ASHP Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Pharmacy

Pharmacists are responsible for determining which aspects of medication use and management are best handled by pharmacists, by artificial intelligence (AI), or by pharmacists who receive advice from AI-based systems. Pharmacists should use scientific approaches to determine the degree to which AI is used to automate specific medication-use tasks. Full automation using AI should be reserved for algorithmic tasks for which it is demonstrated that AI performs as well or better than pharmacists. AI of proven value should be adopted and used so that pharmacists can make better decisions and focus their expertise on solving new and confounding problems for patients, families, and organizations. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to be key contributors and domain experts in the advancement of AI in healthcare. Pharmacists should lead the design, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of AI-related applications and technologies that affect medication-use processes and tasks. Pharmacists should define appropriate medication-related use cases for AI-enabled technology and provide foresight for anticipated future applications. It is also important for pharmacists to assist in validating AI for clinical use. At a minimum, AI should be evaluated for accuracy and interpretability. In addition, pharmacists should be prepared to adapt to AI through education and continued engagement.