PharmExSys: A Rule-Based Expert System for Recommending Pharmaceutical Drugs and an Educational Resource Tool for Pharmacology

Abstract

Pharmacy Expert System (PharmExSys) is a system developed to aid in recommending pharmaceutical drugs and also to function as an educational resource tool in studying pharmacology courses. Applications and expert systems such as PharmExSys are dedicated to perform tasks at a human expert level. The system was created to augment the present laborious and repetitive method of addressing specific pharmaceutical needs of consumers when seeking assistance from pharmacy aides and technicians. Additionally, it was designed to provide a supplemental source of learning pharmacology which is a very information-intensive course in the pharmacy practice. PharmExSys was developed as a rule-based, interactive and user-friendly web-based portal. It provides the users (pharmacy aide/technicians, pharmacy students and consumers) the appropriate drug recommendation to address some of the most common health concern by answering an algorithmic series of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions called rules(from MIMS Pharmacy Guide) and evaluate a user’s responses called inputs with the knowledge base of the system. The system will also serve as a tool that would aid in educating pharmacy students and trainees in relation to field of pharmacology.