Aipedia: Pharmacists and pharmacies

AI in GP-practice medication reviews

Aipedia, by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-30

Practice and PCN pharmacists can use AI searches to find and prioritise patients for medication reviews, but they remain accountable for each clinical decision. Whether CNSGP or your own indemnity responds depends on the work and who it is done for.

Part of: AI in pharmacists and pharmacies

In short

Pharmacists in GP practices and primary care networks use AI-assisted searches to identify patients for structured medication reviews, rank them by risk and suggest deprescribing opportunities, and may use AI scribes to record reviews. The GPhC position statement says pharmacists remain personally accountable and AI should not replace clinical decision-making. CNSGP covers NHS general practice and, according to its scope table, excludes private work and data protection breaches. State schemes do not cover fitness-to-practise matters, and locum or private work outside NHS general practice needs separate indemnity, so pharmacists should check which arrangement applies to each piece of work.

How practice pharmacists use AI

AI tools can search a practice list for patients on high-risk combinations, many medicines, or medicines that need monitoring, and rank them so the pharmacist sees the highest-risk patients first. Some suggest medicines that could be reduced or stopped, or draft review summaries and letters. Practice pharmacists may also act on tasks delegated by GPs, such as reviewing results or authorising repeats, with AI tools sorting the workload. The practice usually chooses and configures these systems; the pharmacist uses them.

The duties that apply

The main duties that apply are:

Accountability: the GPhC position statement says pharmacists remain personally accountable and must be able to justify decisions.
Standard 5: a deprescribing suggestion is a prompt, not a decision; you decide with the patient.
Standard 2, partnership: work with the GPs and the wider team, especially where decisions are delegated or shared.
Standard 3: explain AI use to patients where relevant and involve them in decisions about their medicines.
Data: searches and summaries use patient records; the practice's information governance and the rules on solely automated decisions in section 80 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 apply.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario: a PCN pharmacist uses an AI tool that ranks patients for structured medication reviews. A coding gap means a patient on a risky combination is ranked low and not reviewed for months. Separately, the tool suggests stopping a medicine for another patient, the pharmacist agrees during a short telephone review without checking why it was started, and the patient's condition worsens.

The first error is partly a system problem; the second is a judgement problem. Both could lead to complaints and claims, and the patient may not distinguish between the practice, the PCN and the pharmacist. Search logic that nobody re-checks after a system change is a further risk.

Delegation adds a layer. Where a GP delegates authorising repeats or acting on results to a pharmacist, and an AI tool sorts which items reach the pharmacist, it can be unclear who was expected to see what. A written record of the delegation, and of how the tool fits into it, helps everyone involved if a patient is harmed.

CNSGP, private and locum indemnity

NHS Resolution runs state indemnity schemes, including CNSGP for NHS general practice since 1 April 2019. Its scope table says private work and statutory breaches including data protection law are not covered, and that NHS services delivered by digital platform are covered; it says nothing about AI or software suppliers. State schemes do not cover fitness-to-practise, disciplinary or criminal matters. So NHS clinical work for a practice may sit within CNSGP, while regulatory defence, private reviews and work for other organisations need your own arrangement. Article 32 of the Pharmacy Order still requires every practising registrant to hold appropriate cover, and the GPhC says not to assume employer arrangements are adequate. For more detail see NHS indemnity schemes and AI.

Practical controls

Useful controls include:

Understand how the search ranks patients and what it cannot see.
Check the reason a medicine was started before agreeing to stop it.
Record your reasoning, especially when you follow or reject a suggestion.
Agree in writing which decisions are delegated to you.
Confirm which indemnity covers each role, including locum and private work.

How Apex helps

Apex arranges indemnity for practice, PCN and locum pharmacists. A broker helps map which of your roles sit inside CNSGP and which need your own cover, including regulatory defence.

Sources

Frequently asked

Does CNSGP cover me as a practice pharmacist using AI?

CNSGP covers NHS general practice, and NHS Resolution's scope table includes NHS services delivered by digital platform. It does not mention AI. It excludes private work and data protection breaches, and state schemes do not cover fitness-to-practise matters, so you may still need your own cover.

Who is responsible if the AI search misses a high-risk patient?

Responsibility may be shared between the practice that chose and configured the search and the pharmacist who relied on it. The GPhC says pharmacists remain personally accountable, so understanding what the search cannot see is part of your role.

Should I document why I accepted an AI deprescribing suggestion?

Yes. Record the reason the medicine was started, the patient's view and your reasoning for stopping, reducing or continuing it. The GPhC expects you to be able to justify decisions and show professional judgement, and a note that only says the tool suggested it does not do that.

Do I need my own indemnity if I work for a PCN?

Article 32 requires every practising registrant to have appropriate indemnity. Employer or state arrangements may cover some of your work, but the GPhC says not to assume they are adequate, and locum, private or regulatory matters may fall outside them.

Check your PI covers how you use AI

Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.

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Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.