Medical education in pharmacogenomics—results from a survey on pharmacogenetic knowledge in healthcare professionals within the European pharmacogenomics clinical implementation project Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics (U-PGx)

Abstract

PurposeDue to the diversity within Europe, the implementation of pharmacogenomic testing in clinical practice faces specific challenges. In the context of the European pharmacogenomics implementation project “Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics” (U-PGx; funded by the European Commission), we studied the current educational background.MethodsWe developed a questionnaire including 29 questions. It was spread out to healthcare professionals working at the future implementation sites (in Austria, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Great Britain) of the U-PGx project in preparation of an educational programme. Aim of the survey was to analyse the current educational situation at the implementation sites.ResultsIn total, 70 healthcare professionals participated in the survey. Of participants, 84.3% found pharmacogenomics relevant to their current practice, but experience was still rare. More than two-thirds (65.7%) did not order nor recommend a pharmacogenomic test in the past year. This was mainly attributed to not having enough knowledge on pharmacogenomics (40.0%). Needs were identified in application of pharmacogenomics (identifying drugs 41.4%, interpreting test results 37.2%) as well as in underlining mechanisms (better knowledge on drug metabolism 67.1%, better knowledge on basic principles of pharmacogenomics 60.0%).ConclusionsThis study analysed the specific attitudes, experience and education on pharmacogenomics of future users. There was a general positive attitude and interest towards pharmacogenomic testing. However, the grade of own experience, and knowledge about application and interpretation of pharmacogenomics caused uncertainty. Thus, education and training programmes may be helpful for implementation of pharmacogenomics at a homogenous level within Europe.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00228-017-2292-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Implementation and obstacles of pharmacogenetics in clinical practice: An international survey

“…All respondents hold a positive attitude when it comes to clinical implementation of PGx, which is in accordance with the findings in other studies such as from the USA, EU and Kuwait …”

“…For example in the USA, although the majority of the physicians who responded were aware of the value of PGx, those who have never ordered the test were not planning on doing so in the coming 6 months, mainly due to the lack of information they had about testing and about the genomic markers . More recently in Europe, Just et al . tested the knowledge of physicians and pharmacists concerning their own experience, knowledge about application, and interpretation of PGx testing.…”

“…Most participants were familiar with classical genetics, pharmacology and drug metabolism, and the role of drug metabolizer phenotypes. However, less so in applying PGx tests, interpreting test results, and using them in therapeutic recommendations . Also, a study in Kuwait showed that “less than one‐fifth of [physicians and pharmacists] recognized that genetic determinants of drug responses do not change over a person's lifetime.”…”

“…Despite these efforts, PGx clinical implementation may still be facing different challenges in different parts of the world . In addition, the majority of the documented efforts are concentrated in the USA and Europe, while not much information is available from other parts of the world, with few exceptions .…”

Educating the Next Generation of Pharmacogenomics Experts: Global Educational Needs and Concepts

“…Within the European Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics (U‐PGx) project, we performed a survey asking about general PGx knowledge in clinical practice . This survey was filled out by healthcare professionals and aimed to assess knowledge gaps and training needs that could be addressed by an educational program . The survey revealed that there is a general interest in PGx application.…”