Transforming treatment pathways using virtual digital technologies

Written by Dr Atheer Awad

With the evolution of pharmacy 4.0, the pharmaceutical industry is at the forefront of a new cyber age. Indeed, the adoption of virtual tools such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, to name a few, are reinvigorating treatment pathways and streamlining a cyber healthcare structure. This modern system aims at innovating new means to deliver medicines to patients in the safest, fastest and most tailored manner. Thus, making medical care more efficient and accessible to patients around the globe, expediting recovery and reducing burden on healthcare professionals.

The flexibility of these technologies allows them to be implemented throughout different parts of the pharmaceutical sector, including lead discovery and development, medicines supply and logistics, disease diagnoses, patient monitoring on the front-line, as well as for post-marketing surveillance. Despite the many prospects that come with emergent technologies, they must be introduced into current systems with clear recognition of their shortcomings.

Our review paper summaries the most promising digital technologies, providing an outlook on how they can be integrated within healthcare and pharmacy models, whilst identifying the current challenges impeding their uptake.

Read our open access review article here.