Assessing Learners’ Attitudes Towards Pharmacogenomics Using Their Own Pharmacogenomics Testing Results

Pharmacogenomics within personalized medicine is becoming a key tool to elucidate inter-individual variation in therapeutic drug regimen management and its clinical implementation will soon be an integral part of pharmacy and clinical practice. However, many challenges remain in order to educate future healthcare providers including pharmacists on pharmacogenomics. This study proposes an innovative active learning activity using several interactive processes to increase learners’ competencies in pharmacogenomics for future practice. Student pharmacists at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) participated in a combination of standard lectures, active engagement, patient care laboratory training along with a voluntary personal pharmacogenomics testing. They were surveyed before and after these activities about their attitudes towards utilization of pharmacogenomics in current and future practice. Students learning outcomes, competencies and attitude towards pharmacogenomics have shifted in a very positive manner from a relatively neutral perception to more confidence. Overall, this study has clearly demonstrated that this innovative teaching structure was beneficial to student pharmacists and has improved their knowledge, interest, confidence and comfort in learning and utilizing pharmacogenomics in their education and future pharmacy practice.