In Interviews

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

As NHS England signals a future where pharmacists step back from dispensing, Puri Pharmacy is using AI not to replace clinical contact, but to deepen it – starting with its medicated weight loss service. By Saša Janković

Medicated weight loss products continue to grow in popularity, and are set to become even more accessible to patients thanks to the recent addition of a tablet version to the format toolkit. This emerging market has led forward-thinking community pharmacy businesses to look at ways to further support their customers who want to make the most of these services.

In the heart of Southall and Hillingdon, independent pharmacy group Puri Pharmacy is doing just that. Already providing a range of innovative services, the family-owned business has now added an AI-powered element to its busy medicated weight loss service, to give patients additional support between appointments.

Patient engagement

The rollout comes as NHS England chair Dr Penny Dash told delegates at the recent Company Chemists’ Association conference that the future plan for pharmacists could be as healthcare advice experts who are no longer involved in dispensing. Dr Dash said it will be “unusual” for patients to go to their local pharmacy to get their prescriptions, and it would instead be a “natural step” for medicines to be couriered by drone – but what does this mean for the experts in medicine?

“Community pharmacy is at a pivotal moment”, says Rahul Puri, lead pharmacist at Puri Pharmacy. “For decades, our profession has largely been measured by how efficiently we dispense medicines, and while dispensing will always remain an essential part of what we do, we believe the future value of pharmacy lies in something much bigger: helping people stay healthier for longer through prevention, early intervention and continuous clinical support”.

Clinical oversight

It is this philosophy which led Puri Pharmacy to offer patients enrolled in its medicated weight loss programme access to AI-supported health guidance alongside in-person clinician care.

While this may sound as if the AI is simply taking over some of the interactions that the pharmacist would be having with the patient, Rahul says there are still plenty of touchpoints for in-person clinical oversight in the patient’s program journey.

“Medicated weight loss should never be treated as a simple supply service, so every patient entering our medicated weight management programme is assessed by one of our pharmacist independent prescribers, and decisions around diagnosis, prescribing, dose escalation and ongoing clinical management remain entirely under pharmacist oversight”, he explains.

Where AI adds value is between consultations. “Patients often have questions at 9pm, struggle with side effects over the weekend or need reassurance between appointments”, says Rahul, “but traditionally, they either wait until their next review or search online, where information can be inconsistent.

“Through the AI support, patients receive structured education, behavioural coaching, medication reminders and support throughout their journey, and if responses indicate a clinical concern, the patient is directed back to our clinical team for review.”

As a result, Rahul says the AI is “extending the reach” of pharmacists rather than replacing them: “It allows us to remain connected to patients throughout treatment while ensuring every clinical decision continues to sit with qualified healthcare professionals.”

Responsible support

Puri Pharmacy’s AI partner in this service is Aide Health, a UK digital health company focused on improving treatment adherence, patient engagement and health literacy through conversational AI technology.

The company’s innovations have received backing from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Innovate UK, and its digital tools are already being used across NHS England to support people living with long-term conditions including type 2 diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

“We evaluated potential partners against one simple question: would this technology strengthen the relationship between pharmacist and patient, or weaken it?”, says Rahul, of the choice to use Aide Health. “They shared our belief that AI should never replace clinical judgement. Instead, it should improve communication, education and continuity of care while ensuring pharmacists remain responsible for prescribing decisions and clinical oversight, and that aligned closely with our vision for the future of community pharmacy. This wasn't about introducing AI because it is fashionable; it was about finding a responsible way to support patients between consultations while maintaining the clinical governance standards patients rightly expect.”

Connected experience

The partnership is the start of a wider digital healthcare programme that will use conversational AI technology in the pharmacy setting to support patients managing chronic health conditions, beginning with medicated weight loss services before expanding into areas including COPD and hypertension.

“Over the past few years we have deliberately expanded beyond traditional dispensing by introducing pharmacist prescribing, diagnostic ultrasound, bone health screening, ECG services, men's health clinics and preventative cardiovascular screening, and the next step is ensuring patients receive ongoing support after those clinical interactions”, says Rahul, of the group’s plans. “Rather than developing isolated digital services, our objective is to create a connected patient experience across multiple long-term conditions, with pharmacists remaining at the centre of clinical care.”

“Weight management is simply the first application of our much broader vision to build a preventative healthcare ecosystem centred around community pharmacy, and hypertension is a natural progression because we already provide NHS Hypertension Case-Finding, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and prescribing services – and AI has the potential to reinforce lifestyle advice, encourage adherence, remind patients to monitor their blood pressure and identify when pharmacist review is appropriate.

“Similarly, patients living with COPD can benefit from ongoing education, inhaler support and symptom monitoring between appointments.”

Digital future

Rahul stresses that Puri Pharmacy’s digital innovation plans don’t stop at AI.

“We believe community pharmacy is entering one of the biggest periods of transformation in its history”, he says. “Patients increasingly expect healthcare to be accessible beyond the four walls of a pharmacy, and at the same time, pharmacists are taking on more advanced clinical responsibilities through independent prescribing and diagnostic services.

“Technology should support that transition and we're continually exploring innovations that allow pharmacists to spend less time on repetitive processes and more time delivering clinical care.

For Rahul, that balance between technology that removes friction and a pharmacist who remains firmly at the centre of care is the model for the rest of the sector. "The pharmacy of the future will combine trusted face-to-face relationships with intelligent digital support to meet the growing demand for more preventative, accessible and digitally enabled healthcare services, particularly as pharmacies continue to play an increasingly important role in supporting patients with long-term conditions within the community," he says.

Weight loss may be where Puri Pharmacy's AI journey started, but it won't be where it ends.