AI and automation are everywhere, and for healthcare leaders, especially those in pharmacy, the pressure to “do more with less” has never been greater. Many teams know AI and automation solutions hold promise to increase efficiency, maximize revenue, or improve compliance, yet jumping in can feel risky when patient care, regulatory standards, and revenue are on the line.
I’ve spent my career on the provider side, leading pharmacy services and teams who do incredible work with limited resources. That’s why I believe AI can be a powerful unlock, but only when it’s approached with care, transparency, and the right expertise.
So how can you evaluate AI solutions with confidence? On our recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar (full recording here), I shared a few lessons from helping health systems navigate this next phase of digital transformation. When assessing prospective technology partners, consider these six elements.
1. Tie AI to Your Broader Organizational Goals & Strategy
Adopting AI shouldn’t be an isolated experiment; it should tie directly into your organization’s digital transformation goals. I always encourage pharmacy leaders to ask themselves: Is there capability for this solution to add value beyond pharmacy?
The strongest AI partners will help you consolidate vendors and amplify value across multiple workflows, whether that’s referral intake, prior authorization, or claim reconciliation. When AI is aligned with your organization’s bigger strategy, it becomes a true lever for growth and margin, not just a shiny add-on.
2. Engage with AI Governance Committees Early
As health systems increasingly embrace AI and automation, formal structures and governance committees are becoming essential. Early engagement with these governance structures is crucial. Given the complexity and scope of the pharmacy enterprise, it is recommended that a pharmacy stakeholder be included.
A common framework involves categorizing tasks or workflows by impact (administrative, clinical, patient-facing) and associated risk. A well-managed governance process also identifies where human oversight, or “human in the loop,” is necessary within a platform and where automation can function autonomously. Additionally, consider performance metrics and the methodology for “training” AI models within the organization.
3. Clarify How the AI Actually Works
Too many vendors talk about AI like it’s magic, so invest the time to understand exactly how it works. Not all AI is created equal, and unfortunately, there’s no shortage of companies selling “snake oil” with big promises but little transparency about what the technology is actually doing behind the scenes.
One piece of advice I share often: Make sure you and your IT partners truly understand the functional components (LLMs, ML, NLP), how the AI makes decisions, and where human oversight fits in. It’s also important to understand the difference between smart workflow automation powered by reliable data processing and true AI that learns, improves, and drives new insights. AI isn’t always the answer; the right partner should help you apply it where it adds real value, not force it where it doesn’t fit.
4. Choose a Partner Who Knows Healthcare
Even the best AI technology won’t deliver if your partner doesn’t understand your world. You need people who’ve walked in your shoes–who get pharmacy workflow, who know the regulatory realities, who understand how to integrate with your systems, and who can guide you through the complexity.
Even the most advanced AI technology will fall short if your partner lacks a deep understanding of your operational landscape. You need people who comprehend the complexities of pharmacy workflow, regulatory compliance, and system integration, and can navigate each of those successfully.
Real impact happens when AI is grounded in true healthcare expertise, and for pharmacy leaders, that’s non-negotiable.
At Plenful, we conduct detailed technical demos with diverse stakeholders to clarify AI’s role and value within your workflows. Every new customer is paired with a robust technical implementation team comprising experts from EHR vendors, TPAs, health systems, and specialty pharmacies. Furthermore, our leadership team actively educates leaders and governance committees on AI trends and best practices, enabling your organization to make informed decisions about its broader AI strategy.
5. Look for Feedback Loops and Continuous Improvement
Don’t settle for static technology. Good AI and automation tools learn and improve over time. One of the key things I stress when evaluating a partner is asking: What are the feedback loops? How does my data get used to make the model smarter? How does that value compound for my organization over time?
Make sure your AI partner can demonstrate how your team’s input shapes future refinements (commonly known as “fine-tuning”). This maximizes performance specific to your organization and enables continuous improvement.
6. Bring Your Team Along for the Journey
It’s a reality that the prospect of adopting AI solutions can raise difficult questions from your staff: Will AI take my job? Can I still make an impact? Your frontline teams need to understand how AI and automation tools up-level their work, not replace it.
Done right, it frees them from repetitive administrative tasks so they can focus on the work that truly requires their expertise. For pharmacy leaders balancing growing volumes and tightening budgets, that extra capacity can make all the difference. For example, at Plenful our prior authorization solution is designed to rebuild trust in how AI supports clinical workflows–it’s transparent, auditable, and puts power back in the hands of care teams. It learns from your institutional knowledge to continuously tune itself, and surfaces the insights that matter most, not just automating forms, but elevating decision-making based on your organization’s complex needs.
Ready to Explore What’s Next?
Choosing the right AI partner is about more than technology–it’s about trust, transparency, and finding a team that understands your organizational goals and mission. When these essentials are in place, AI and automation solutions can deliver real ROI: more capacity, higher throughput, and material revenue.
If you’re curious to dive deeper into this topic, I invite you to watch the full recording of our webinar, Future-Proofing Pharmacy Operations: AI, Automation, and Strategy. I think you’ll see that with the right foundation, AI and automation solutions, like the ones we are building at Plenful, can unlock incredible potential. I’d love to connect on LinkedIn, and continue to be a resource for you.
Tim L’Hommedieu, PharmD, MS
SVP of Pharmacy, Plenful
