The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Pharmacy Education.

Recent developments making an artificial intelligence (AI) large language model available for public use have generated significant interest and angst among educators. Viewed as both a time saver and a threat to academic integrity, several questions have arisen about AI's role in education. Numerous opportunities exist to use AI for teaching and learning, but new questions have also arisen regarding AI's impact on the future of healthcare. The pharmacy Academy should be at the center of these discussions to address the technical, philosophical, and ethical issues that AI presents for the future of pharmacy and pharmacy education.

Prescription digital therapeutics: A new frontier for pharmacists and the future of treatment.

Within digital health, digital therapeutics (DTx) are increasingly used to provide clinical treatment. DTx are evidence-based, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized software to treat or manage medical conditions and are available either via prescription or as nonprescription products. DTx that require clinician initiation and oversight are called prescription DTx (PDTs). DTx and PDTs have unique mechanisms of action and are expanding treatment options beyond traditional pharmacotherapy. They may be implemented on their own or used in combination with a drug and in some cases may be the only treatment option for a particular disease state. This article explains how DTx and PDTs function and how these technologies can be incorporated by pharmacists as they attend to their patients' care.

Optimizing Social Support in Oncology with Digital Platforms.

Increased cancer prevalence and survival rates coupled with earlier patient discharges from hospitals have created a greater need for social support. Cancer care is both short term and long term, requiring acute treatments, treatments for remission, and long-term screenings and treatment regimens. Health care systems are already overwhelmed and often struggle to provide social support systems for everyone. Caregivers are limited in number, and even when they are available, they often lack necessary information, skills, or resources to meet the needs of patients with cancer. The act of caregiving presents various challenges, and caregivers themselves often need social support as well. Despite these needs, most social support programs are targeted toward patients alone. Given the prevalence of cancer and known needs of these patients and their caregivers, the ability to identify those who need social support is crucial. Further, the scalability and overall availability of social support programs is vital for successful patient care. This paper establishes the benefits of social support for both patients and caregivers coping with cancer treatments, explores innovative ways of identifying patients who may need social support using digital tools, and reviews potential advantages of digital social support programs.

The good, the bad, and the poorly designed: The mobile app stores are not a user-friendly experience for health and medical purposes.

The utilization of mobile health applications to help manage health conditions have grown in utilization within the past decade. However, the application stores (i.e. Google and Apple) are not designed in a user-friendly manner that allows consumers to identify high-quality health and medical-related mobile applications. Researchers have been interested in identifying applications that may be recommended for patient care but have found the ability to quantify and assess these applications to be difficult due to the current layout and organization of applications. We explain here in this brief communication our own research experience in the identification of mobile health applications on the application stores, along with trends noted in other mobile health research, and make suggestions on how the application store experience could be improved for both patients and health professionals. These include collaboration between developers, medical professionals and organizations, and technology companies to facilitate a better means of categorizing health applications for patient use, alongside other current endeavors being pursued such as application review organizations and the creation of digital health formulary databases.

Reevaluating medication adherence in the era of digital health.

INTRODUCTION: Medication adherence is a worldwide issue impacting more than half the population. The cost associated with nonadherence is tremendous and has spurred the growth of novel technologies to address this growing problem. AREAS COVERED: This perspective covers the different digital health medication adherence tools that have come to market in the past decade and their clinical impact. These digital interventions and their applicability to medication adherence across different stakeholders are then evaluated. EXPERT OPINION: Digital health will play a significant role in creating new pathways to care in the 2020s. However, the current design of medication adherence tools has not demonstrated a clinical impact that will be relevant for the digital health space without a change in redesign factoring in relevant stakeholders' incentives to address adherence issues. A focus on only adherence has not yielded the economic or clinical benefit as expected, which is likely due to a lack of focus on broader drug-related problems (DRPs) that are causative factors beyond adherence alone. As such, adherence tools will see disparate uptake, likely due to condition-specific interventions rather than adherence issues as a whole, and future endeavors will need to address the larger DRP considerations to actualize clinical outcomes.

Digital Health Integration Assessment and Maturity of the United States Biopharmaceutical Industry: Forces Driving the Next Generation of Connected Autoinjectable Devices.

Autoinjectable devices continue to provide real-life benefits for patients with chronic conditions since their widespread adoption 30 years ago with the rise of macromolecules. Nonetheless, issues surrounding adherence, patient administration techniques, disease self-management, and data outcomes at scale persist despite product design innovation. The interface of drug device combination products and digital health technologies formulates a value proposition for next-generation autoinjectable devices to power the delivery of precision care at home and achieve the full potential of biologics. Success will largely be dependent on biopharma's digital health maturity to implement this framework. This viewpoint measures the digital health maturity of the top 15 biopharmaceutical companies in the US biologics autoinjector market and establishes the framework for next-generation autoinjectable devices powering home-based precision care and the need for formal digital health training.

