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It’s no secret that artificial intelligence has changed the way we live, work, and do business. A 2025 McKinsey survey found that 78% of business owners use AI in at least one operational function—up from 72% in 2024 and 55% from 2023.
Sure, AI makes sense in the realm of finance, computing, or communications; but what about independent pharmacy?
Two-thirds of independent pharmacies have a positive perception of AI and believe it can assist in day-to-day tasks, but many have yet to make the jump.
As an NIH survey reveals, 80% of pharmacists say that lack of resources—specifically surrounding AI-related software and hardware—is the biggest barrier in their application of AI technologies.
Other constraints include the running cost of AI (75.6%), fear of litigation (73%), regulatory and social constraints (67.6%), and lack of AI information (66.7%).
Yet pharmacists know, at least on the surface, that AI can be beneficial: It aids in everything from medication reconciliation to drug interaction checking to predicting inventory levels and optimizing stock levels on high-volume scripts. But with big security concerns, the stakes are still high.
How can AI improve your business, and how can we approach the issue ethically, responsibly, and with the success of independent pharmacies in mind?
We sat down with Paul Carrig, VP of Data Innovation and Gina Groves, Director of Product Management to discuss these issues—and how PioneerRx is working to increase pharmacists’ access to AI technology.
It seems simple enough: We’re all looking to buy back our time. But in the world of pharmacy, that time can feel extra crunched: filling scripts, submitting claims, trying out new services, and trying to keep your business afloat.
Paul Carrig, who’s been with PioneerRx since 2008, remembers a world where it just wasn’t possible to escape administrative overhead, whether it be from verifying prescriptions or taking on another round of manual entry.
Over the years, Paul and his team have been working to make day-to-day tasks easier so patient care can stay at the heart of pharmacy. AI is just the latest way to do it.
As he says, “Before AI was even a thing, one of our leaders had a phrase that’s really relevant here: To help staff in any walk of life, really focus on the clinical aspects of your work and not the clerical."
Gina Groves agrees. As pharmacy has become more and more clinical—given the surge of provider status and expanded responsibilities across states—Gina has similarly felt the push to change the way pharmacists view their roles.
She says, “We want our pharmacies to be able to focus on patient care and offer their services as a clinician.”
But those services aren’t possible when there’s no extra time.
So, when AI stepped on the scene, both Paul and Gina were confident in its ability to help pharmacies maximize time when the to-dos don’t stop coming and the clock doesn’t stop ticking.
85% of people think that AI will have an impact on their job, and that includes pharmacists. But that impact doesn’t have to be for the worst.
Paul will be the first to say it: “We’re not using AI to replace people.”
Instead, he maintains that he’s confident in AI’s ability to help people do their jobs more effectively.
At PioneerRx HQ, Paul and his team have been automating tasks with in-house technology as quickly as the tech comes to market.
Recently, the team developed an in-house private mode of information, called Smart Chat, to help PioneerRx Support staff solve pharmacy technical questions faster.
Rather than manually searching for solutions, Support staff can prompt Smart Chat to lead them to helpful resources and references to close the case.
And for the team (and pharmacies) alike, a minute or two of time saved can make a big impact: “When you expand that across 2,000 customers a day that are calling with questions, that could be huge time-savings potential.”
From PioneerRx’s perspective, he says, “[AI] is enabling us to make our staff more efficient and help them help you, the customer, quickly as well.”
In the realm of pharmacy, Paul keeps this same philosophy: as a tool that can’t replace the pharmacist but can free up time for other things they need to do.
Paul is at the forefront of RedSail Intelligence, our latest move to mobilize AI in pharmacy practice and increase access to professionals in our network.
Paul uses a transparent pharmacy-first approach when it comes to AI; and that trickles down to the technologies he and the team are creating.
Our latest products, coming later this year, include:
These are the first two products in our ongoing effort to help pharmacies be more efficient in their clinical work.
From a development perspective, Paul is excited about the enhancements that this can bring to pharmacy—especially when considering how quickly it’s taken off.
As he says, “It’s the rapid rate of change in progress. Two or three years ago, as models were being introduced, it was somewhat expensive to run them, and they weren’t great. But when you see how quickly the technology is improving, [it’s exciting to focus] on creating solutions.”
But AI is only as good as the trust behind it; and in a world where privacy protection seems even more difficult to achieve, the team is all the more vigilant about safeguarding protected health information.
For Paul, this is a universal experience: “I think [pharmacies] have to be concerned about the same thing we do. Privacy, security, appropriate use of technology... You should treat it like any other piece of sensitive data and continue applying the same kind of security.”
That’s why RedSail Intelligence runs on its own private models and data never gets shared with third parties—it all runs within in-house applications.
As Gina says, “AI enhances our product experience, but trust is what defines it. From day one, our team has prioritized security, PHI protection, HIPAA compliance, and regulatory alignment.”
With the right kind of systems in place, pharmacies can feel confident about the tools that they’re using and the time that they’re saving.
As Gina says, “We want to ensure our customers can confidently rely on our platform— knowing their data is handled with integrity and care.”
As the NIH survey reveals, most independent pharmacies want to utilize AI, but they don’t have the right tools to use it.
Gina, Paul, and the PioneerRx team are working to bridge that gap and help pharmacies take advantage of AI’s opportunities while minimizing its risks.
For both Gina and Paul, AI isn’t just another tech trend but a real way to reclaim your time and practice at the top of your license.
In this way, it’s among the best tools to help pharmacists accomplish their business goals, pursue their clinical missions, and reach the larger aim of pushing the limits in the profession.
Here’s to continuing to grow and innovate ethically in the age of AI.
