Pharmacists have been urged to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pharmaceutical research and practice while ensuring that the technology’s outputs are validated to safeguard patient safety, data reliability, and quality healthcare delivery.

The call was made at the seventh Annual Scientific Conference of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), FCT Zone, held in Abuja.

Delivering the keynote address, clinical pharmacist Valentine Adegoke said AI offers enormous opportunities for pharmaceutical research and pharmacy practice, but also comes with limitations that require professional oversight.

“AI does not discriminate. It generates outputs based on the data it receives. To ensure that the results are genuine and reliable, consultant pharmacists must validate them,” he said.

Adegoke identified several emerging applications of AI in pharmacy, including monitoring adverse drug reactions, analysing drug consumption, and conducting pharmacovigilance. He also urged the Federal Government to regulate individuals posing as healthcare professionals online and promoting unverified drugs and herbal products.

According to him, the growing number of self-styled “online doctors” and “online pharmacists” without formal medical training poses a serious threat to public health. He noted that trained doctors, nurses and pharmacists understand the ethical and professional limits of the information they provide, unlike many social media influencers dispensing medical advice without appropriate qualifications.

“Most of them operate without known addresses and cannot easily be traced. We are working to identify them and advocate government regulation, not to suppress them, but because they should not be speaking authoritatively on issues they do not understand,” he said.

Speaking on the application of AI in pharmacy practice, Adegoke explained that data generated through routine hospital services could be analysed using AI-powered tools to determine patterns of drug consumption and forecast future pharmaceutical needs.

He said such information would enable the government to identify gaps in local drug manufacturing, encourage investment in pharmaceutical production, create jobs and strengthen national drug security against global supply disruptions.

Adegoke also called on the government to give consultant pharmacists greater recognition and provide them with the resources required to perform their duties effectively. He observed that many hospitals still lack basic computerised dispensing terminals and integrated digital systems needed to support AI-driven pharmaceutical services.

Former Head of the Pharmacy Department at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Adetutu Ajemigbitse, said AI can significantly improve patient safety by helping consultant pharmacists detect drug-drug interactions, duplicate prescriptions and contraindications, particularly among patients with multiple medical conditions receiving several medications.

Ajemigbitse, who spoke on ‘Emerging Trends in Medication Safety and Patient Protection’, stressed that AI should be regarded as a support tool rather than a replacement for healthcare professionals.

She urged pharmacists and other healthcare workers to validate AI-generated outputs and acquire the necessary digital skills to remain relevant in the evolving healthcare landscape.
According to her, the traditional manual review of patient records is no longer sufficient because of the growing volume and complexity of healthcare data.

Also speaking, the Zonal Coordinator of WAPCP, FCT Zone, Dr Tijani Murtau, said AI has become an integral part of healthcare globally, and pharmacists must adapt to the changing landscape.

He, however, maintained that AI cannot replace pharmacists but can enhance their knowledge and improve service delivery. Murtau added that the conference was organised in line with the college’s mandate to promote continuous professional development through training, retraining and knowledge sharing.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Ibrahim Ahmed, said the council supports adopting AI to improve pharmaceutical services, particularly in consultant pharmacy practice.

He noted that while AI can provide valuable information, responsibility for ethical decisions and patient outcomes ultimately rests with the consultant pharmacist.

Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, Ruth Ajayi, also encouraged pharmacists to embrace AI, describing it as a tool that enhances professional practice.

She, however, emphasised the need for human oversight and quality assurance to minimise errors arising from inaccurate or poorly matched data.

The Controller of Corrections at the Nigeria Correctional Service Headquarters, Abdulganiyu Ayandiran, who was the special guest of honour, said AI is transforming drug production and quality control by improving precision, efficiency and safety throughout the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, from raw materials to packaging.