC) GE HealthCare announced CareIntellect for Oncology, an AI application designed to streamline cancer patient management by summarizing medical histories, tracking disease progression, and identifying relevant clinical trials. This innovation is significant for pharmacists as it enhances interdisciplinary care, allowing pharmacists to collaborate more effectively with oncologists and support timely, personalized treatment adjustments based on comprehensive, AI-curated data.?

Why PharmBot AI is a Game Changer in Pharmacy (October 24, 2024, PharmBotAI) PharmBot AI is positioned as a transformative tool in pharmacy, designed to streamline tasks such as medication management, patient counseling, and operational efficiency in pharmacies. Its AI-powered features can assist with tasks like medication adherence and customer service, aiming to enhance workflow and patient outcomes. The tool emphasizes adaptability and promising benefits across various pharmacy settings.?

How generative AI in healthcare is helping cut admin burden (November 4, 2024, TechTarget) Generative AI (GenAI) shows promise in reducing the administrative burden in healthcare by automating tasks like bedside shift reports, prior authorizations, and health record summarization, which helps free up healthcare providers to focus on patient care.? For pharmacists, this is important because reducing administrative tasks can improve workflow efficiency, allow more time for direct patient interaction, and enhance the accuracy and speed of medication-related decisions.?

Nvidia Backed AI firm Iambic Therapeutics Breakthrough in Drug Discovery (October 29, 2024, Reuters) Biotech firm Iambic Therapeutics, backed by Nvidia, recently unveiled "Enchant," a new AI model that promises to transform early-stage drug development by predicting a drug’s potential success with high accuracy. Enchant leverages extensive pre-clinical data to forecast pharmacokinetic and efficacy outcomes at the initial stages, potentially halving the typical $2 billion cost of bringing a drug to market by reducing late-stage failure rates. With an impressive 0.74 accuracy score improved from 0.58 and constantly improving the model. Nobel laureate Frances Arnold highlighted that Enchant goes beyond tools like Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold by addressing critical drug properties such as toxicity, moving the industry closer to more cost-effective, reliable drug discovery. Predicting 3D structure is not enough for finding drug candidates.?

Janssen Partners with Chinese AI Firm on Biologics Discovery?(October 10, 2024, J&J) – Ailux Biologics, a division of XtalPi, has entered a strategic license agreement with Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson company, to utilize its AI-based XtalFold platform for biologics research. XtalFold rapidly models 3D structures of complex biomolecules from sequence data alone, providing valuable insights into interactions that drive biologics development, such as antibody-antigen binding and bispecifics design. By offering Janssen this cutting-edge technology, XtalPi aims to streamline biologics discovery, reducing the typical development cycle through advanced, AI-driven predictions. Since launching last year, XtalFold has been validated across over 30 programs, underscoring its potential to enhance precision and efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry.?

Research Papers:???

Artificial Intelligence and Pharmacy Education (November 6, 2024, Springer Nature Link) This study surveyed 305 B. Pharm students in India to assess their knowledge and use of AI tools in pharmacy education. The results showed limited familiarity with AI, with only 34.6% using tools like ChatGPT (42.2%) and Google Bard (30.8%) for academic purposes. Despite this, students had a positive outlook on AI's potential to improve education quality, with 82.3% expressing interest in workshops to expand their AI knowledge. The study concluded that there is a need for educators and tech developers to better integrate AI into pharmacy education.?

This AI model could help find new treatments for rare diseases (September 30, 2024, AdvisoryBoard) Harvard Medical School researchers developed TxGNN, an AI model designed to find treatments for over 17,000 rare diseases by analyzing extensive genetic, cellular, and clinical data. This tool identifies potential treatments, including drug repurposing options, and can explain its recommendations, enhancing transparency and confidence. TxGNN has shown higher accuracy in predicting effective treatments compared to other AI models. However, it relies on existing medical knowledge, so addressing data biases is essential. The model, available for free, aims to help bridge healthcare gaps, especially for neglected conditions.?

Evaluating the Accuracy of Large Language Model (ChatGPT) in Providing Information on Metastatic Breast Cancer (October 14, 2024, PubMed) ChatGPT demonstrates potential as a supplementary tool for patient education in breast cancer. While generally accurate, the presence of inaccuracies underscores the need for professional oversight. The study advocates integrating AI tools like ChatGPT in healthcare settings to support patient-provider interactions and health education, emphasizing the importance of regular updates to reflect the latest research and clinical guidelines.??

Applications of AI in pharmacy practice: a look at hospital and community settings (September 30, 2024, Research Gate) This research explores various AI applications in both hospital and community pharmacy settings. It focuses on how AI can enhance medication management, streamline workflows, and support clinical decisions. Differences in implementation are noted: hospital settings tend to use AI for patient monitoring and clinical decision-making, while community settings often apply it to drug dispensing and inventory management. Challenges like data privacy, ethical considerations, and regulatory requirements are also discussed, underscoring the need for balanced AI adoption in patient care.?

