# AI in pharmacy: the GPhC's position, accountability and the registered pharmacy *What the regulator expects of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and owners when a tool is part of the work.* ## Production summary - Modules to record: 2 - Total script: 627 words, about 4 minutes of finished audio - Voices: Emma (host) and George (practice educator) - Level: Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, superintendent pharmacists, pharmacy owners and support staff ## Accreditation wording that must appear in the description - **The CPD Certification Service** (planned): Application scheduled. - **General Pharmaceutical Council: position statement on AI in pharmacy** (aligned): Written against the position statement of April 2026. Our own mapping, with no endorsement from the GPhC implied. > Do not upgrade any of these words in a description or a thumbnail. Aligned is not accredited, and planned is not approved. --- ## The GPhC's position and your accountability **Runtime** about 2 minutes. **Words** 301. **Starts at** 00:00 in the full course recording. ### Learning outcomes to state on camera - State the GPhC's position on accountability - List what is expected of pharmacy professionals - Explain what the GPhC does not regulate - Review an AI output before acting on it - Raise a concern about a tool ### Script `[CUE 1]` *A position statement dated April 2026 with its central sentence on personal accountability* **EMMA** [00:00] George, our dispensing system now flags interactions using AI. Has the regulator said anything? **GEORGE** [00:05] Yes. The General Pharmaceutical Council published a position statement in April 2026. It covers practice, revalidation, and education and training. **EMMA** [00:13] What's its position? **GEORGE** [00:14] That pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are personally accountable for their professional practice, even when AI is being used. And must always be prepared to justify their decisions and actions. `[CUE 2]` *A dispensing screen showing a suggestion, with the pharmacist's own check beside it* **EMMA** [00:26] So if the system misses an interaction? **GEORGE** [00:29] The check was yours. The statement says AI should not replace clinical decision making and professional judgement. **EMMA** [00:36] Hasn't the regulator approved the system? **GEORGE** [00:38] No. It says it doesn't have a role in regulating AI tools or products, or in assessing their clinical safety or technical performance. Many AI products for healthcare are regulated as medical devices, by the MHRA. `[CUE 3]` *Two regulators: one for the product as a medical device, one for the professional and the pharmacy* **EMMA** [00:52] So what does the regulator regulate? **GEORGE** [00:55] You, and the pharmacy. If a concern's raised, it may investigate whether you appropriately used your professional judgement when using the tool. **EMMA** [01:04] What does it expect of me, day to day? **GEORGE** [01:07] Understand how the tool's intended to be used, its limitations and biases. Have the training for it. And review its outputs for accuracy, bias or misleading information. `[CUE 4]` *Ten expectations on a card, with review, transparency and candour picked out* **EMMA** [01:18] And with patients? **GEORGE** [01:19] Be transparent about your use of AI. Explain to patients how it's being used in their care, with the risks and benefits. And seek consent where necessary. **EMMA** [01:30] Data? **GEORGE** [01:30] Meet confidentiality and data protection requirements. Including reviewing how information is stored, used or shared. `[CUE 5]` *A near miss being reported from one pharmacy and reaching the next* **EMMA** [01:36] And when it gets something wrong? **GEORGE** [01:39] Raise it, in line with the duty of candour. A near miss you catch is one the next pharmacy won't catch unless somebody says so. **EMMA** [01:49] Give me three things to know by Monday. **GEORGE** [01:52] Which tools in your pharmacy use AI. What each is intended for. And who to tell when one is wrong. ### Sources for the on screen credit - Position statement: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pharmacy (April 2026), General Pharmaceutical Council - Pharmacy regulator publishes AI position statement, The Pharmaceutical Journal - Software and artificial intelligence (AI) as a medical device, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency --- ## Pharmacy owners, inspections and revalidation **Runtime** about 2 minutes. **Words** 326. **Starts at** 02:00 in the full course recording. ### Learning outcomes to state on camera - List what owners must be able to demonstrate - Say what inspectors will look for - State the position on AI and revalidation - Describe what education providers should support - Say what regulators have committed to next ### Script `[CUE 1]` *Four folders on a pharmacy shelf: due diligence, governance, training, monitoring* **EMMA** [02:00] George, I own two pharmacies. What does the statement expect of me, as opposed to my pharmacists? **GEORGE** [02:07] Four things, and it says you should be able to demonstrate them during pharmacy inspections. **EMMA** [02:13] Go on. **GEORGE** [02:14] One. Carry out due diligence, to make sure AI tools are safe, appropriate and used in line with their intended purpose. `[CUE 2]` *An inspector being shown a training record and a dated review note* **EMMA** [02:22] Two. **GEORGE** [02:22] Clear governance arrangements. Including risk assessments, data security, patient confidentiality and information governance. **EMMA** [02:28] Three. **GEORGE** [02:28] Suitable training, so staff understand the system and its limitations. And four. The tools are monitored and reviewed as part of routine quality and risk management. `[CUE 3]` *A transcription tool drifting into dose advice, with a stop sign and a new assessment form* **EMMA** [02:38] What will an inspector actually ask for? **GEORGE** [02:41] Evidence. The statement says inspectors will look at governance, staff competence, equipment, data protection and safety, when AI tools are being used. **EMMA** [02:50] Meaning paper. **GEORGE** [02:51] Meaning something you can show. The due diligence. A risk assessment. A training record for each person who uses the tool. And a note of when it was last reviewed. `[CUE 4]` *A revalidation record written by the pharmacist, beside one generated whole and marked not appropriate* **EMMA** [03:03] We bought a tool to transcribe consultations. Staff have started asking it about doses. **GEORGE** [03:08] Then it's outside its intended purpose, and outside what you assessed. A tool that drifts into a new use needs a new assessment. **EMMA** [03:18] Different subject. Can my pharmacists use AI for revalidation? **GEORGE** [03:21] The statement says it's not appropriate to use AI to create full revalidation submissions, or to falsify information. If they do, they may face further investigation. `[CUE 5]` *A joint statement dated 17 September 2026 signed by a row of regulators, with a diary reminder every six months* **EMMA** [03:32] So no use at all? **GEORGE** [03:34] It doesn't say that. If AI supports revalidation, it must be done in a responsible and transparent way. But the learning and the reflection have to be theirs. **EMMA** [03:45] Is this the last word? **GEORGE** [03:47] No. On 17 September 2026 the Professional Standards Authority and the regulators it oversees published a joint statement of intent. They've committed to develop high-level principles on regulating the use of AI by health and social care professionals. **EMMA** [04:02] When? **GEORGE** [04:02] No timetable was given. So re-read the regulator's AI page every six months. The position is new, and it'll move. ### Sources for the on screen credit - Position statement: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pharmacy (April 2026), General Pharmaceutical Council - Pharmacy regulator publishes AI position statement, The Pharmaceutical Journal - Pharmacy regulator among health bodies committing to joint guidance on AI regulations, The Pharmaceutical Journal --- *Copyright WAJD Group. Built by WAJD AI.*