EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF DIGITALIZATION ON PHARMACY PRACTICE: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Youssef Mani Hussein Al Zamanan; Ibrahim Ali Mahdi Al-Qashanin; Ali Zafer Ali Al Harith; Issa Misfer Ali Al Futaih; Faisal Ahmed Mohammed Al Mirdif

doi:10.53555/jptcp.v29i04.4400

Youssef Mani Hussein Al Zamanan
Ibrahim Ali Mahdi Al-Qashanin
Ali Zafer Ali Al Harith
Issa Misfer Ali Al Futaih
Faisal Ahmed Mohammed Al Mirdif

Keywords

Digitalization in Pharmacy, Tele-pharmacy, E-prescriptions, Automated Dispensing, Pharmacy Practice, Patient Care, Professional Development, Data Security, Regulatory Compliance, Healthcare Technology

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has significantly influenced various sectors, including healthcare, with pharmacy practice undergoing notable transformations. This critical review explores the multifaceted impact of digitalization on pharmacy operations, patient care, and the professional development of pharmacists. By integrating digital prescriptions, tele-pharmacy, automated dispensing systems, and electronic patient records, pharmacies have enhanced operational efficiency, accuracy, and patient accessibility. However, this digital shift also presents challenges, including data security concerns and the need for continuous professional education. Through a systematic examination of current literature and case studies, this review highlights the benefits of digitalization in improving patient outcomes and streamlining pharmacy workflows, while also considering ethical and regulatory implications. The findings underscore the importance of adopting a balanced approach to digital innovation, ensuring patient safety and data privacy while embracing the opportunities that digital technologies offer in advancing pharmacy practice. The review concludes by identifying areas for further research and emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to navigate the evolving digital landscape in healthcare.

