Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining increasing prominence in the field of education, yet comprehensive investigations into its underlying patterns, research limitations, and potential applications remain scarce. ChatGPT, an AI-powered platform developed by the AI research and deployment company OpenAI, allows users to input text instructions and receive prompt textual responses based on its machine learning-driven interactions with online information sources. This study aims to assess the efficacy of ChatGPT in addressing student-centered medical inquiries pertaining to pharmacology, thereby examining its relevance as a self-study resource to enhance the learning experiences of students. Specifically, the study encompasses various domains of pharmacology, such as pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, clinical uses, adverse effects, contraindications, and drug-drug interactions. The findings demonstrate that ChatGPT provides pertinent and accurate answers to these questions.
TopMethodology
ChatGPT were tested from selected question prepared from pharmacology (Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series), fifth edition in Unit VII (chemotherapeutic drug) (Harvey et al., 2011). The unit was selected randomly and the questions were prepared in different domain of drug’s pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, clinical uses, adverse effect, contraindications and drug-drug interactions. Some of the questions were ask from already available text book to test the response of ChatGPT. List of questions prepared to test ChatGPT were given in table 1.
Table 1. List of questions prepared to test ChatGPT
| Domain | Drug Selected/Drug Class | Questions Prepared |
| 1. Pharmacokinetics | Telavancin
Erythromycin | 1.1. What is the half-life of telavancin?
1.2. What is the half-life of erythromycin? |
| 2. Mechanism of Action | Penicillins
Vancomycin
Macrolides | 2.1. How do Penicillins interfere with bacterial cell wall synthesis?
2.2. How does vancomycin prevent the transglycosylation step in peptidoglycan polymerization?
2.3. Do macrolides act as bactericidal action?
2.4. What is the mode of action of acyclovir? |
| 3. Clinical uses | Cefepime
Cefotaxime
Clindamycin | 3.1. Cefepime is active against which microorganism?
3.2. An elderly diabetic patient is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The sputum culture stains for a gram-negative rod. The patient is started on IV ampicillin. Two days later, the patient is not improving, and the microbiology laboratory reports the organism to be a β-lactamase-producing H. influenza. What course of treatment?
3.3. A patient with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, which has resulted in the spillage of intestinal contents, is brought to the emergency room. Which antibiotic would effectively treat infection due to Bacteroides fragilis? |
| 4. Adverse drug effects | Telavancin
Tetracycline
Minocycline
Gentamicin | 4.1. What are the adverse effects of telavancin?
4.2. What are the effects of tetracycline on calcified tissues?
4.3. Minocycline produces which kind of adverse effect on the vestibular system?
4.4. What are the adverse effects of aminoglycosides?
4.5. A pregnant woman was hospitalized and catheterized with a Foley catheter. She developed a urinary tract infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and was treated with gentamicin. Which adverse effects were a risk to the fetus when the woman was on gentamicin?
4.6. Tinnitus, dizziness, blurred vision, and headache indicate toxicity to which antimalarial drugs? |
| 5. Contraindications | Tetracycline | 5.1. Tetracyclines are contraindicated under which conditions? |
| 6.Drug-drug interactions | Chloramphenicol
Isoniazid
Rifampin
Ketoconazole
Interferon | 6.1. Does Chloramphenicol blocks the metabolism of other drugs?
6.2. Isoniazid produces drug interactions with which drugs?
6.3. What is the action of rifampin with cytochrome P450 enzymes?
6.4. Ketoconazole can potentiate the toxicities of which drugs?
6.5. Interferon may potentiate the myelosuppression with which drug? |