Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42200958›Full record

ReviewPharmacy (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Enhancing Self-Care Consultation Skills in Pharmacy Education: Benefits of Virtual Patients and Artificial Intelligence-A Scoping Review.

Radiana Staynova, Daniela Kafalova, Evelina Gavazova, Katerina Slavcheva, Nelina Neycheva, Adelina Boyanova, Desislava Andonova, Hristina Stoynova

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Radiana StaynovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-8466-3236
Daniela KafalovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0000-0002-4105-9485
Evelina GavazovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Katerina SlavchevaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0009-0001-4127-3385
Nelina NeychevaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0009-0000-7588-5673
Adelina BoyanovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.ORCID 0009-0002-1052-0408
Desislava AndonovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Hristina StoynovaDepartment of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Funding

European Union European Union-NextGenerationEU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, project № BG-RRP-2.004-0007-С03
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Virtual patients (VPs) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being implemented in pharmacy education across various countries in order to learn different techniques to improve communication skills, identify drug-related problems, assess the pharmacist's role in the self-medication process or assess students' knowledge acquisition. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of integrating VPs and AI in pharmacy education, particularly their impact on pharmacy students' knowledge and skills in self-medication counselling. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Studies focused on the integration of VPs and AI tools in pharmacy education and their impact on students' knowledge, counselling and communication skills related to self-medication, were evaluated. Eligible studies were full-text, peer-reviewed research articles published in English. No restrictions were applied regarding publication year. A total of 857 articles were identified through electronic databases and 9 met the inclusion criteria. Six studies were conducted in the USA and one each in Portugal, Sweden and Indonesia. Most studies employed a pre-post-study design. Six studies utilized VP simulations, while the remaining three implemented AI-based tools. Key outcomes covered in analyzed articles included improvements in knowledge score, communication, and consultation skills, along with positive perceptions, including increased student satisfaction and confidence levels. Using VP simulations and AI tools in pharmacy education could positively impact students by enhancing their knowledge as well as their confidence and counselling skills.

Indexed as

artificial intelligencecommunicationcomputer-based simulationlarge language modelspharmacy educationself-careself-medicationvirtual patients

Identifiers

PMID42200958
PMCPMC13214858

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.