World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PHARMACY PRACTICE: CURRENT READINESS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES AMONG SAUDI HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Maher Mohammed, Shaden Alanazi, Dimah Alali, Sama J. Alanzi, Reem S. Alshammari, Rahaf M. Alghamdi, Ahmad Alkhoshi

ABSTRACT

Background: The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies offers unprecedented opportunities to revolutionize pharmaceutical care, optimize clinical workflow, and enhance patient safety within modern health systems. As Saudi Arabia undergoes a massive digital transformation of its healthcare sector under Vision 2030, understanding the readiness, perceptions, and operational barriers among healthcare professionals regarding AI integration in pharmacy practice is paramount. Objectives: This study comprehensively evaluates the current level of baseline knowledge, organizational readiness, perceived clinical opportunities, and systemic challenges surrounding AI implementation in pharmacy services across primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A rigorous, cross-sectional, mixed-methods national study was conducted involving hospital pharmacists, clinical specialists, community pharmacists, physicians, and administrative healthcare leaders (N = 1,240). Data were gathered using a validated multidimensional questionnaire assessing cognitive understanding, organizational infrastructure, technological efficacy, ethical perceptions, and legal readiness, supplemented by structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify predictors of AI adoption intent. Results: Overall baseline knowledge of medical AI concepts was moderate (58.4%), though specific competency in algorithms like clinical decision support tools (CDSS) and predictive pharmacokinetics was lower (34.2%). Organizational infrastructure readiness scored high in tertiary academic centers (78.6%) but displayed significant disparities in primary care settings (41.2%). Perceived opportunities focused heavily on reducing medication errors (84.2%), streamlining inventory forecasting (81.5%), and personalizing pharmacotherapy through pharmacogenomics (76.8%). Primary obstacles identified included data privacy and cybersecurity concerns (82.1%), lack of formal educational curricula in health informatics (79.4%), fear of algorithmic bias (71.3%), and liability ambiguity regarding autonomous diagnostic decisions (86.5%). Conclusion: While enthusiasm and strategic alignment with digital transformation are high among Saudi healthcare practitioners, successful integration of AI into pharmacy practice demands structured educational interventions, standardized national governance frameworks, robust cybersecurity infrastructure, and interprofessional clinical training models.

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