Exploring the development and implementation of a virtual pharmacist agent to provide over-the-counter medication counseling

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this project are to: (1) develop a virtual pharmacist agent (VPA) that provides pointof- sale guidance to consumers in the selfselection of safe and effective over-thecounter (OTC) cough and cold products and (2) evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of a VPA in community pharmacies. Adverse events from OTC medications account for more than 175,000 hospitalizations annually. Many Americans report some confusion regarding proper OTC use, and considerable variability exists if and when pharmacists provide consultations. VPAs could be a viable model to address this issue. Methods: This project will examine the development and implementation of VPAs. A VPA is an interactive, computer- generated character displayed on an electronic monitor, which is meant to represent a pharmacist for the purpose of serving patients. The research of Bickmore et al. shows that patients can be very receptive to virtual agents that simulate a health care worker. However, application in the pharmacy setting has not yet been explored. We will develop a VPA, in collaboration with pharmacy and computer science experts, which can be deployed in a pharmacy's OTC section for patients to utilize. Assessment questions and a treatment algorithm also will be formulated and programmed to guide the VPA's actions. The VPA will gather information from patients and then display recommendations along with any pertinent counseling points. Patients with questions or complex issues will be referred to a pharmacist. The focus initially will be cough and cold medications due to their wide use and the need for consistent assessment and counseling. Through the use of one to two focus groups, we will conduct a qualitative analysis of pharmacist and patient impressions of the VPA and gather information necessary for future improvements. Results: We hypothesize that a VPA is feasible in helping consumers make OTC decisions and will improve patients' confidence in the appropriate self-selection of an OTC cough and cold product.