Artificial intelligence guided screening for cardiomyopathies in an obstetric population: a pragmatic randomized clinical trial (October 15, 2024, National Library of Medicine)?An open-label trial in Nigeria demonstrated that AI-guided screening with a digital stethoscope significantly increased the detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in pregnant and postpartum women compared to usual care. This finding is crucial for pharmacists as it highlights the potential of AI-driven tools to improve early detection and intervention in cardiovascular complications, which can guide medication management and optimize patient outcomes in high-risk populations.?

Polyp detection with colonoscopy assisted by the GI Genius artificial intelligence endoscopy module compared with standard colonoscopy in routine colonoscopy practice (COLO-DETECT): a multicentre, open-label, parallel-arm, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (October 9, 2024, National Library of Medicine) The COLO-DETECT trial demonstrated that colonoscopies assisted by GI Genius, an AI-powered computer-aided detection (CADe) module, significantly improved adenoma detection rates and the average number of adenomas found per procedure compared to standard colonoscopy alone. This finding is important for pharmacists because early detection and removal of adenomas can reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, impacting pharmacists' roles in preventive health, patient education, and management of cancer-related therapies.?

Recent advances from computer-aided drug design to artificial intelligence drug design (October 11, 2024, National Library of Medicine) The research delves into the transformative power of artificial intelligence in drug discovery, specifically focusing on its integration with computer-aided drug design (CADD). By leveraging AI's capabilities, AIDD accelerates the drug discovery process, enabling researchers to efficiently screen vast chemical libraries, design innovative molecular structures, and predict drug properties with remarkable accuracy. This technology holds the potential to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry by expediting the development of novel therapies and expanding the frontiers of drug discovery.?

?Accelerating Drug Discovery with AI for Effective Treatments (October 17, 2024, AJMC) AI has become a game-changer in drug discovery, expediting research, lowering costs, and enhancing treatment options. Companies like Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie use AI to identify drug targets, predict molecule interactions, and streamline clinical trials, aiming to reduce the average $1 billion cost and 10–15-year timeline for drug development. AI-driven tools enable faster analysis of large datasets, increasing trial efficiency and minimizing errors. However, challenges like inconsistent data quality and regulatory hurdles remain. The FDA has approved over 900 AI-enabled devices, but oversight for AI in drug development continues to evolve. With the market projected to grow from $13.8 billion in 2022 to $164.1 billion by 2029, innovations in AI-driven protein folding and molecular predictions show promise. Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and Eli Lilly’s partnerships with AI firms underscore the industry's shift toward technology-driven, cost-effective drug discovery.?

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Interesting Reads:?

UCSF School of Pharmacy Leads $30M Award to Speed Drug Development with AI (October 24, 2024, UCSF) The UCSF School of Pharmacy has secured a $30 million federal award to develop AI-driven tools for accelerating drug discovery by identifying “anti-targets” protein sites that drugs should avoid preventing side effects. This project, led by James Fraser, Chair of the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, uses AI to refine drug safety profiles early in the development process, aiming to lower costs and reduce time. Collaborating with NIH-funded antiviral research centers, UCSF plans to make these datasets and models open-source to benefit biotech research.?

New Courses Respond to Rapid Adoption of AI in Health Care (October 17, 2024, Harvard Medical School) AI is rapidly being integrated into healthcare to assist with data analysis, diagnostic accuracy, workflow efficiency, drug discovery, and personalized patient care, supported by educational initiatives like those from Harvard Medical School's Office for External Education. This is important because understanding AI's applications, benefits, and limitations can enhance their ability to work effectively within healthcare teams, improve medication management, and optimize patient outcomes in an increasingly tech-driven environment.?

The number of AI medical devices has spiked in the past decade (October 9, 2024, MedTechDive) The number of FDA-authorized AI-enabled medical devices has surged, with a sharp rise from six devices in 2015 to 221 in 2023, driven by advancements in connected technology, increased investment, and regulatory familiarity. As pharmacists, it’s crucial to understand and advise on AI-driven diagnostic tools, as they significantly impact medication management and patient safety in our increasingly digital healthcare environment.?

Potential Applications, Risks of AI in the Pharmacy | NCPA 2024 (October 28, 2024, DrugTopics) At the 2024 NCPA Convention, speakers discussed the potential of AI in pharmacy, focusing on innovations in patient engagement, inventory management, and clinical decision support. While AI offers benefits in streamlining operations and improving patient outcomes, concerns about biases, data privacy, and the importance of human oversight were highlighted. The consensus emphasized a cautious, informed approach to AI adoption, ensuring that technology serves to enhance, rather than replace, the pharmacist’s role in patient care.?

Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave comments and suggestions!