Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare and pharmacy, reshaping areas such as diagnosis, treatment planning, medication management, and patient engagement.
It is increasingly being seen as a tool to improve efficiency, support clinical decision-making, and enhance patient care, while also opening up new opportunities for innovation and service delivery. However, its growing use also brings challenges, including concerns around reliability, accountability, and the need for robust safeguards to ensure safe and effective use.
Asian Voice has spoken to Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and TV health expert, who highlights the impact AI is having across healthcare, the need to balance innovation with patient safety, and more.
In your view, what are the biggest changes AI is bringing to patient care and the wider healthcare sector?
AI is already transforming healthcare by quickly analysing large volumes of data and helping to predict health risks. However, it is not a replacement for trained healthcare professionals, especially when it comes to clinical decision-making, where human expertise remains essential. It can support more personalised care and enable earlier intervention, but the human and clinical judgment aspects cannot be replicated by technology.
As a pharmacist, how do you see the balance between innovation and patient safety when AI tools are introduced into healthcare systems?
AI has the potential to save time for healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus more on direct patient care. However, it should not be adopted simply because it is innovative; it must be used appropriately for the right patients with the patient’s needs at the centre of care. Any use of AI should be evidence-based, accurate, and reliable, while also being carefully monitored for bias that could worsen health inequalities. It is important to challenge and correct AI systems when they are not ethical or fair. From a pharmacist’s perspective, real-world consequences of errors highlight the need for strong safeguards. The goal is not to oppose AI, but to ensure it is used responsibly, thoughtfully, and with proper oversight.
Do current healthcare regulations in the UK have adequately addressed the risks associated with AI-driven diagnosis, treatment, or even patient monitoring?
It can be challenging for regulations to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology, as developments happen very quickly. However, this makes early engagement with key stakeholders even more important during the development of new healthcare technologies. In my legal practice, I support healthcare professionals working with health tech, and I believe involving relevant experts from the outset helps ensure better, more compliant outcomes.
Are pharmacists and healthcare professionals receiving enough training to work effectively with AI-powered systems?
It really depends on the system in question, and this is a challenge across all professions given the rapid pace of technological change. The key is to develop a critical mindset, one that doesn’t simply accept information at face value, but questions it. You should treat it as you would information from a person: consider what else you would want to know, such as who created it and what their priorities or motivations might be. Ultimately, it’s about being confident enough to ask the right questions rather than hesitating to interrogate the information you receive.
What role should governments and regulatory bodies play in ensuring AI technologies are safe, transparent and ethically deployed in healthcare?
From a government perspective, there is a clear need to promote investment and innovation in AI while ensuring that appropriate regulation is in place. The goal should be to enable technological progress rather than hinder it, but without compromising safety. Regulation should not act as a barrier to innovation; instead, it should strike a careful balance between encouraging development and protecting the public. This also requires an understanding of societal and individual levels of risk tolerance, which play an important role in how such technologies are adopted and governed. At the same time, regulation must prioritise patient safety above all else. The objective is to prevent harm while ensuring there are robust frameworks for safety, transparency, and accountability.
How do you see AI transforming community pharmacies over the next 5 to 10 years?
AI can help ease the administrative workload in healthcare, such as by supporting note-taking and other routine tasks, allowing professionals to spend more time with patients. It can also streamline operational work that does not directly involve patient care. In the future, as more patients visit community pharmacies, AI could assist with triaging high patient volumes and improving efficiency. It also has potential to support self-care and preventive healthcare, helping people manage their health and stay well at home. However, AI is not a replacement for pharmacists. Clinical and professional judgment remain essential, especially when patients are unwell and need reassurance, guidance, and human support.