The Role of Pharmacies in Providing Point-of-Care Services in the Era of Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence: An Updated Review of Technologies, Regulation and Socioeconomic Considerations
Maria Daoutakou, Spyridon Kintzios
TL;DR
Pharmacies are increasingly offering point-of-care services, supported by digital health and AI, to improve healthcare access and outcomes.
Contribution
This paper provides an updated review of pharmacy-based POC services, focusing on technologies, regulations, and socioeconomic factors.
Findings
Pharmacy POC services improve access and reduce diagnostic delays.
Technologies like biosensors and AI are key drivers of these services.
Challenges include uneven regulation and reimbursement issues.
Abstract
Pharmacy-based point-of-care (POC) services have evolved from pilot initiatives to an essential component of decentralized healthcare delivery. These services—ranging from rapid infectious-disease screening to chronic-disease monitoring—improve access, reduce diagnostic delays and empower pharmacists as front-line healthcare providers. The present paper is an updated, in-depth review of the evolution of pharmacy POC services worldwide, combined with the analysis of the regulatory and educational frameworks supporting implementation, technological drivers such as biosensors, mobile health and artificial intelligence and in-depth socioeconomic considerations. Benefits for patients, pharmacies and healthcare systems are contrasted with challenges including variable reimbursement, uneven regulatory oversight and workforce preparedness.
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Taxonomy
TopicsPharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes · Medication Adherence and Compliance · Pharmaceutical Quality and Counterfeiting