AI: The Frontier in Drug Discovery and Pharmacy Efficiency

Welcome to this week's edition of the weekly fill! We’re bringing you the latest pharmacy trends with some fun updates about life at ShiftRx

Some bittersweet news: our office cat, Benzo, has found his forever home! While the office feels emptier without him, we're happy he’s off living his best life 🤗 Quick highlight: The weekly fill is your go-to for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, owners, operators, managers, and leaders. Basically, if you’re in pharmacy, this is for you. So share it with 10 pharmacy friends—or face five years of questionable luck 😪

💊 The big fill this week: AI is transforming drug discovery and development like never before

What's happening?

AI is making a major impact in pharma right now, with big-time players like Google and AMD leading this. What’s the focus? Using AI to speed up drug discovery, optimize supply chains, and even design new molecules. Recent moves in the health tech space signal a shift towards AI-focused drug development strategies.

Quick doses:

• Isomorphic Labs (Google-backed) is set to start trials for AI-designed drugs targeting oncology and cardiovascular diseases by year-end.

• AMD just invested $20 million in Absci Corp., aiming to leverage AI to speed up antibody therapeutic development.

• A study revealed AI integration has led to a 44% increase in material discoveries and a 39% increase in patent filings, though researchers report mixed feelings about AI automation

What this means for you: AI is expected to cut years off traditional development timelines and reduce costs. However regulatory hurdles are prominent, and the FDA is taking its time to define clear guidelines.

What’s our hope? That AI could revolutionize drug pipelines and improve patient outcomes faster than before.

If you want to learn more: Read here

Pharmacy trends

AI-driven automation is taking over hospital pharmacy operations

Hospitals are turning to AI-powered systems to manage drug distribution and inventory, cutting down on human errors and costs. AI-based solutions are enhancing everything from dispensing to predictive stock management.

Quick doses:

• Mayo Clinic has implemented AI-powered automation systems to personalize medication alerts which is projected to better their medication accuracy.

• Cleveland Clinic is applying AI to create operational efficiency through a Virtual Command Center that has brought a 7% increase in daily hospital transfer admissions in the past year

Why it matters

AI in hospital pharmacies means fewer errors, better resource allocation, and ultimately, more time for pharmacists to focus on patient care instead of logistical stressors.

Want to learn more about this? Read here

ShiftRx announcement

we have moved into full-time roles, in addition to the PRN marketplace and helping you build out a reliable float pool. we have a careers hub featuring a job board so if you’re a pharmacist or tech looking for your next career move — this is a must to check out. get started here: https://www.shiftrx.io/pharmacy-professionals

and if you’re managing pharmacy operations: post your open roles on our job board and get direct access to only pharmacists and technicians instead of spending time on indeed or linkedin, and sifting through tons of resumes. get started building your pharmacy dream team here: https://www.shiftrx.io/healthcare-facilities

🗞 Quick Scripts: Other Industry News

• Trump reverses drug pricing, Obamacare policiesTrump's rollback of Biden's healthcare policies aims to cut drug costs but could weaken ObamaCare's protections. It's a move that will likely stir debate about healthcare affordability. Read more

• DOJ sues Walgreens over illegitimate prescriptionsThe DOJ is going after Walgreens, claiming they filled millions of questionable prescriptions. The case underscores ongoing concerns about prescription oversight.Read more

• FDA greenlights mirikizumab for Crohn's diseaseMirikizumab is now approved for treating Crohn's disease, offering new hope for adults struggling with the condition. Read more

🌟Pharma Spotlight

Each week, we highlight pharmacy professionals and industry leaders who are making a real impact. This is our way of celebrating the work and dedication that drive the field forward

TJ Parker is the co-founder of PillPack, a pharmacy startup that reimagines medication management by delivering pre-sorted doses directly to patients. He launched PillPack to simplify the often complicated process of managing multiple prescriptions. In 2018, the company was acquired by Amazon, further cementing its impact on the pharmacy industry. TJ continues to be a huge figure in the healthcare tech space.

Looking back, what’s something you completely misunderstood about building a healthcare startup that only experience could correct?

We deeply understood the end customer and the challenges they had but we were not sophisticated about the underlying industry dynamics. However, the things we misunderstood were necessary to misunderstand, or we never would have had the courage to try. What made us successful was figuring them out quickly and bringing in the right support.

If you had unlimited resources right now, what healthcare problem would you drop everything to solve?

If I knew the answer to that, I'd be doing it. But for sure something around realigning incentives to better serve the end customer. Anytime you can get closer to that in healthcare, you'll make progress.

In an industry driven by regulation and bureaucracy, how do you keep innovation from getting buried under red tape?

First, deeply understand the relevant regulation and bureaucracy. Second, know when to try to change it. Third, when you don't quite know the right path forward, always optimize for the end customer and you'll be ok.

That’s it for today’s fill!

stay tuned for next week’s issue. if you enjoyed this, please share it with your pharmacy friends. until then, keep filling those scripts 🫡

doses and mimosas, shiftrx team

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