Aipedia: Pharmacists and pharmacies

AI translation when counselling patients

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

AI translation can help counsel patients with limited English, but the pharmacist remains responsible for whether the patient understood how to take their medicine. A mistranslated dose instruction can cause harm and a claim.

Part of: AI in pharmacists and pharmacies

In short

Pharmacists use AI translation apps and tools to counsel patients with limited English, to explain instructions at the counter and sometimes to produce translated labels or leaflets. Standard 3 of the GPhC Standards requires pharmacy professionals to communicate effectively, and the GPhC position statement says pharmacists must understand a tool's limitations, check outputs and explain AI use to patients. Translation errors in doses, timings and warnings are hard to detect if you do not speak the language. Claims arising from a wrong instruction will usually be treated as a counselling failure by the pharmacist and the pharmacy.

How pharmacists use AI translation

At the counter, pharmacists may use a phone or tablet app that translates speech in both directions. For written material, they may paste instructions into a translation tool to produce wording for a label or a printed sheet. Some patient-facing apps translate automatically. The tools are fast and widely available, and in a pharmacy they may be the most practical option when no interpreter is present.

The duties that apply

The main duties that apply are:

Standard 3, communicate effectively: the Standards for pharmacy professionals require pharmacy professionals to communicate effectively. A translation the patient cannot follow is unlikely to meet that.
Standard 1, person-centred care: care that works for this patient includes advice in a form they can follow.
Understanding the tool: the GPhC position statement requires pharmacists to understand each tool's limitations and biases and to check outputs for accuracy and misleading content.
Telling patients and consent: explain that you are using AI translation and seek consent where necessary.
Standard 7, confidentiality: speech and text entered into translation tools may include health information; use tools approved by your owner or employer.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario: a pharmacist uses a translation app to explain a new medicine that should be taken once weekly. The app renders the instruction in a way the patient understands as once daily. The pharmacist cannot check the translation and does not ask the patient to repeat back the instructions. The patient takes the medicine daily for several days and is admitted to hospital.

Other risks include numbers and units being changed, warnings about alcohol or driving being softened or dropped, medical terms translated literally, and less common languages being handled badly. Bias is a further issue: the GPhC asks pharmacists to understand a tool's biases, and translation quality can vary widely between languages and dialects, so a tool that works well for one patient may fail for the next. A translated label that is wrong carries a particular risk because the patient relies on it at home with nobody to ask. Professional translators face the same issues with medical content; see AI in medical and patient translation.

How PI usually responds

A claim arising from a wrong translated instruction would usually be framed as a failure to counsel the patient properly, so it would fall on the pharmacist and the pharmacy. The fact that a tool made the error is unlikely to be a defence for the pharmacist, though it may be relevant to any contractual claim against a supplier. PI usually responds to claims arising from counselling as part of professional practice, subject to the policy terms. Article 32 requires each registrant to hold appropriate indemnity, and owners must hold cover for the services provided. Policies rarely mention translation tools, so check whether any AI or technology exclusions apply.

Practical controls

Practical controls include:

Use a professional interpreter for complex or high-risk counselling where one is available.
Keep sentences short and avoid idioms when using AI translation.
Use teach-back: ask the patient to explain the dose and timing in their own words, or show you.
Use pictograms or written numbers for doses where possible.
Do not issue translated labels unless the wording has been checked.
Record that translation was used and how understanding was checked.

How Apex helps

Apex arranges indemnity for pharmacists and pharmacy owners. A broker checks how your policy responds to counselling claims where translation tools were used.

Sources

Frequently asked

Can I use an AI translation app to counsel a patient?

Yes, if it is the best option available, but you remain responsible for the patient understanding. Standard 3 requires effective communication, and the GPhC position statement expects you to understand the tool's limits and check outputs, so check understanding directly with the patient.

Should I tell the patient I am using AI translation?

Yes. The GPhC position statement says pharmacists should explain AI use to patients and seek consent where necessary. It also helps the patient understand why you are checking that they have followed the instructions.

Can I print a label translated by AI?

Only with great care. A label is relied on at home with nobody to ask, so an error there is more dangerous than at the counter. Do not issue translated label wording unless it has been checked by someone competent in the language, and keep the English instructions on the label too.

Who is liable if a translated dose instruction is wrong?

Usually the pharmacist who counselled the patient and the pharmacy owner. The translation tool supplier is rarely a practical target for the patient, and the question in a claim is whether you took reasonable steps to make sure the patient understood.

Check your PI covers how you use AI

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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.