Integrating Digital Health into the Curriculum-Considerations on the Current Landscape and Future Developments.

The intercession of widespread Internet access and use of mobile devices and wearables has increased the attention to the field of digital health as a novel means of providing patient care. Although substantial advancements have been made toward the development of novel technologies and identification of therapeutic areas of impact, the issue remains of how to educate future health professionals to work in an era of digital tools. This perspective piece seeks to highlight areas of concern related to subset areas of the digital health environment and provide potential educational pathways to prepare students.

Reducing Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits in Patients With Venous Thromboembolism Using a Multicomponent Care Transition Intervention.

Preventing utilization of hospital and emergency department after diagnosis of venous thromboembolism is a complex problem. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of a care transition intervention on hospitalizations and emergency department visits after venous thromboembolism. We randomized adults diagnosed with a new episode of venous thromboembolism to usual care or a multicomponent intervention that included a home pharmacist visit in the week after randomization (typically occurring at time of discharge), illustrated medication instructions distributed during home visit, and a follow-up phone call with an anticoagulation expert scheduled for 8 to 30 days from time of randomization. Through physician chart review of the 90 days following randomization, we measured the incidence rate of hospital and emergency department visits for each group and their ratio. We also determined which visits were related to recurrent venous thromboembolism, bleeding, or anticoagulation and which where preventable. We enrolled 77 intervention and 85 control patients. The incidence rate was 4.50 versus 6.01 visits per 1000 patient days in the intervention versus control group (incidence rate ratio = 0.71; 95% confidence interval = 0.40-1.27). Most visits in the control group were not related to venous thromboembolism or bleeding (21%) and of those that were, most were not preventable (25%). The adjusted incidence rate ratio for the intervention was 1.05 (95% confidence interval = 0.57-1.91). Our patients had a significant number of hospital and emergency department visits after diagnosis. Most visits were not related to recurrent venous thromboembolism or bleeding and of those that were, most were not preventable. Our multicomponent intervention did not decrease hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

Crowdfunding pharmacy- and medication-related products: How successful is it?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether crowdfunding of pharmacy-related products through popular online platforms is a viable means to attain funding and what factors influence success. METHODS: Kickstarter and Indiegogo were searched for projects related to pharmacy using select key words. Projects were included for analysis if they were a device or system relevant to pharmacy care and excluded if found to be nonrelevant to medication management purposes or were of an artistic nature. Projects were assessed for their success in reaching their primary funding goals and also whether they were still in business following completion of their crowdfunding phase. RESULTS: Subsequent to the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the dataset, 40 projects were identified, of which 13 reached their desired crowdfunding funding amounts. The most commonly created crowdfunded projects were those involving medication adherence or storage tools. Anecdotal evidence points to media attention leading to continued success beyond the initial crowdfunding phase of the business. The presence of a medical professional on the project team or the inclusion of a product demonstration did not lead to a different rate of success. CONCLUSION: The crowdfunding of pharmacy care-related products appear to have a low success rate, although Indiegogo might offer a higher success rate compared with Kickstarter in this niche product area. The products' ability to garner media attention seems to be a primary driver in the business surviving past the crowdfunding stage and becoming a lasting success.

From ideation to practice: How pharmacists and students can leverage hackathons and innovation labs to accelerate innovation in pharmacy.

OBJECTIVES: To describe novel methods regarding innovation for pharmacists and student pharmacists to leverage local and national events, such as hackathons and innovation labs, that provide guidance and resources for developing novel products and solutions in health care. DATA SOURCES: Not applicable. SUMMARY: The profession of pharmacy exists in a diverse and complex system where collaboration is essential for innovation and can leverage existing resources to accelerate this. Hackathons occur over one or more days and offer a venue and resources to support innovation as interprofessional teams develop and pitch new product ideas for potential investment. Innovation labs serve as more permanent locations that offer resources and expertise to help realize ideas and guide development into potentially viable solutions and products for health care. CONCLUSION: Although currently hosted hackathons and design spaces may prove to be beneficial to pharmacists looking to innovate, they are frequently located in urban areas or large academic institutions that are not readily accessible to the larger pharmacy community. Fostering opportunities, whether as local hackathons or innovation labs, can potentially help to accelerate the innovation cycle for the pharmacy profession. These resources can be developed in local communities or through national pharmacy societies and organizations to increase access.

Cost savings impact of a pharmacist-initiated teleservice program for Medicare Part D reviews.

OBJECTIVES: To (a) determine potential cost savings of a pharmacy outreach teleservice program conducting Medicare Part D plan reviews for a large population of beneficiaries allowing for comparison of multiple preferences; and (b) explore client demographic comparisons, plan features, and stratification by cost and number of medications. METHODS: Retrospective cohort evaluation of a Medicare D review service during open enrollment period (October 15 to December 7, 2012). Reviews were conducted at a university-based pharmacy outreach program in Massachusetts and completed by pharmacists (17%), case managers (52%), and students (31%). Recommendations were created by entering medication regimens into the Medicare.gov plan finder, and factors including deductible, premium, and copayment or coinsurance, formulary restrictions, secondary assistance, and annual cost were considered. A comparison of the overall cost of the client's 2012 plan in 2013 with that of a lower-cost plan in the 2013 benefit year determined potential cost savings. RESULTS: Demographic data were available for 1062 individuals, with the majority being women (66%), an overall mean age of 73 years, and most living in a single household. Clients (75%) were taking 5 or more medications. Lower-cost plans were recommended for 61% of clients with a median cost savings valued at $538 per member, per year. Cost was the leading consideration for plan change (87.4%), followed by deductible (32.7%) and premium (30.1%). Cost savings were analyzed by evaluating current plan versus alternate plan by sex, age, client type (repeat vs. referred vs. new), and according to number of medications. Lower-cost plans were identified for 75% of new members. Individuals taking 0-14 medications had a cost savings of approximately $833 per client per year. CONCLUSION: Teleservice pharmacy outreach programs create value by identifying therapeutically comparable alternative plans and reducing plan spending while efficiently consulting for a large number of Medicare Part D beneficiaries statewide.

Digital health evaluation workshop for interprofessional healthcare students.

The use of online resources by patients for their daily health needs has escalated with the proliferation of mobile devices and mobile apps. While healthcare professionals can help their patients access quality online resources and tools, they may not have received the education and training to do this effectively. To meet this educational need, a daylong workshop was developed at a health sciences university that aimed to increase awareness of students in various health disciplines of mobile health-related apps and federally sponsored websites that provide patient-friendly medical information.

Identification and review of mobile applications for travel medicine practitioners and patients.

Advancements in technology have led to the development of medical applications (apps). Contents of 44 apps related to travel medicine were assessed demonstrating that many were updated infrequently and several developers had no medical background. There is an opportunity for healthcare professionals to develop apps in travel medicine.

Enhancing Pharmacy Student Learning and Perceptions of Medical Apps.

BACKGROUND: The use of mobile apps in health care is growing. Current and future practitioners must be equipped with the skills to navigate and utilize apps in patient care, yet few strategies exist for training health care professional students on the usage of apps. OBJECTIVE: To characterize first-year pharmacy student use of medical apps, evaluate first-year pharmacy student's perception of skills in finding, evaluating, and using medical apps before and after a focused learning experience, and assess student satisfaction and areas for improvement regarding the learning experience. METHODS: Students listened to a recorded, Web-based lecture on finding, evaluating, and using mobile apps in patient care. A 2-hour, interactive workshop was conducted during which students were led by an instructor through a discussion on strategies for finding and using apps in health care. The students practiced evaluating 6 different health care-related apps. Surveys were conducted before and after the focused learning experience to assess students' perceptions of medical apps and current use and perspectives on satisfaction with the learning experience and role of technology in health care. RESULTS: This educational intervention is the first described formal, interactive method to educate student pharmacists on medical apps. With a 99% response rate, surveys conducted before and after the learning experience displayed perceived improvement in student skills related to finding (52/119, 44% before vs 114/120, 95% after), evaluating (18/119, 15% before vs 112/120, 93% after), and using medical apps in patient care (31/119, 26% before vs 108/120, 90% after) and the health sciences classroom (38/119, 32% before vs 104/120, 87% after). Students described satisfaction with the educational experience and agreed that it should be repeated in subsequent years (89/120, 74% agreed or strongly agreed). Most students surveyed possessed portable electronic devices (107/119, 90% mobile phone) and agreed with the concept of medical apps being an important part of the health care profession in the future (112/119, 94% before and 115/120, 96% after). CONCLUSIONS: Student pharmacists recognize the key role technology plays in the future of health care. A medical apps workshop was successful in improving student pharmacists' perceptions of ability to find, evaluate, and use medical apps.

A mobile health technology workshop to evaluate available technologies and their potential use in pharmacy practice.

The objectives of this workshop were to characterise the use of mobile health (mHealth) devices among second year pharmacy students, discover perception of their potential use in practice and obtain workshop feedback. The workshop consisted of two sessions. The first session introduced the concept of mHealth and allowed for hands-on experience with wireless mHealth devices such as blood pressure cuffs, scales and smart body analysers, personal health devices and glucometers. The second session consisted of a facilitated discussion and lecture that addressed these concepts. Students completed a preworkshop and postworkshop survey. 106 students completed the preworkshop survey and 96 students completed the postworkshop survey. 22% of the class owned an mHealth device and a majority of students reported increased knowledge of mobile health devices due to this simulation. The workshop was successful in introducing mHealth technology. The change in students' perception that such devices could be useful in practice or easily incorporated could be due to technical difficulties and cost of the devices.