Abstract 169 | pdf Downloads 53

References

1. Silva, Rafaella de Oliveira Santos et al. “Digital pharmacists: the new wave in pharmacy practice and education.” International journal of clinical pharmacy vol. 44,3 (2022): 775-780. doi:10.1007/s11096-021-01365-5
2. Porterfield, Amber et al. “Electronic prescribing: improving the efficiency and accuracy of prescribing in the ambulatory care setting.” Perspectives in health information management vol. 11,Spring 1g. 1 Apr. 2014
3. Abernethy, Amy et al. “The Promise of Digital Health: Then, Now, and the Future.” NAM perspectives vol. 2022 10.31478/202206e. 27 Jun. 2022, doi:10.31478/202206e
4. National Research Council (US) Committee on Maintaining Privacy and Security in Health Care Applications of the National Information Infrastructure. For the Record Protecting Electronic Health Information. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1997. 3, Privacy and Security Concerns Regarding Electronic Health Information. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233428/
5. Poudel, Arjun, and Lisa M Nissen. “Telepharmacy: a pharmacist's perspective on the clinical benefits and challenges.” Integrated pharmacy research & practice vol. 5 75-82. 26 Oct. 2016, doi:10.2147/IPRP.S101685
6. Goundrey-Smith, Stephen. “The Connected Community Pharmacy: Benefits for Healthcare and Implications for Health Policy.” Frontiers in pharmacology vol. 9 1352. 28 Nov. 2018, doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01352
7. Mohiuddin, A K. “The Excellence of Pharmacy Practice.” Innovations in pharmacy vol. 11,1 10.24926/iip.v11i1.1662. 28 Jan. 2020, doi:10.24926/iip.v11i1.1662
8. Odukoya, Olufunmilola K, and Michelle A Chui. “E-prescribing: a focused review and new approach to addressing safety in pharmacies and primary care.” Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP vol. 9,6 (2013): 996-1003. doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2012.09.004
9. Poudel, Arjun, and Lisa M Nissen. “Telepharmacy: a pharmacist's perspective on the clinical benefits and challenges.” Integrated pharmacy research & practice vol. 5 75-82. 26 Oct. 2016, doi:10.2147/IPRP.S101685
10. Ehrenstein V, Kharrazi H, Lehmann H, et al. Obtaining Data From Electronic Health Records. In: Gliklich RE, Leavy MB, Dreyer NA, editors. Tools and Technologies for Registry Interoperability, Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes: A User’s Guide, 3rd Edition, Addendum 2 [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2019 Oct. Chapter 4. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551878/
11. “Do automated dispensing machines improve patient safety?.” The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy vol. 62,6 (2009): 516-9. doi:10.4212/cjhp.v62i6.852
12. Alotaibi, Yasser K, and Frank Federico. “The impact of health information technology on patient safety.” Saudi medical journal vol. 38,12 (2017): 1173-1180. doi:10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631
13. Odukoya, Olufunmilola K, and Michelle A Chui. “Relationship between e-prescriptions and community pharmacy workflow.” Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA vol. 52,6 (2012): e168-74. doi:10.1331/JAPhA.2012.12066
14. Alanazi MF, Shahein MI, Alsharif HM, Alotaibi SM, Alanazi AO, Alanazi AO, Alharbe UA, Almfalh HSS, Amirthalingam P, Hamdan AM, Veeramani VP, Mohamed SHP, Ali MAS. Impact of automated drug dispensing system on patient safety. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2022 Oct-Dec;20(4):2744. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.4.2744. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMID: 36793902; PMCID: PMC9891784.
15. Unni, Elizabeth J et al. “Telepharmacy during COVID-19: A Scoping Review.” Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 9,4 183. 11 Nov. 2021, doi:10.3390/pharmacy9040183
16. Abernethy, Amy et al. “The Promise of Digital Health: Then, Now, and the Future.” NAM perspectives vol. 2022 10.31478/202206e. 27 Jun. 2022, doi:10.31478/202206e
17. Frenzel, Jeanne, and Andrea Porter. “The Need to Educate Pharmacy Students in Telepharmacy and Telehealth.” American journal of pharmaceutical education vol. 85,8 (2021): 8566. doi:10.5688/ajpe8566
18. Mantel-Teeuwisse, A.K.; Meilianti, S.; Khatri, B.; Yi, W.; Azzopardi, L.M.; Acosta Gómez, J.; Gülpınar, G.; Bennara, K.; Uzman, N. Digital Health in Pharmacy Education: Preparedness and Responsiveness of Pharmacy Programmes. Educ. Sci. 2021, 11, 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060296
19. Silva, Rafaella de Oliveira Santos et al. “Digital pharmacists: the new wave in pharmacy practice and education.” International journal of clinical pharmacy vol. 44,3 (2022): 775-780. doi:10.1007/s11096-021-01365-5
20. Perdana, Arif, and Intan Azura Mokhtar. “Seniors' adoption of digital devices and virtual event platforms in Singapore during Covid-19.” Technology in society vol. 68 (2022): 101817. doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101817
21. National Research Council (US) Committee on Maintaining Privacy and Security in Health Care Applications of the National Information Infrastructure. For the Record Protecting Electronic Health Information. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1997. 3, Privacy and Security Concerns Regarding Electronic Health Information. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233428/
22. Khoshnam-Rad, Niloofar et al. “Rapid implementation of telepharmacy service to improve patient-centric care and multidisciplinary collaboration across hospitals in a COVID era: A cross-sectional qualitative study.” Health science reports vol. 5,6 e851. 3 Oct. 2022, doi:10.1002/hsr2.851
23. Gordon, William J et al. “Beyond validation: getting health apps into clinical practice.” NPJ digital medicine vol. 3 14. 3 Feb. 2020, doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0212-z
24. Paul, Debleena & Sanap, Gaurav & Shenoy, Snehal & Kalyane, Dnyaneshwar & Kalia, Kiran & Tekade, Rakesh. (2020). Artificial intelligence in drug discovery and development. Drug discovery today. 26. 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.10.010.
25. Habib, G.; Sharma, S.; Ibrahim, S.; Ahmad, I.; Qureshi, S.; Ishfaq, M. Blockchain Technology: Benefits, Challenges, Applications, and Integration of Blockchain Technology with Cloud Computing. Future Internet 2022, 14, 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi14110341
26. Poudel, Arjun, and Lisa M Nissen. “Telepharmacy: a pharmacist's perspective on the clinical benefits and challenges.” Integrated pharmacy research & practice vol. 5 75-82. 26 Oct. 2016, doi:10.2147/IPRP.S101685
27. Abdulmalek, Suliman et al. “IoT-Based Healthcare-Monitoring System towards Improving Quality of Life: A Review.” Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 10,10 1993. 11 Oct. 2022, doi:10.3390/healthcare10101993

pdf

Published

Nov 11, 2022

DOI https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v29i04.4400

How to Cite

Youssef Mani Hussein Al Zamanan, Ibrahim Ali Mahdi Al-Qashanin, Ali Zafer Ali Al Harith, Issa Misfer Ali Al Futaih, & Faisal Ahmed Mohammed Al Mirdif. (2022). EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF DIGITALIZATION ON PHARMACY PRACTICE: A CRITICAL REVIEW. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 29(04), 1421–1431. https://doi.org/10.53555/jptcp.v29i04.4400

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 04 (2022): JPTCP

Section

Articles

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies