Integrating ChatGPT for smoking cessation counseling practice in pharmacy education: A single group...

Practicing smoking cessation counseling with real patients is often limited in pharmacy education. To address this gap, artificial intelligence (AI) was employed to simulate patient interactions for role-playing, providing a flexible and pressure-free learning experience. This study aimed to evaluate the use of an AI-simulated patient (ChatGPT) for smoking cessation counseling in pharmacy education by assessing students' satisfaction, perceived learning impact, benefits, and difficulties encountered.

A quasi-experimental one-group post-test design was conducted with fourth-year pharmacy students enrolled in the smoking-cessation skills course at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, during the first semester of 2024 academic year. All students registered and attending the course were eligible and invited to participate. Case scenarios based on the 5As framework were developed and implemented in ChatGPT to simulate real-time counseling. After completing the AI session, students completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Among 145 fourth-year pharmacy students, 66% reported satisfaction with the AI activity, and 84.4% indicated improved understanding of smoking cessation. Reported benefits included enhanced self-assessment and adaptability in the learning process, while common challenges involved technical limitations and limited understanding of how AI functions.

Overall, students expressed satisfaction with the AI-based activity, reported improved learning, and identified both benefits and areas for improvement. These findings support the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT as a student-centered, scalable approach in smoking cessation education, aligned with SDG 4: Quality Education.