France’s first pharmacy to use artificial intelligence is in Nice
Staff at the Madeleine pharmacy wear headsets with on-board AI © Benjamin Godart - Monaco Tribune
The Pharmacie de la Madeleine in Nice is becoming a testbed for innovation, equipping its dispensing staff with AI-enhanced intelligent headsets.
Wearing her micro-headset, Géraldine moves from patient to patient in the Madeleine pharmacy in Nice. The change is almost imperceptible to the untrained eye, but for the staff it’s a veritable revolution. The pharmacist and her staff have been using the artificial intelligence devices for the past few weeks.
“They are the first to use the Wildix x-hoppers solution, and we are pioneers in France with this rollout,” enthuses David Cano, Director of Etelys, an integrator for Wildix solutions, an Italian company specialising in unified communication.
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Pharmacies, victims of robberies
Driving the need for this innovation is a recurring problem: thefts, which hit pharmacies particularly hard during the busy summer periods.
“First of all, it’s a substantial loss for us, because the products we sell are expensive. But above all, it means we have to be constantly on the lookout. It’s exhausting. Some thieves are highly organised and move from one pharmacy to another, sometimes even operating as a group. We have a WhatsApp group to warn other pharmacies when we spot looters, but that’s not enough,” claims Géraldine Demarche.
Wildix x-hoppers include AI that is capable of detecting suspicious behaviour in real time. Connected to the video surveillance system, the devices constantly analyse movements in the pharmacy.
“As soon as it identifies a suspicious movement, the system automatically sends an audio alert directly to the dispensing staff’s headsets. A notification containing the video of the theft is also sent to smartphones. The data and videos are recorded locally and comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),” says David Cano.
Game-changing technology
Gilles Guiral, a spokesman for Wildix who came to give a demonstration, says choosing the equipment is about ensuring good working conditions: “Shoplifting in France, across all categories, represents 7.5 billion euros in lost turnover. 15% of that amount are pharmaceutical and para-pharmaceutical products. Thefts increased by 14% between 2023 and 2024. There is an urgent need to help professionals wo are under pressure, as they have to monitor the risk of petty theft while serving patients, managing inventory and fielding telephone calls.”
This technology allows an immediate and discreet response, without alarming customers or resorting to mic announcements to the whole premises.
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A versatile tool for everyday use
As well as improving security, the technology also streamlines internal communication. The dispensing staff can now coordinate activities, flag up a need to restock or request technical assistance without leaving their workstations. The system also makes it possible to automatically transcribe conversations, making it easier to monitor activity. “Only a few people in key positions have them, for quick sales, in the stock area and for preparing prescriptions,” explains Kristina Nicloux, the establishment’s other pharmacist.
The x-hoppers technology does more, providing QR codes that customers can scan to ask a pharmacist for help with a specific product. These interactions are automatically recorded, creating a valuable database of customer needs and purchasing behaviours.
Artificial intelligence’s potential in healthcare
For pharmacies, there are multiple potential uses for AI: optimised inventory management, improved identification of drug interactions, personalised treatments and prescription fraud detection. “AI complements our profession, enabling us to focus on advising and supporting patients,” says Kristina Nicloux.
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The Pharmacie de la Madeleine is a pioneer thanks to this experiment, which could well set a precedent. Once the initial reluctance to use AI had been overcome, “take-up came naturally and quickly”, says Géraldine Demarche.
A minor revolution that could quickly spread to other pharmacies on the Côte d’Azur and generalise the use of AI to facilitate care pathways in healthcare establishments. This is also the technological gamble that Monaco is taking for the inauguration of the new CHPG.