Proof of concept projects and pilot studies are early tests to check if a new idea works well, is safe, and helps people. Before a new technology is used in many pharmacies in the United States, regulators want proof that it is helpful and safe for patients.
Pharmacies are complex places where technology works closely with healthcare workers and patients. Any new system—like digital tools for managing prescriptions, machines that send out medicines, or AI to help make decisions—can have risks. Pilot tests help manage these risks by collecting data and feedback from users on a small scale before bigger use.
For pharmacy managers and IT staff, joining or learning about pilot studies helps them get ready. The results show how work might change, what training is needed, and what technical problems could happen. This also stops costly mistakes and interruptions.
On a bigger level, state pharmacy boards and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) use data from these projects to create rules that fit the real world and new technology. Without this data, rules could be old, too strict, or not good enough to protect patients.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) set up the Research and Innovation Institute to study and guide technology in pharmacies. This group collects and looks at data from proof of concept projects and pilot studies to help pharmacy boards regulate new technology.
Bradley S. Hamilton, who will be NABP President in 2025-2026, has made supporting this Institute one of his main goals. The Institute works as a neutral place giving fair information. It brings together regulators, industry leaders, researchers, and pharmacy owners to work on checking new ideas. One goal is to close the gap between regulators and technology creators.
This Institute helps with:
The Institute also invites people to send proposals for testing projects. This helps share information and improve pharmacy services together.
Pharmacy leaders and regulators need reliable facts to make smart choices about new technology. The NABP Research and Innovation Institute gives data-based advice to guide rules.
Technology can help pharmacy work by:
But if technology is used without proper checks, it can cause problems like extra work, safety hazards, or confusing patients. Proof of concept projects collect both feedback and numbers, like error rates, time saved, and patient happiness.
The Institute’s work makes sure pharmacy boards get full information. This helps make rules that protect health without stopping good ideas or adding trouble for pharmacies.
NABP President Hamilton says that even though pharmacy technology can help, social and work-related issues often slow its use. These include:
Education and working together are key to solving these problems. Pilot projects let pharmacy staff try new tools safely and see how they work. The data shows benefits and challenges, helping people trust new technology.
Pharmacy managers and owners benefit by lowering risks when spending on new tech and making the switch easier.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are changing pharmacy work. They handle routine tasks, help with clinical decisions, and make work more efficient.
AI can look at lots of data to find medicine interactions, manage supplies, offer personalized advice, and check if patients take medicine properly. Automation helps with scheduling, prescription refills, talking to patients, and billing.
Because of these new tools, pilot studies are important to check they fit safely into pharmacy work. The NABP Research and Innovation Institute offers a place to try AI tools, making sure they really help.
For healthcare managers, tools like AI answering systems reduce staff work, help patients more, and cut wait times. This lets pharmacists focus on more complex care. Pilot projects give feedback on how easy these AI tools are to use, how patients respond, and their overall success. This helps leaders decide on using the technology.
Using AI in pharmacies is more than clinical tasks. It also helps with communication and office work. This way, pharmacies can serve patients better while keeping costs down and managing staff shortages.
Pharmacy technology is complicated and needs teamwork from different groups. The NABP Research and Innovation Institute helps by connecting pharmacy boards, pharmacies, technology makers, and researchers.
This teamwork leads to:
Pharmacy managers and IT staff benefit because this teamwork helps create standards for working together, security, and privacy—all very important for pharmacies.
More patients want digital health tools in pharmacies. They want easy ways to manage medicines, talk to providers quickly, and use tools to help remember medications and track their health.
New pharmacy tech often includes telepharmacy, mobile apps linked to dispensing systems, AI helps for counseling, and automated messages. Pilot and proof of concept studies show how these tools affect patient access and satisfaction and make sure they meet rules.
The NABP Research and Innovation Institute supports projects that focus on helping patients get access and making pharmacy services safer with technology.
The Research and Innovation Institute invites pharmacy leaders, technology makers, and healthcare groups to suggest pilot projects and proof of concept studies. These ideas are reviewed and can join testing programs that fit regulatory reviews.
Clear evaluations give facts that help everyone:
Taking part helps pharmacies be early users of safe and useful technology. It also helps them follow changing rules while staying competitive.
Data-driven research, structured pilot testing, and teamwork make proof of concept projects and pilot studies important tools for pharmacy innovation in the United States. As technology like AI and automation becomes central to pharmacy work, fair and clear evaluation processes will help keep a balance between new ideas and patient safety.
Pharmacy administrators, owners, and IT managers need to understand and join these evaluation efforts. This will help them bring in new pharmacy technologies that can improve care, lower mistakes, and make pharmacy work more efficient.
The Institute aims to provide data-driven insights to guide regulatory decisions and assist stakeholders in navigating evolving pharmacy practice technologies. It fosters collaboration among regulators, industry leaders, and academics to address challenges and advancements in pharmacy practice and regulation.
Bradley S. Hamilton, BScPharm, RPh, NABP President for 2025-2026, leads its implementation. The groundwork was laid by Jeffrey J. Mesaros, PharmD, JD, RPh, during 2024-2025, through strategic recommendations and evaluation systems.
Technology enhances pharmacist capabilities by improving patient outcomes, optimizing workflows, increasing efficiency, expanding access to care, and reducing errors, facilitating better practice, learning, and communication.
Barriers include fear of change, job security concerns, and financial risks. Overcoming these requires education and collaboration to improve care experiences and acceptance of innovations.
It acts as an impartial connector and facilitator between boards of pharmacy, regulated entities, and third parties to test new ideas and proof of concept projects in a neutral environment.
To create a forum for evaluating innovations, build a collaborative network, meet patient demand for digital technologies, and freely share data to support informed regulatory and policy decisions.
By providing a trusted resource to assess innovative initiatives with unbiased data, enabling boards to enact evidence-based, forward-thinking policies that enhance patient outcomes and regulatory innovation.
Closing this gap allows for better assessment and regulation of new technologies, ensuring safe, effective use and facilitating innovation that advances patient care and pharmacy services.
Proposals that help assess new ideas, test proof of concept projects, and conduct pilots to gather objective evidence for supporting effective regulatory and policy decisions in pharmacy technology.
Interested parties can submit proposals by completing the provided template questions and filling out the submission form, enabling participation in evaluating and advancing pharmacy innovations.
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