The increasingly central role of AI in specialty pharmacy can spur more efficient development and distribution, ultimately supporting better patient outcomes. With attention to key considerations and strategies, AI tools can elevate specialty pharmacy’s status as a dynamic and patient-centric industry.
Introduction
Like many industries, artificial intelligence was more significant to specialty pharmacy conversations and practice in 2023 than ever before. As AI is further refined and new strategies for its use grow, how will it shape the specialty pharmacy lifecycle?
In this article, we discuss the benefits of AI to accelerate drug development, improve distribution accuracy, and improve patient outcomes. Next, we discuss several points of consideration for the industry’s ongoing adoption of AI.
The benefits of AI in specialty pharmacy
Improved drug R&D
AI shows strong potential to increase the efficiency and productivity of early drug discovery.
According to an analysis published by Nature, AI companies have achieved a combined pipeline equivalent to 50% of the output of big pharma companies. Some AI-enabled programs completed the preclinical journey in less than four years, relative to a 6-year industry average.
These outcomes indicate promise for AI to greatly enhance pharmaceutical research and development in the future. However, it remains to be seen how quickly and to what degree the industry will integrate AI solutions.
Optimization & distribution accuracy
Further along in the lifecycle, AI can also help optimize specialty pharmacy workflows and improve overall organizational efficiency.
According to one analysis, AI-enabled inventory management helped one pharmacy predict purchasing patterns with 90% accuracy to reduce delivery times.
These tools can also facilitate shipping, ensuring distribution accuracy and allowing pharmacists to quickly identify and intervene on at-risk shipments.
Distribution accuracy is especially critical to specialty pharmacies dealing with highly complex medications. Not only does accuracy improve patient safety, but it’s also important for maintaining relationships with payors and accreditation status.
Improved patient outcomes
As pharmacists’ roles evolve towards more clinical care, AI tools can offer supplemental support to help them prioritize their patients.
One study from the UCSF Medical Center employed a robotic AI system to prepare 350,000 medication doses with no errors. By automating this operation, UCSF pharmacists were able to focus directly on patient care with the assurance that treatments were 100% accurate.
Additionally, AI tools can improve treatment planning and a host of other administrative tasks. This helps pharmacists reclaim even more time to provide the high-touch, personalized patient care that can’t be automated with AI.
Considerations for implementing AI in specialty pharmacy
AI may set a new precedent for specialty pharmacy, but it’s important to ground its adoption in industry best practices.
For example, a frequent assumption of AI is that it could replace the need for humans entirely. However, pharmacists should regard AI as a supplemental tool rather than a replacement for their expertise.
To illustrate, AI may make treatment recommendations based on an outdated model that a pharmacist knows is obsolete. In this scenario, pharmacists must balance advice from AI with their own clinical decision-making.
Another consideration with AI adoption is that of cybersecurity and proper data stewardship. These concerns were recently heightened by the debilitating cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group that caused widespread disruption including delayed insurance payments.
In the wake of such events, specialty pharmacies can reduce their risk and safeguard their patients’ data by vetting technology vendors carefully. This includes seeking vendors with rigorously tested HIPAA-compliant solutions and a commitment to data stewardship.
Conclusion
Specialty pharmacy is a dynamic industry focused on high-touch patient care. Integrating proven AI tools can elevate these unique characteristics, helping the industry continuously innovate and prioritize personalized patient care.
To be sure, AI is still in its early stages and cybersecurity concerns are ongoing. By selecting technology vendors carefully, specialty pharmacies can reap AI’s benefits while protecting the safety of their patients.
About VPL Rx
VPL Rx is a clinically minded shipping, tracking, and compliance solution designed to modernize pharmacy distribution and promote healthier patients. Our quicker shipping workflow delivers prescriptions safely with real-time tracking, delivery alerts, and last-mile intervention. Exportable performance reporting and data analytics help pharmacies optimize costs and maintain compliance and accreditation.
