The types of calls typically received by a non-commercial dispensing pharmacy might include:

Prescription Verification

• Confirming patient details and medication orders
• Clarifying missing information

Medication Availability

• Confirming estimated delivery times

Status Updates

• Refill requests
• Confirming order has been received and is being processed
• Confirming order status
• Order shipment scheduling
• Address changes

Basic Administration Questions

• Can this medication be crushed?
• Is this IV compatible with saline?
• Patient counseling calls

System Navigation Support

• Help with electronic prescribing

Compliance and Documentation

• Controlled substance verification calls

Industry Changes:

Pharmacies of all types are seeing increases in the number of prescriptions and the associated administrative tasks that accompany them. Increasing demand and administrative burdens are in sharp contrast to staffing bandwidth and the pressure to keep costs contained.

According to Pharmacy Times and Drug Topics, automation and digital triage capabilities are being adopted to reduce repetitive manual work.

Manufacturers, payers, and regulatory bodies demand impeccable documentation, consistent call handling, and accurate call routing. When these functions are performed manually, pharmacies struggle with scale.

The New Challenge:

While NCDPs are designed for high degrees of accuracy and compliance, the inbound call channel has emerged as a pressure point. Some significant challenges include:

High Volumes of Low Complexity Calls

• Internally, we predict that 85% of our inbound calls fit this category

Manual Intake and Routing

• Reliance on IVR menus
• Shared inboxes
• Phone queues

Escalations

• Pharmacists and technicians are pulled into calls that do not rquire clinical expertise delaying clinical work.

Our Use Case

We are building an AI-empowered efficiency that includes smart call routing, virtual assistances, and streamlined processes.

Anticipated Impact
Our first use case will be the application of smart call routing and virtual assistants in our pharmacy system. Currently, our pharmacies receive approximately 12,000 calls per month. An estimated 60-70% of those calls are what we consider ‘routine and repeatable’. These calls are simple and straightforward, and thus, the type of call that can be well managed by agentic AI.

Managing these calls with agentic AI will not only make it easier for the caller to quickly get the information they seek, but it will also enable our ability to extend operating hours from set hours to ‘anytime’.

The anticipated impact of smart call routing, virtual assistants, and streamlined processes mean that routine and repeatable calls can be managed immediately at any time of the day, any day of the year. The remaining call queue would then have approximately 7,000 fewer calls per month or approximately 350 fewer calls per business day. That’s fewer callers in queue, shorter wait times, and pharmacy staff able to spend time on more clinical and complex requests.

Why Conversational Automation Matters for NCDPs
Implementing AI-enabled conversational assistants, without replacing human expertise, can reshape the NCDP workflow to enable:

Faster, More Accurate Triage

• The caller can say "request a refill", "change my address", "reschedule shipment", or "speak to a pharmacist".
• The system identifies intent and routes the call to the correct queue or resolves it directly.

Automation of Routine Questions

• This resuces the repetitive call burden on staff.

Seamless Handoffs to NCDP Pharmacists or Technicians

• When a call requires human expertise, the system passes caller identity, Rx number, notes from automated intake and reason for escalation.

A Closing Thought:
AI in healthcare isn’t just about technology; it’s about trust, empathy, and better outcomes. This is just the beginning of how we’re redefining patient support through human-AI collaboration.

Contributors:

Ann Poorboy, MS, Senior Director, AI Product Lead

Chris Harris, VP, Pharmacy Operations and Strategy

Jack McGuire, Pharm.D., MBA, CNMT, VP, PSS Innovation & Product Development

Chip Kennedy, VP, Operations Excellence

References:

“Intelligent Pharmacy: Leveraging AI and Automation to Enhance Patient Care and Pharmacist Roles.” Pharmacy Times. September 2025.

“Automation Helps Pharmacies Maximize Revenue, Improve Patient Care.” Drug Topics. October, 2025.

“Pharmacy Automation: The Future of Medication Safety and Efficiency.” Pharmacy Times. March, 2025.

“Non-Commercial Dispensing Pharmacy”, Valeris.com 2025

Chalasani SH, Syed J, Ramesh M, Patil V, Pramod Kumar TM. Artificial intelligence in the field of pharmacy practice: A literature review. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2023 Oct 21;12:100346. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100346. PMID: 37885437; PMCID: PMC10598710.