Empowering Clinical Pharmacists: Trusted Content Powered by Responsible AI

Challenges faced by Clinical Pharmacists

Clinical Pharmacists operate in a dynamic healthcare environment where information overload and complex patient conditions pose significant hurdles. Here are some of the key challenges they encounter:

Information overload

Clinical Pharmacists grapple with an overwhelming influx of data from various sources, including electronic reference tools, industry research such as clinical overviews, journals, and monographs, patient communications, regulatory guidelines, and in the outpatient and hospital settings—electronic health records (EHRs). The manual validation of this extensive information consumes valuable time, impacting workflow efficiency.

Complex patient conditions

As patient demographics continue to evolve, Clinical Pharmacists encounter increasingly intricate patient scenarios. Ensuring accurate medication regimens becomes crucial, necessitating thoughtful consideration of patient-specific factors. These factors include not only the patient’s age, gender, and medical history but also their comorbidities—the presence of multiple chronic conditions. Comorbidities significantly impact treatment decisions, potential drug interactions, and overall patient well-being. Moreover, the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) adds another layer of complexity. ADRs can arise due to interactions between medications, patient-specific sensitivities, or underlying health conditions. Pharmacists must remain vigilant in identifying and managing ADRs to optimize patient outcomes.

Status quo—risks without change

Inefficiency and resource drain

Risk: The excessive time and effort spent on each case can be highly inefficient. This inefficiency translates into costs—both tangible (such as labor hours) and intangible (such as missed opportunities for patient care improvement).

Impact: Without streamlined access to accurate information, clinicians struggle to deliver the quality of care they aspire to provide. This leads to frustration, burnout, and increased turnover among your staff. The mental health of your team is at stake, as the burden of manual workflows takes a toll. As noted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), a systematic review found that more than half (51%) of pharmacists experience burnout. This occupational phenomenon arises from ineffectively managed work-related stress and can compromise patient care.

Complex disease states and treatment regimens

Risk: Without embracing modern technology, pharmacists may struggle to keep up with the intricacies of various disease states and their corresponding treatment regimens.

Impact: Inadequate understanding of complex conditions can lead to suboptimal patient care, ineffective medication management, and potential adverse outcomes.

Comorbidities and decision-making

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than half of adults (51.8%) have at least one chronic condition and 27.2% have multiple chronic conditions.

Risk: Failing to address comorbidities in treatment decisions poses a significant risk. Comorbid conditions often interact, affecting drug efficacy, safety, and patient outcomes.

Impact: Pharmacists who rely solely on manual research processes may miss critical information about drug interactions, contraindications, and tailored treatment approaches.

Expanding role of pharmacists

Risk: Neglecting to equip pharmacists with new technologies hampers their ability to fulfill their evolving roles.

Impact: Both frontline pharmacists and clinical pharmacists face a disadvantage. They may struggle to provide comprehensive patient care, stay updated on evidence-based practices, and actively contribute to healthcare advancements.

Embracing innovative solutions can empower pharmacists, enhance patient safety, and drive positive change in healthcare delivery. It is time to advocate for technology adoption to ensure better outcomes for all.

A novel approach

The problem with these approaches is clinicians are using 20th century tools to solve 21st century problems. They must do all the heavy lifting, manually piecing together the information to make critical clinical decisions. They spend an inordinate amount of time gathering information to help their team make confident decisions.

The increasing volume and velocity of information is a problem for everyone—but this is never going away. You need to concentrate on how pharmacists distill information to make the right clinical decisions.

This can only be done if you deliver timely, evidence-based knowledge at the point of care. To achieve this, you must:

• Quickly and easily extract precise knowledge from the vast body of clinical information.

• Ensure decisions are based on the latest evidence.

• Provide AI technology designed for supporting clinical decision making.

These approaches will empower clinicians with higher confidence in their diagnosis and treatment recommendations, increasing professional satisfaction.

ClinicalKey AI: a game-changer

Conversational search interface

• ClinicalKey AI offers a natural language interface, allowing Pharmacists to swiftly access evidence-based information.

• Curated content, constantly refreshed, ensures clinical accuracy.

Efficient validation

• Pharmacists can validate information efficiently, aligning with guidelines and clinical responsibility.

• AI streamlines the process, reducing manual effort.

Tailored insights

• Real-time access to trusted medical content, including journals, medication details, and clinical references.

• Scientifically backed answers precisely when needed.

Benefits for Clinical Pharmacists

Navigating time constraints

• ClinicalKey AI accelerates your pharmacists’ clinical review and validation.

• Pharmacists can focus on patient care and counseling.

Precision and confidence

• Accurate, succinct information enhances decision-making.

• Responsible AI principles ensure ethical use.

Enhancing workflow efficiency

• Helps provide support in the clinical process.

• Enhances efficiency and helps ensure critical information is readily accessible, complementing existing workflows.

• Complements existing workflow to help minimize disruptions and maximize productivity.