Understanding how technology fits into the evolving role of pharmacists

While the healthcare industry has undergone a significant transition in recent years, the pharmacy space, especially the role of the pharmacist, has been a massive part of this change. Pharmacists were once known for traditional tasks like dispensing medications and managing inventory, but the pharmacist’s role has now grown to meet the changing demands of modern patients.

The healthcare system is more complex and patient-focused than ever before, and technology is at the center of this transformation. With the increased use of technology, pharmacists are adapting to industry changes with the capability to automate routine tasks and allow them to devote more time to patient care. When examining the space, whether that’s a month or ten years from now, technological advancements like robotics and telepharmacy platforms will continue to play a role in defining pharmacy and the pharmacist’s role.

Pharmacists evolving with the healthcare industry

When most people think of pharmacists, they associate them with a friendly face behind the local pharmacy window who fills their prescriptions when they aren’t feeling well. The pharmacist’s role was once primarily transactional—filling prescriptions, managing inventory, and occasionally offering counselling. However, the healthcare environment has changed rapidly, and with the number of healthcare providers shrinking, rates of chronic disease increasing, and pharmacy deserts popping up across the US, pharmacists are being asked to take on a more significant role. Fortunately, pharmacists are already equipped to meet these challenges and provide meaningful, consultative care with their years of clinical education and training, easy visibility with their patients, and technology in their toolkit.

Modern pharmacy: How pharmacists can use technology

Technology is enabling healthcare providers, including pharmacists, to transform their everyday work lives while prioritising patients’ needs. The use of automation and robotics is central in pharmacy technology, having become a cornerstone of modern pharmacy as we know it. A centralised fulfilment solution can manage prescription fulfilment and shift the stress of completing time-consuming, mundane work from the pharmacists and staff members. Benefits of automation can include inventory management and waste prevention, which can also be cost-effective for pharmacies. Technology and automation can also help with patient safety, with potential reduction in human error and controls for detection of medication errors before the patient ever receives the prescription.

Prescription processing through technology can allow pharmacies to reach new levels of efficiency through electronic workflows that address prescription verification, reduce wait times, and facilitate easier communication between the provider prescribing the medication and pharmacists involved. Reduced wait time is an important factor for patients when they’re looking for pharmacies to consistently use for their healthcare needs.

Telepharmacy is another form of technology involved in pharmacists’ tasks associated with pharmaceutical care, especially for the more than 48 million, or one in seven, Americans living in a pharmacy desert. Some practical examples of telepharmacy include the creation of video conferencing and digital platforms where pharmacists can conduct medication therapy management and counsel patients. With updated safety parameters in place, telepharmacy can be a safe, convenient way to treat patients, especially those in rural and urban areas most affected by pharmacy deserts, who don’t have the convenience of a retail pharmacy close by. And for the growing number of mail-order pharmacies, using a centralised fulfilment strategy can help them to meet their patients’ needs as well.

Technology creating new opportunities for pharmacists

Technology has transformed pharmacists’ responsibilities, opening doors to new services and care models within pharmacy. One of the greatest opportunities for pharmacists is with chronic disease management. With more time and better tools at their hands, pharmacists can provide ongoing support for patients managing common long-term conditions like diabetes or hypertension. With the ability to monitor patient data in real time, digital health platforms allow pharmacists to intervene early when symptoms arise and avoid potentially harmful, long-term effects.

Technology has also improved immunisation operations with the use of online appointment scheduling that automates documentation and reporting systems. This allows pharmacists to deliver vaccinations at an efficient, larger scale, which can be important during times of increased sickness, such as COVID-19 or flu season.

Along with those opportunities, pharmacists can also provide more patient education. Pharmacists can use digital tools to share medication information and provide a higher level of personalised patient care, which could improve patients’ health literacy. This education could help patients gain a greater understanding of their medications and health conditions, which could lead to better medication adherence and overall health outcomes.

Looking at the challenges of pharmacy technology

Although pharmacy technology has a wide range of benefits, it does come with its challenges that can be addressed or prevented. Regular training is an essential part of pharmacy operations once any new technology is implemented. Pharmacists and all pharmacy staff must be given proper training and support so they can avoid issues and get the most out of the technological investment. Pharmacists should look to use continuing education time and resources to upskill their technological knowledge and advance their skills in providing direct patient care.

Some pharmacists might be concerned that the ongoing use of technology will prevent them from building and maintaining a strong connection with their patients. However, the opposite should be happening. With the right balance of using automation for routine tasks and having more time to perform tasks pertinent to personalised patient care, technology should help enhance their relationships with patients.

Pharmacists have always been seen as trusted leaders in healthcare, and as the industry continues to evolve, so does their role and the tools they use. Technology should empower pharmacists, not replace or prevent them from doing their job better than before. With a technology-first mindset, pharmacists can have a greater impact on their patients and the communities they serve. Looking ahead, those who embrace this shift will help build a healthcare system that’s all around more proactive, accessible, and patient-centred—a change we should all get behind.