Shabana Sara, Alsaad Doua, Madi Lama, Sankar Bhagyasree, Ahmed Afif, Elkassem Wessam, Al Hail Moza
Pharmacy Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QAT.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 13;17(8):e89990. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89990. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Background Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are increasingly being adopted in different healthcare sectors. Hospital pharmacists are an essential part of the multidisciplinary patient care team, and their perception of AI-driven technology is significant. This study aims to assess hospital pharmacists' perspectives on the use of AI in pharmacy practice, focusing on their attitudes, willingness, and perceived challenges. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based survey for hospital pharmacists working at Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City (HBKMC), Qatar. The survey collected data on sociodemographics, willingness, attitudes, and barriers toward AI technology. The research questionnaire was developed and adopted based on an extensive literature review of similar studies, with minor changes to fit the current research setting. Descriptive data were reported. Chi-square (χ²) and Fisher's Exact tests were used as appropriate. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Ninety-three (66.4%) hospital pharmacists responded to the questionnaire. Around 59 (63.4%) of the participants were older than 35 years, with 66 (70.9%) having more than 5 years of experience in hospital settings. Participants demonstrated a positive willingness, with a median score of 50 (IQR: 42-53.5), and favorable attitudes, with a median score of 53 (IQR: 47-57), toward AI implementation in pharmacy practice. The highest willingness to adopt AI technology among respondents was in the area of enhancing patient adherence (79.6%, n = 47), while the strongest positive attitude reflected interest in staying updated on AI applications in pharmacy practice (89.2%, n = 83). The most commonly reported barriers were challenges in addressing patients' emotional well-being and insufficient AI training, both noted by 75.3% (n = 70) of pharmacists. No significant association was detected between sociodemographic factors and hospital pharmacists' willingness or attitudes toward AI integration (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion Generally, hospital pharmacists demonstrated a positive willingness and attitude toward applications of AI technologies, while emphasizing key challenges such as concerns about the loss of empathetic care and limited training. These findings underline the need for targeted educational programs to facilitate the AI digital transformation of the health organization. Future research to evaluate the long-standing effects of AI-related training and implementation on a broader institutional setting is recommended.
背景 人工智能（AI）应用在不同医疗领域的采用日益增加。医院药剂师是多学科患者护理团队的重要组成部分，他们对人工智能驱动技术的看法很重要。本研究旨在评估医院药剂师对在药学实践中使用人工智能的看法，重点关注他们的态度、意愿以及感知到的挑战。方法 对卡塔尔哈马德·本·哈利法医疗城（HBKMC）工作的医院药剂师进行了一项基于网络调查的观察性横断面研究。该调查收集了关于社会人口统计学、对人工智能技术的意愿、态度和障碍的数据。研究问卷是在对类似研究进行广泛文献综述的基础上制定并采用的，稍作修改以适应当前研究背景。报告了描述性数据。根据情况使用卡方（χ²）检验和费舍尔精确检验。设定统计学显著性为p < 0.05。结果 93名（66.4%）医院药剂师回复了问卷。约59名（63.4%）参与者年龄超过35岁，66名（70.9%）在医院环境中有超过5年的工作经验。参与者对在药学实践中实施人工智能表现出积极的意愿，中位数为50分（四分位间距：42 - 53.5），以及积极的态度，中位数为53分（四分位间距：47 - 57）。在受访者中，采用人工智能技术意愿最高的领域是提高患者依从性（79.6%，n = 47），而最强烈的积极态度体现在对了解药学实践中人工智能应用最新情况的兴趣上（89.2%，n = 83）。最常报告的障碍是解决患者情感健康方面的挑战和人工智能培训不足，75.3%（n = 70）的药剂师都提到了这两点。在社会人口统计学因素与医院药剂师对人工智能整合的意愿或态度之间未检测到显著关联（p值 > 0.05）。结论 总体而言，医院药剂师对人工智能技术的应用表现出积极的意愿和态度，同时强调了诸如对失去同理心护理的担忧和培训有限等关键挑战。这些发现凸显了开展有针对性的教育项目以促进卫生组织人工智能数字化转型的必要性。建议未来开展研究以评估人工智能相关培训和实施在更广泛机构环境中的长期影响。
