The Role of Digital Transformation in Enhancing the Efficiency of Pharmaceutical Services in Saudi Hospitals

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a central driver of efficiency, safety, and quality improvement in hospital pharmacy practice worldwide, and Saudi Arabia's healthcare sector is undergoing a particularly rapid phase of this transition under the Vision 2030 national agenda. This paper examines how digital technologies — including electronic prescribing, automated dispensing systems, robotic pharmacy solutions, clinical decision support, and integrated national data platforms — are reshaping the efficiency and safety of pharmaceutical services within Saudi hospitals. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model, Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory, and Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model, the paper develops an original conceptual framework, DRIVE (Digitization, Robotics and automation, Interoperability, Vigilance through decision support, and Efficiency analytics), to organize the distinct mechanisms through which digital transformation enhances hospital pharmacy performance. The discussion is grounded in the Saudi regulatory and institutional context, referencing the Ministry of Health's digital health strategy, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS), and national platforms including Nphies and Mumaris+. The paper concludes by identifying persistent barriers to full digital adoption — infrastructure gaps, workforce readiness, and interoperability limitations — and offering recommendations for accelerating the digital maturity of hospital pharmacy services in line with national transformation goals.