IR 4.0: role of pharmacist still relevant, will not be replaced

SEREMBAN, Oct 21 -- With the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) pharmacists will not be replaced as human touch is needed for the service, said National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) director Datin Dr Faridah Aryani Md Yusof.  

She said the role of pharmacists in advising patients could not be taken over by any application, robotic technology or artificial intelligence (AI).

"IR4.0 is not just about robotics but it involves big data. We need big data and all must be integrated. So the role of the pharmacist is irreplaceable ," she told Bernama, here Sunday.

Dr Faridah Aryani was met after closing the 2019 Negeri Sembilan Pharmacy Conference here, which was also attended by Negeri Sembilan Health (Medical) deputy director, Datin Dr Harlina Abdul Rashid.

The two-day conference which began yesterday was attended by 165 participants from Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Sabah, Melaka, Kelantan, Selangor, Perak, Pahang and Johor.

-- BERNAMA