Imagine refilling a prescription, getting real-time health advice, and managing chronic conditions — all with the help of AI. The future of healthcare is here, and it’s powered by artificial intelligence.
As AI technology becomes more integrated into healthcare, hospitals and pharmacies are exploring new ways to improve patient outcomes, optimize operations, and ease administrative burdens. AI is also helping the industry address the generational shift in healthcare preferences, where younger consumers expect seamless, automated experiences similar to the digital tools they use in other aspects of their lives. For these patients, AI-driven tools like interactive voice response (IVR) systems act as a “Siri” for healthcare, making it possible to refill prescriptions, get answers, and navigate care options autonomously. Some pharmacies and healthcare providers have already implemented AI-powered voice assistants, reducing call wait times and improving patient access to critical information.
AI’s role in clinical and operational settings is expanding rapidly. In supply chain management, AI allows pharmacies and hospitals to handle the extensive serialized data required by DSCSA, improving tracking accuracy, enhancing recall processes, and keeping essential medications in stock. AI systems capable of analyzing decades of historical data are also informing inventory predictions, such as how weather patterns could influence demand for allergy medications. These predictive capabilities are already helping hospitals and pharmacies mitigate shortages before they occur, ensuring that critical drugs remain available to patients.
Beyond logistics, AI is transforming patient safety and quality of care. By analyzing vast datasets, AI can identify patterns in real-time, alerting clinicians to potential drug interactions, contraindications, or side effects. This enhances patient safety and helps healthcare providers make more informed decisions, particularly when managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, where timely intervention is critical.
AI-driven tools, such as phone apps, can monitor changes in a patient’s behavior — like a dip in social engagement — that might signal a chronic disease flare-up. Early intervention improves adherence to treatment plans, reducing hospitalization risks and overall healthcare costs.
In administrative areas, AI is easing the workload on healthcare staff by automating tasks such as claims adjudication, credit processing, and inventory management. These systems streamline processes, allowing hospitals and pharmacies to direct resources more effectively. AI-powered digital pathology tools are also transforming workflows by identifying high-risk cases from thousands of digital biopsy slides and prioritizing the ones that require urgent review, reducing patient anxiety and allowing pathologists to focus on the most urgent cases.
AI’s ability to improve health literacy and access to care is equally significant. Patients often struggle to understand complex health benefits, find specialists, or navigate changes in coverage. AI chatbots, available in just about any language you could need, are helping patients take more control of their healthcare decisions. This is particularly valuable for female heads of household, who make roughly 80% of medical decisions in the U.S.
Of course, AI adoption in healthcare also brings challenges. Many healthcare workers remain skeptical of AI, with a recent study from Section finding that 88% of workers feel uncertain about its role. Addressing these concerns through training and support will be essential to ensuring AI is viewed as an asset rather than a threat. In reality, AI is not replacing healthcare professionals — it’s augmenting their abilities, reducing burnout, and enabling them to focus on the human aspects of care that (even the best) technology cannot replicate.
The full potential of AI lies in its ability to amplify healthcare’s human element. From helping patients better manage their health to supporting clinical staff in delivering more timely and accurate care, AI is enhancing how hospitals and pharmacies operate. Organizations that fail to integrate AI risk falling behind in efficiency, patient satisfaction, and financial stability. AI isn’t just a competitive advantage — it’s a necessity in the evolving healthcare landscape.
About Richard Schwabacher
Richard Schwabacher is SVP of Healthcare Product at Inmar Intelligence, overseeing product development, strategy, and customer-driven innovation. With expertise in healthcare technology, digital transformation, and customer engagement, he leads teams in designing and refining solutions that align with business goals. Previously, he served as Chief Digital Officer at BioReference Health, founded Scarlet Health, and held leadership roles at Pfizer Digital and Quest Diagnostics. Richard has authored multiple digital design patents, developed an industry-first sports diagnostics platform, and collaborated with the White House on healthcare initiatives.
