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Pharmacy teams using AI tools should do so in line with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC’s) ‘Standards for pharmacy professionals’, the regulator has said.
In a position statement published on 20 April 2026, the GPhC recognised that AI has the potential to benefit patients and the public but said that it “also creates new risks that need to be managed”.
Pharmacy professionals are also reminded that they remain “personally accountable for their professional practice, even when AI is being used”, the position statement said.
It said that the GPhC expects pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to ensure they have undertaken relevant training, to review AI outputs for accuracy, bias or misleading information, to seek consent where necessary and explain to patients how AI is being used in their care.
The position statement added that pharmacy owners are expected to ensure suitable training for any AI tools used, have clear governance arrangements in place, as well as monitoring and reviewing AI tools as part of routine quality and risk management.
Alongside the position statement, the GPhC has published advice on the use of AI in pharmacy education and training, and in revalidation.
Those in education and training should “develop skills to identify AI-generated/assisted information that is clinically inaccurate and/or harmful”, while providers should “ensure equitable access to AI, the lack of which might exacerbate existing learner inequalities”, it said.
According to the advice, any AI tools used in revalidation must be used “responsibly and professionally” and that “it is not appropriate for a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician to use AI to create full revalidation submissions or falsify information, and if they do so, they may face further investigation”.
Kathie Cashell, chief executive of the GPhC, commented: “We want to support everyone working in pharmacy to use AI effectively to improve patient care, at the same time as protecting patient safety.
“We are planning further work in relation to AI as technologies continue to develop, including, for example, as part of the reviews of the standards we set for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and our standards for registered pharmacies. We will also continue to work closely with other regulators and organisations across health and care to support safe, effective and responsible use of AI.”
In January 2025, the Royal College of Pharmacy published its own policy on AI, when the College was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
It recognised that AI is a tool to support pharmacy professionals to improve the safe and effective use of medicines in any setting but said that investment in AI skills and knowledge is vital, and patient data must be safeguarded.
Tase Oputu, president of the Royal College of Pharmacy, said: “We welcome the GPhC’s position statement, which provides helpful clarity as AI becomes more widely used in pharmacy.
“AI has real potential to support safer, more efficient care, but pharmacists remain accountable for the decisions they make. It’s essential that outputs are reviewed, patient confidentiality is protected and patients understand how these tools are being used.
“This aligns with our own policy — that AI should enhance, not replace, professional judgement, and maintaining integrity in areas such as revalidation is key to sustaining trust in the profession.
“We will continue to work with members and stakeholders to support pharmacists to use AI safely, ethically and in ways that improve patient care.”
