Digital Pharmacy

Preparing for the future of the profession

Line drawing of a brain against a "digital" background - by Steve Johnson on UnsplashIn today’s changing healthcare landscape, digital literacy helps streamline workflows, reduce medication errors, enhance patient safety and improve collaboration between teams.

Digital literacy can also help inform decision-making to navigate the benefits and risks of AI deployment in your pharmacy practice.

What the RPS is doing

To help you improve your digital literacy, we published our Digital Capabilities for the Pharmacy Workforce policy, which details local and national recommendations for improving digital capabilities across pharmacy.

We also held a Digital Innovation and Education Roundtable to explore how to support digital innovation across the profession. The roundtable brought together experts in the fields of digital innovation and key stakeholders in pharmacy education. The roundtable report details its findings.

If you’d like to stay up to date with innovations in digital pharmacy, you’re welcome to observe at our Digital Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group (DPEAG) meetings.

More information on the group and the timings of meetings is available on the DPEAG webpage.

Artificial intelligence

AI could transform the way pharmacists approach patient care and support more informed, personalised and proactive care. Along with the benefits, there are risks and drawbacks of using AI in pharmacy practice, which you can read more about in our policy on AI.

If you are using AI or other innovative digital solutions, including AI, within your pharmacy practice, please let us know by completing this form.

NHS England and digital pharmacy

Digital and technology are mentioned throughout the NHS 10-year plan: Fit for the Future and it includes goals for improving the NHS digital landscape. Find out what the 10-year plan means for the future of pharmacy by reading our briefing report.

Recent news and views on digital pharmacy

Digital Health and AI Resources

AI Strategy & Policy

  • AI Opportunities Action Plan (2025) – UK government’s strategic roadmap for harnessing AI across sectors
  • AI Playbook for the UK Government (2025) – Guidance for public sector organisations on responsible and effective AI adoption
  • Pro-Innovation Approach to AI Regulation (2023) – Policy framework promoting innovation-friendly AI regulation in the UK
  • Scotland’s AI Strategy (2021) – National strategy promoting trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI development
  • Welsh Government AI Commission for Health and Social Care – Strategic insights into AI’s role in transforming health and social care in Wales
  • FIP AI policy – exploring how AI should be adopted as part of pharmacy practice.

Digital Health & Medicines

Regulation & Standards

Knowledge & Research

  • NHS Wales AI Knowledge Repository – Centralised resource hub for AI-related healthcare knowledge and tools
  • Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy – Vision and priorities for digital transformation in Scottish health and care services
  • Scotland’s Data Strategy for Health and Social Care – Framework for ethical and effective use of data in health and social care
  • SPICe Briefing: AI and Healthcare in Scotland (2024) – Parliamentary research on AI’s impact on Scottish healthcare systems.

Pharmacy & Medicines Information