AI in pharmacy practice: Is it a doomsday or a dream pill?

In the previous issue of CPJ, we reintroduced a commentary that our team wrote more than 15 years ago which asked, "Are pharmacists the ultimate barrier to pharmacy practice change?" and explored how pharmacists' 5 personality characteristics (lack of confidence, fear of new responsibility, paralysis in the face of ambiguity, need for approval, and risk aversion) might influence the adoption or non-adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by the pharmacy profession. 1 At the end of that commentary, we left you with 4 questions: 1) Are pharmacists ready for how AI will transform pharmacy practice?2) What if a profit-driven group decided to use AI to automate pharmacist tasks to reduce the need for pharmacists?3) Has the professional culture of pharmacy changed since our first commentary?and 4) How can pharmacists co-create a future for the profession of pharmacy that maximizes the benefits of AI, while minimizing the potentially negative outcomes?As we worked on this latest installment to answer those questions, we have witnessed a steady flow of new studies showing how AI can be used to streamline administrative processes, improve diagnostics, and help patients access health information.2 While it is worth noting that these studies are best described as pilot in nature, a recent report from Silicon Valley Bank found that in 2025 an estimated $46.8 billion had been invested in making AI work in the health care sector. 3 With these kinds of investments continuing to grow, it is not IF AI will impact the profession of pharmacy, but rather WHAT its introduction into pharmacy practice will look like at scale.Adding to this uncertainty is the fact that most pharmacists are employees in organizations or systems and have not historically driven the evolution of the profession.If individual