The so-called Pharmacy 5.0, that is, the space in which the manufacture of medicines and the technological systems of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions converge, aspires to solve in a more solvent way the challenges that until now have been posed to this activity and its professionals, especially after a phenomenon as relevant as the coronavirus pandemic.
This approach, as in many other areas, relies heavily on the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, for example, to better plan production and manage different operational scenarios. Without these digital innovations, progress in personalized medicine and hyper-specialized therapies would not have been possible, analysts say.
The European authorities, aware of this profound transformation, intend to go beyond efficiency, so that the workers of these companies and companies in other sectors are empowered and achieve greater satisfaction through their work performance. All this considering respect for the environment and sustainability.
As is often stated in these cases, automation should not have a negative impact on the jobs currently held by humans. The machines should free them from monotonous and repetitive tasks, not invade the areas where only people add value. As surprising as it may seem, a material like paper offers some clues to understand what is being talked about.
Until now, the recording, transfer and study of data in many countries of the world has been carried out primarily on printed documents. Digitization simplifies processes that are —and should be— scientifically complex, but that cannot continue to rest on an obsolete support that does not allow the application of techniques that are very common in many other fields.
Greater cooperation between staff and devices will improve the experience and reduce time to market for drugs and therapies. The experts conclude that a strategic vision is required for a new organization. As covid-19 has shown, flexibility and agility are not only important to increase revenue, but also to save millions of lives.
