AI in GP practices and pharmacies: who is accountable?

Last verified 6 November 2026. AI memory features change quickly; dated claims were checked on this date.

When AI is used in a GP practice or a pharmacy, the professional stays accountable, not the software. That is the clear message from UK regulators and professional bodies.

How GPs are using AI in practice today

About one in ten GPs say they use AI tools they found themselves, according to Nuffield Trust and RCGP research published on 3 December 2025, which surveyed 2,108 GPs. The same research found 84% of those GPs worried about the lack of regulatory oversight.

What the GPhC says about AI in pharmacy

The General Pharmaceutical Council’s position statement, published in April 2026, says pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are personally accountable for their professional practice, even when AI is being used. They must still meet confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Pharmacy owners and superintendents need clear governance for AI tools, including risk assessments and data security, and must be able to show it at inspection.

Three questions to ask before using AI in a GP practice or pharmacy

1. What did the tool see? Which information went in, and from whom.
2. What did it keep? Whether anything is stored, where and for how long.
3. Who can read it? Inside your team and at the supplier.

Where AI can help GP practices and pharmacies safely

The lower-risk uses sit around the clinic, not in it: practice admin, policies, rotas, CPD notes, supplier and contract records. AI Twin is for that kind of working knowledge. It helps you prepare, not prescribe. Patient records and clinical decisions belong in your clinical systems.

See how AI Twin works for GPs, and the plain guide to AI memory for what general assistants keep.

Questions people ask

Sources

• Nuffield Trust and RCGP, How are GPs using AI? Insights from the front line (December 2025)
• GPhC, Position statement on the use of artificial intelligence in pharmacy (April 2026)