Preparing Future Pharmacists for an AI-Enhanced Health Care Environment: Educational Strategies and Implementation...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) necessitate its integration into pharmacy curricula.
• Existing frameworks for AI education in health professions highlight implementation challenges.
• Pharmacy education must adapt to prepare future pharmacists for AI-driven healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the current state of AI integration in pharmacy education.
• To identify key challenges hindering AI curriculum implementation.
• To propose strategies for successful AI education in pharmacy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent surveys on AI in pharmacy education.
• Analysis of implementation challenges within a single college of pharmacy.
• Assessment of faculty and student AI familiarity and preparedness.

Main Results:

• Significant knowledge gaps exist; approximately 50% of pharmacy faculty report limited AI familiarity.
• Pharmacy students feel inadequately prepared for AI application in practice.
• Key barriers include lack of policies, curriculum overload, faculty development needs, and varying student AI literacy.

Conclusions:

• Successful AI integration demands a multidisciplinary team and defined AI competencies.
• Active learning with hands-on AI experiences is crucial for student preparedness.
• Ongoing faculty development and curriculum review are essential for sustained AI education.