Pharmacists Show Moderate AI Awareness But Need More Training

Community pharmacists have shown relatively optimal, albeit cautious, attitudes toward the use and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacy practice, according to a study published in PeerJ.¹ However, the same cohort of pharmacy professionals also reported a limit on their knowledge and infrastructure available to implement AI capabilities.

“Know that the patient knowledge gap is inverting. Patients with chronic conditions are using AI tools to research their own therapies,” Smit Patel, PharmD, a professor at the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, told Drug Topics®. “They’re arriving with questions that are more specific and sometimes more current than what the pharmacists were trained on. Pharmacists need to become fluent in navigating the dynamic of AI-sourced patient information and contextualizing it clinically.”

The study, conducted in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia, highlighted that although 81.2% of community pharmacists had heard of AI before the survey, only 51.6% felt they possessed sufficient knowledge of its applications.¹

This gap is not unique to Saudi Arabia, with a national survey of US pharmacists finding that although 82.5% were familiar with AI software, only 38.7% had actually used it. These statistics suggest a global trend where awareness outpaces practical application, leaving many professionals on the sidelines of a rapidly evolving digital frontier.^2,3

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Despite this hesitation, pharmacists recognize the clinical potential of these tools, with 71.6% of those in the Aseer study believing AI can reduce medical errors. Preferences for AI integration lean heavily toward tasks that optimize workflow, such as medical data collection, identifying drug-related problems, and medication dispensing.¹

This aligns with broader innovations in the field, where robotic systems like those at the UCSF Medical Center have already dispensed over 350,000 doses without a single error. Such advancements allow pharmacists to shift their focus from routine dispensing to high-value clinical activities like patient-centered counseling and chronic disease management.^3-5

However, the transition is complicated by significant infrastructural and educational barriers. In internet-restricted or resource-constrained settings like Syria, nearly 64.1% of pharmacists identified unstable internet access as a primary obstacle, alongside a critical lack of Arabic-language localization for advanced tools.³

Furthermore, the information velocity gap presents a daunting challenge, as experts report medical knowledge estimated to double roughly every 73 days. Without structured training, traditional continuing education cycles struggle to keep pace with the rapid updates in dosing guidance and contraindications generated by AI-driven discovery platforms like Amazon Bio Discovery.⁵

Professional anxiety also persists regarding the future of the pharmacy workforce. In the US survey, 56.1% of respondents expressed concern that AI could decrease the number of pharmacy jobs, a sentiment echoed by 41.1% of pharmacists in the Aseer region.^1,2

To mitigate these fears, experts emphasize that human oversight remains mandatory, particularly to address risks like algorithmic bias within deep learning models that can lead to unsafe clinical recommendations.^2,3,5

To bridge these knowledge gaps and build professional confidence, there is a clear call for more integrated training. The Syrian study noted that 67.7% of participants identified the need for machine learning courses within pharmacy education.³

Similarly, researchers recommended that policymakers prioritize AI-related content in undergraduate curricula and continuing professional development. As pharmaceutical care evolves, the industry is increasingly in need of bilingual thinkers—professionals who are fluent in both clinical science and data analytics.^1,5

By embracing AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement, pharmacists can enhance their productivity and ensure that, as the speed of drug discovery increases, the quality of patient care remains protected.^2,5

“Community pharmacists in the Aseer region showed moderate awareness, cautious attitudes, and selective preferences toward AI implementation in pharmacy practice. While pharmacists recognized the potential benefits of AI, limited knowledge and varying levels of digital infrastructure may influence its adoption,” concluded the authors of the current study.¹ “These findings highlight the importance of integrating AI education into pharmacy training programs, providing continuing professional development opportunities, and improving digital infrastructure to facilitate the effective implementation of AI technologies in community pharmacy practice.”

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REFERENCES

1. Khaled A, Almaghaslah D, Orayj K, et al. Navigating the future—community pharmacists’ attitudes towards AI integration in pharmacy services: a cross-sectional study in Aseer, Saudi Arabia. PeerJ. 2026;14:e21246. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21246

2. Gustafson KA, Rowe C, Gavaza P, et al. Pharmacists’ perceptions of artificial intelligence: a national survey. JAPhA. 2024;65(1):102306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2024.102306

3. Kahwaji A, Ismael R, Arnouk T, et al. Adoption rates and knowledge of generative artificial intelligence in pharmacy practice: a comparative study in an internet-restricted country. Digit Health. 2026 Mar 10;12:20552076261432730. doi: 10.1177/20552076261432730.

4. Raza MA, Aziz S, Noreen M, et al. Artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacy: an overview of innovations. Innov Pharm. 2022 Dec 12;13(2):10.24926/iip.v13i2.4839. doi: 10.24926/iip.v13i2.4839.

5. Nowosielski B. Navigating pharmacy’s AI transformation and the future of patient care. Drug Topics. May 1, 2026. Accessed May 14, 2026. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/navigating-pharmacy-s-ai-transformation-and-the-future-of-patient-care