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ChatGPT and DIASTAT ® : Think Fast!

By Bridget Betts posted 03-29-2023 15:00

  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly popular topic of discussion among healthcare providers in various settings, including pharmacy practice. These tools can introduce groundbreaking innovations to the practice environment, and while their introduction comes with numerous opportunities – it also comes with many questions as well as hesitancy for adoption.  

In this blog, we are going to explore a tool called ChatGPT and detail a specific opportunity that could be useful for pharmacy practice through a real-world example.  

ChatGPT – or Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer – is a tool launched by OpenAI in November of 2022. This unique chatbot large language processor can reply to questions at any hour of the day within seconds in a conversational, human-like tone. Questions can range from “what day of the week was June 3, 2000” to more advanced like “what are complications of my type 2 diabetes” or “calculate how much correctional insulin I need after a meal of xyz”. ChatGPT could serve as an excellent tool to augment pharmacist counseling when it is not easily accessible. For example, when a caregiver wakes up in the middle of the night to their child in a medical emergency – ChatGPT could serve as a counseling resource.  

To paint a scenario of ChatGPT’s utility, imagine that you are a parent of a child that has been diagnosed with epilepsy. This diagnosis, as well as many pediatric diagnoses, come with an overwhelming amount of new information, resources, and potentially complicated acute at-home drug administration instructions. A medication called DIASTAT ®, or diazepam rectal gel, is a frequently prescribed medication that "is used to treat occasional episodes of increased seizures that are different from a patient’s usual seizure pattern” 1. Although the caregiver is counseled upon discharge on administration instructions for DIASTAT ® and has more opportunity for counseling when picking up the medication from the pharmacy, caregivers are oftentimes left with questions. If a child began to have a seizure, it could be alarming to the caregiver and compromise their ability to think through the steps of administration clearly. It is important to administer this medication properly and effectively. ChatGPT could be a reliable resource via the webpage to quickly obtain instructions to coach the caregiver through the administration. 

To test out this example, I asked ChatGPT: “how do I use diastat”. It gave six clear steps of administration that aligned with the package insert instructions and other resources for counseling: 

 

ChatGPT can tailor the instructions further after prompting instructions such as “speak at a 6th grade reading level” or “I don’t understand step 2 – what side is the cover on”. For example, I asked ChatGPT: “explain step 4 in more detail”, and it produced this response: 

 

ChatGPT can also provide answers to questions involving medication storage, side effects, or other counseling concerns. In regard to medical and pharmaceutical questions, it is reliant on data from drug databases, clinical practice guidelines, pharmacology textbooks, and medical journals.  

While the tool is in its infancy and the data inputs continue to improve, it is easy to see how patients will start relying on this technology. Thinking about access, the tool provides a unique opportunity to support patients and advance pharmacy services with continual access and service. Does this tool replace the providers and clinical judgment? Not quite. It is important to note (as ChatGPT’s answer conclusion also notes) that it is important to follow provider instructions or seek emergency medical attention. It is also important to remember that the tool is not reliable for highly complex patient answers and situations, lacking the clinical judgment to dive into questions that could reveal underlying health literacy issues or disease state mismanagement. 

Regardless, this artificial intelligence tool can provide a readily available resource to aid patients, caregivers, and even pharmacists themselves in urgent situations to improve patient safety and ultimately save lives through proper medication counseling.  

Works Cited and Additional Resources:

1. Diastat and Diastat AcuDial (diazepam) [prescribing information]. Bridgewater, NJ: Bausch Health US, LLC; January 2023.

https://www.diastat.com/Assets/Diastat/pdfs/Diastat-Administration-Instructions.pdf 

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03-30-2023 11:41

Excellent reflection, Bridget. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we provide and receive care, changing the infrastructure of our healthcare system. It is so important to reflect on these possibilities and integrate technology early and safely.