New AI-based drug recognition system could help hospitals

The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Pécs has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug recognition system that could greatly improve the safety and efficiency of drug administration in hospitals.

The project, led by Dr Ashraf Amir Reza, assistant professor at the UP Faculty of Pharmacy, won the UP Research Innovation Award for "Artificial Intelligence-based drug recognition model and mobile application for safe administration of medicines", aims to support hospital staff by minimising potential errors in dispensing medicines.

The system is currently capable of recognising 30 oral medications, but the developers aim to increase this number to 80 so that it can be used in smaller hospitals.

The AI-based application has already been proven in a clinical setting and has attracted international interest, being nominated for an award by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists, among others. The project has won a HUF 10 million grant from the Dr. Jakab Ferenc Proof of Concept (PoC) competition, which will be used to develop the hardware prototype and to train the algorithm.

The researchers will also develop a 3D-printed prototype with an integrated camera system to enable more accurate drug identification. The next step of the project is to engage industry and professional partners, and the developers hope that the system will soon be widely available and provide a valuable tool for hospital staff in their daily work.