Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming part of everyday pharmacy operations, and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy has made clear that it is paying attention. At a recent meeting, the Board discussed the growing use of AI in pharmacy practice and reviewed draft language outlining its current policy position. While that language has not yet been subject to the formal rulemaking process under Louisiana’s Administrative Procedure Act, it offers meaningful insight into how Louisiana’s pharmacy regulators are thinking about AI and what pharmacies should expect going forward.
Conflicts between medical staff bylaws and hospital or medical staff policies are more than drafting nuisances. They can be a recurring source of regulatory findings, litigation exposure, and internal governance breakdowns. In Louisiana, where hospitals operate under both state licensure requirements and federal Conditions of Participation, clarity on which document controls is critical.
The number of health care providers that are reporting potential scams for information or money is on the rise, as are general fraud schemes around the country. Consider the following two recent scenarios, which are based on real-life events.Scenario 1:
Written by: Kirti Vaidya Reddy, Quarles and Robert Hinyub III, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P.
As some studies estimate that nearly 23% of the adult population lives with a mental illness, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into mental health care has transformative potential in terms of accessibility, cost reduction, personalization, and provider efficiency. To improve the prediction of risk of mental health disorders and the treatment of mental health, AI is commonly used for: (1) AI therapy, (2) wearables that interpret bodily signals using sensors and providing assistance when needed, (3) diagnosing and predicting outcomes by analyzing patient data, (4) improving adherence to treatment by using AI to predict when a patient is likely to slip into noncompliance or issue reminders for medication or provider appointments, and (5) personalizing treatments and adjusting individual treatment plans. To support these advancements, the American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Board has incorporated billing codes applicable to the use of AI as well as AI taxonomy that provides guidance for classifying various AI-powered medical services applications. While AI has potential to improve behavioral health care, it also presents challenges as technology is advancing at a much faster pace than regulatory controls that ensure safety and efficacy. This article discusses various challenges with the use of AI in the behavioral health setting and regulatory developments that are attempting to provide safeguards in this dynamic space.
The Information Blocking Rules are complex, but many hospitals are just looking for a few, bottom-line answers about effective dates, potential penalties, and whether patients must really get access to all lab and imaging results immediately – even if a physician would rather explain potentially devastating results first.
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