Integrating Large Language Models Into UAE Community Pharmacies: Pharmacists' Perspectives on Benefits, Concerns, and...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Pharmacy Practice Research

Background:

• The UAE's healthcare sector is rapidly advancing with new technologies.
• Understanding pharmacist perspectives on large language models (LLMs) is vital for digital health initiatives.
• Addressing implementation challenges for LLMs in pharmacy is a national priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore UAE pharmacists' views on the benefits and drawbacks of LLM adoption.
• To identify barriers hindering LLM integration in community pharmacies.
• To determine factors associated with increased concerns regarding LLMs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 528 community pharmacists in the UAE.
• A validated questionnaire assessed socio-demographics, perceived benefits, concerns, and barriers.
• Binary logistic regression analyzed factors linked to LLM concerns.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists reported low perceived benefits for 24/7 support (37.3%) and personalized care plans (74.4%).
• Major barriers included need for supervision (54.7%) and insufficient training (32.4%).
• Key concerns were technical failures (97.5%), hacking (97.2%), and lack of empathy (95.6%). Older pharmacists and those with higher degrees showed differing concern levels.

Conclusions:

• LLM integration in pharmacies faces significant hurdles like security risks and empathy deficits.
• Enhanced training, robust security, and tailored LLM solutions are necessary.
• These interventions will support the safe and effective adoption of LLMs in pharmacy settings.