Pharmacists' Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence: A National Survey

Kyle A Gustafson; Casey Rowe; Paul Gavaza; Allison Bernknopf; Anna Nogid; Alexander Hoffman; Ellen Jones; Leanne Showman; Victoria Miller; May H Abdel Aziz; Damianne Brand-Eubanks; Duc P Do; Sarah Berman; Angela Chu; Vivek Dave; Radhika Devraj; Trager D Hintze; Faria Munir; Islam Mohamed; Motolani E Ogunsanya; Jarred Prudencio; Divita Singh; Robin Southwood

doi:10.1016/j.japh.2024.102306

Pharmacists' Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence: A National Survey

J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2024 Nov 28:102306. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2024.102306. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kyle A Gustafson¹, Casey Rowe², Paul Gavaza³, Allison Bernknopf⁴, Anna Nogid⁵, Alexander Hoffman⁶, Ellen Jones⁷, Leanne Showman⁸, Victoria Miller⁹, May H Abdel Aziz¹⁰, Damianne Brand-Eubanks¹¹, Duc P Do¹², Sarah Berman¹³, Angela Chu¹⁴, Vivek Dave¹⁵, Radhika Devraj¹⁶, Trager D Hintze¹⁷, Faria Munir¹⁸, Islam Mohamed¹⁹, Motolani E Ogunsanya²⁰, Jarred Prudencio²¹, Divita Singh²², Robin Southwood²³

Affiliations

¹ Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Florida College of Pharmacy - Orlando Campus, Orlando, FL.
³ Chair and Professor, Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda, CA.
⁴ Professor, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI.
⁵ Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Florham Park, NJ.
⁶ Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH.
⁷ Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Harding University College of Pharmacy, Searcy, AR.
⁸ Assistant Professor, Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy, Weatherford, OK.
⁹ Associate Professor, University of Louisiana Monroe College of Pharmacy, Monroe, LA.
¹⁰ Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX.
¹¹ Associate Professor, Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yakima, WA.
¹² Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, Athens, GA.
¹³ Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of the Incarnate Word, Feik School of Pharmacy, San Antonio, TX.
¹⁴ Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT.
¹⁵ Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John Fisher University, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, Rochester, NY.
¹⁶ Professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL.
¹⁷ Clinical Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University School of Pharmacy, College Station, TX.
¹⁸ Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL.
¹⁹ Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs & Development, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, California Northstate University.
²⁰ Associate Professor of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
²¹ Associate Professor, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI.
²² Clinical Assistant Professor, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA.
²³ Clinical Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens GA.

PMID: 39615589
DOI: 10.1016/j.japh.2024.102306

Abstract

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing and evolving field impacting pharmacy research, education, and professional practice. The development and adaptation of AI technologies have the potential to radically shape the future of the pharmacy profession. However, it remains unclear how aware pharmacists are of these technologies or their perceptions regarding current and future utilization.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions and awareness of artificial intelligence technologies in a population of practicing pharmacists across the US.

Methods: A 19-question electronic survey was administered via Qualtrics™ to assess various AI perceptions among U.S. pharmacists. The survey ran from September 5th to November 22nd, 2023 and targeted practicing pharmacists through professional organizations and publicly available email lists. Responses were analyzed for descriptive trends and demographic analysis focusing on factors predicting AI use and were categorized into sub-focuses for detailed analysis.

Results: A total of 1363 practicing pharmacists completed the survey. 82.5% of respondents expressed some degree of familiarity with AI software, but only 38.7% reported having used AI. Of those using AI software, the most common applications were Large Language Models (33.7%) and Image Generation (10%). 56.1% of pharmacists feel that AI will decrease the number of pharmacy jobs, and 34.9% of pharmacists express some degree of distrust of AI. Despite this, 64.1% of pharmacists feel that AI could enhance their professional effectiveness and productivity. Males appear much more likely than females to use AI (50.1% vs 31%, p<.001). Younger responders also reported higher AI utilization with the highest utilization aged 23-29 (47.5%) and lowest in 60+ (25.6%, p<.001) CONCLUSION: Understanding pharmacists' current awareness, concerns, and perspectives on AI is crucial for navigating its potential impact on the profession including potential professional utilization, addressing concerns regarding job security, ethical considerations, and regulatory uncertainty.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Pharmacist; Pharmacy; Workforce.