5-FC and Amphotericin B? What about Pharmacists and AI?

        You might be wondering what 5-FC + Amphotericin B has anything to do with Pharmacists + AI. The answer is simple (part of which you should know for Exam 4) - both of them have the potential to act synergistically with each other.       

        Regardless of the mixed opinions about AI, I personally have found it so valuable and helpful in my daily life. I have chatGPT bookmarked in my browser, and use it all the time when I don’t feel like putting my question into Google and reading through different links. AI might be something good to use in our daily lives, but what about in healthcare? It’s beginning to be used more and more, but is that a good thing? Are our jobs as pharmacists really going to be taken over by robots in the future? Best case scenario - pharmacists and AI work together in synergy to create patient-centered solutions for common healthcare problems, and this is already being done. Using AI in personalized medicine and medication adherence is already underway, and I think it only goes up from here. 

        Personalized medicine is exactly how it sounds - making medication regimens personal to each individual. It’s based on a patient’s genome and molecular profile, and is used to predict a person’s response to a medication or their risk of disease to develop a plan that’s just right for them. In theory, it sounds like a great idea, but realistically it’s a lot of work, since it involves analyzing all of a patient’s labs, tests, family/social history, symptoms, and anything else that would be used to help diagnose a person and make a treatment plan. AI is beginning to be used in this area to make this process go a lot smoother. The AI software will take all of the patient’s medical history, and quickly analyze it to come up with the perfect treatment plan for that patient. It will try to find patterns in data, and be able to go through a vast amount of information in a short amount of time. After making its recommendation, a healthcare provider will be able to use that to guide in their decision making process. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I believe that this can really change how medicine is prescribed in the future, which will ultimately result in better patient outcomes. 

Another place AI has recently been used is in medication management or adherence strategies. Drug adherence can be a big problem for some patients, especially in the elderly or in those who have multiple medications they have to take per day. AI is being used to make medication adherence easier for patients, which will ultimately result in better health outcomes. For example, there was a small study done that looked at a smartphone app that tracked medication adherence in patients taking a daily anticoagulant medication. The app used a camera to identify the patient, the drug, and the confirmed ingestion of the medication. It also provided medication reminders and dosing instructions to the patient. In the intervention group, there was 100% adherence to the medication, compared to 50% in the control group that had no daily monitoring. Although that’s a more extreme example of how AI can be used in adherence, simple apps that just remind patients to take their medications is also how AI can be used to make adherence better. I know I get frustrated when I’m working at the pharmacy and have to make adherence phone calls to patients to see if they’re taking their medications, so if there was an AI machine that could make sure they are adherent for me, I am all for it. 

Although there are people who really don’t like AI, and are worried about what the future might look like with AI, I think that it can only help us do what we’re already doing now, but better. No matter how hard it tries, a robot can never replace the human side a person brings to healthcare, but it can definitely help in other ways. AI doesn't have to take the place of pharmacists, but it can help us and make our jobs and role in healthcare even better.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8521858/

https://journals.lww.com/annals-of-medicine-and-surgery/fulltext/2023/11000/artificial_intelligence__ai__in_personalized.94.aspx

Just for fun, I put this prompt in chatGPT to see what it would give me. Here was it's response. You can be the judge of who wrote it better ;)

Me: write a small blog post about how AI is being used in personalized medicine and medication adherence

chatGPT:

Title: Advancing Healthcare with AI: Personalized Medicine and Medication Adherence In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) stands as a beacon of innovation, particularly in the realms of personalized medicine and medication adherence. By harnessing the power of AI algorithms and machine learning, healthcare providers are revolutionizing patient care, ensuring that treatment plans are tailored to each individual's unique needs and maximizing medication adherence for improved health outcomes. Personalized Medicine: AI algorithms sift through vast troves of patient data, ranging from genetic profiles to medical histories and treatment responses, to unlock insights that guide precision medicine. These algorithms predict how patients will respond to various medications and dosages, enabling healthcare providers to design treatment regimens that offer maximum efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. By leveraging personalized medicine approaches, healthcare teams can optimize treatment outcomes, leading to better patient satisfaction and improved quality of life. Medication Adherence: Non-adherence to medication regimens poses a significant challenge in healthcare, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes and increased healthcare costs. AI-powered solutions are stepping up to address this issue by providing personalized interventions and support to help patients stay on track with their medications. By analyzing medication usage patterns, lifestyle factors, and patient preferences, AI algorithms develop tailored adherence strategies. These strategies may include personalized reminders, educational resources, and behavioral interventions delivered through mobile apps, wearable devices, or telehealth platforms. By offering real-time feedback and support, AI-powered adherence tools empower patients to take control of their health and adhere to their treatment regimens more effectively. Furthermore, AI enables healthcare providers to identify patients at risk of non-adherence early on and intervene proactively to address barriers and challenges. Leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning models, healthcare teams can identify patterns and trends associated with non-adherence, allowing for targeted interventions to support patients in overcoming obstacles and staying adherent to their treatment regimens. In conclusion, AI is reshaping the landscape of personalized medicine and medication adherence, unlocking new possibilities for patient care and healthcare delivery. By harnessing the power of data-driven insights and personalized interventions, AI is driving a paradigm shift in healthcare, ensuring that each patient receives tailored treatment and support to achieve optimal health outcomes.