Why AI Can't Replace Pharmacists

 

        Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic for past few months. As with all new technology many people have jumped on the bandwagon touting how useful it is. Businesses are assessing how to use it possibly replacing human workers which will help the business be more profitable.

        As much as some may want to believe that AI can replace any human in any job, there are a few jobs that really need to be done by a human. One of them is my job, pharmacist. I'd like to write about an encounter with a patient that I had last week.

        He is a middle aged man who had a prescription for an albuterol inhaler and a spacer. Albuterol is a medication that is used to help open the lungs in people with asthma, COPD, pneumonia and bronchitis. A spacer is a plastic device that has a mouthpiece on one end and a place to put the end of the inhale on the other. It's used to hold the medication to help people get the entire dose of an aerosol type inhaler.

        His insurance did not cover the spacer and I let him know that up front along with the price. He asked if I thought it was worth it to get the spacer. I told him that it was and that I would explain why when I showed him how to use his inhaler since he had never used one before. After he paid for his things, I met him at the consultation window.

        I took his inhaler and spacer out of their packages. I explained how to use the inhaler first. The first thing that needs to be done with a new albuterol inhaler is that it needs to be primed so the medication and propellant are properly mixed. I showed him how to use the inhaler and pointed out the dose counter on the back. I'm pleased that inhaler manufacturers have dose counters now because patients know when it's time to get a new inhaler. Before dose counters, people either shook their inhalers listening for sounds of product inside or floated the canister in water to determine if an inhaler was empty. 

        Then I fitted the spacer onto the inhaler. I explained to him that when he used the spacer the medication would stay in the spacer and he could inhale through the spacer mouthpiece. If he heard a whistling sound it meant that he was inhaling too fast and needed to slow down. Without the spacer, he would need to put his lips around the mouthpiece of the inhaler and possibly have part of the dose spray the back of his throat. The only way to avoid this is to be sure and inhale as you press down on the inhaler to release the dose which is tricky to do. I told him that all the instructions were on the paperwork that came with his prescription. I encouraged him to reach out if he had any questions or concerns about his medication.

        After we had finished talking, he told me that he had never needed a consultation of this type before. His prescriptions have always been pills and all he needed to know whas when to take them and if there are any side effects to watch for. He appreciated the time that I took to explain how to use the inhaler and answered his questions. Then he left. 

        I went back to my workstation feeling pretty good. This is one of the reasons why I like my job so much. Medications are becoming more expensive and knowing how to use them so they work their best is important. While it is possible to google things and get an answer from AI, this is something that needs to be done by a human. There's a more to listening to a customer that just paying attention to the words that come out of their mouth. There's several non verbal things that a computer or robot just can't pick up. Also I truly believe that the delivery of health care needs to be done by a person. Having a trusted pharmacist, nurse, therapist or other health care provider can make all the difference in helping a person to manage a physical or mental health condition. That's why pharmacists and other healthcare providers cannot be replaced by AI.