Knowledge and attitudes on pharmacogenetics among pediatricians

Abstract

Increasing enthusiasm for clinical pharmacogenetic testing and the availability of pharmacogenetic-based guidelines indicate that pediatricians will increasingly be expected to interpret and apply pharmacogenetic test results into medical care. Previous studies have identified a lack of knowledge on pharmacogenetics across many physician specialties; however, this has not been systematically assessed among pediatricians. To evaluate pediatrician knowledge, attitude, and educational interest in pharmacogenetics, we surveyed physician cohorts from both the United States (U.S.) and Japan. A total of 282 pediatricians (210 from the U.S. and 72 from Japan) participated in an anonymous survey (online or hardcopy) on pharmacogenetics knowledge, perception, and education. Over 50% of all respondents had >10 years of clinical experience and >75% had some prior education in genetics. However, <10% felt they were familiar with pharmacogenetics, which was very consistent with <20% of the U.S. pediatricians correctly responding to a codeine/CYP2D6 pharmacogenetics knowledge question and <10% of U.S. pediatricians being aware of the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC). Despite being generally unfamiliar with pharmacogenetics, >80% of all respondents indicated that implementation of clinical pharmacogenetic testing will improve efficacy and safety, and that pediatricians should be capable of applying this testing to their practice. Moreover, the majority (83.1%) were interested in educational opportunities on pharmacogenetics, particularly on result interpretation and therapeutic recommendations. Taken together, these data indicate that although practical knowledge of pharmacogenetics among pediatricians in the U.S. and Japan is currently very low, their interest in clinical pharmacogenetics and related education is high, which will likely facilitate future implementation.

Assessing the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of primary care clinicians toward pharmacogenetics

“…This survey of primary care clinicians revealed the current attitudes and interest of this population towards PGx, experience with PGx testing, and likelihood of a clinician to consult a PGx‐trained pharmacist about test results in this setting. The knowledge and perception questions of the survey revealed that less than half of responding clinicians perceived PGx testing as important for predicting adverse effects or efficacy in their clinics, which is lower than reported in previous surveys 7,17,18 . A recent survey of clinicians in Europe reported 84% of respondents found PGx relevant to their practice; however, this was a population of clinicians whose clinic sites had previously been chosen to implement a PGx educational program 17 .…”

“…A recent survey of clinicians in Europe reported 84% of respondents found PGx relevant to their practice; however, this was a population of clinicians whose clinic sites had previously been chosen to implement a PGx educational program 17 . Similarly, a survey of Japanese and American pediatricians reported that greater than 80% of respondents found PGx valuable for improving the safety and efficacy of medications, though less than 10% of this population rated themselves as familiar with PGx 18 . More consistent with our survey results, in a cohort of Canadian family medicine physicians, 43% agreed that learning about implications of genetic testing was relevant to patient care in their clinics 14 …”

“…Pharmacists should focus on teaching clinicians how to utilize many of the free online PGx resources, such as the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines and the PharmGKB database, to improve physician confidence in interpretation 19,20 . A survey of pediatricians in the United States found that less than 10% had heard of CPIC 18 . Pharmacists could also educate other clinicians about more advanced PGx training opportunities, such as PGx certificates that are offered by multiple pharmacist organizations.…”

Retrospective Review of Pharmacogenetic Testing at an Academic Children’s Hospital

“…Findings from this survey endorsed the interest in education to equip pediatric clinicians with the skills to implement PGx. 11 However, the current guidelines for interpreting and implementing PGx are based largely on adult data, and it is unclear how well they apply to the care of children and adolescents. Thus, PGx testing in pediatrics is most often reactive, and it is not clear which pediatric patients may benefit most from reactive testing with regard to their current clinical care or pre-emptive testing to guide future drug therapy.…”

Rural Community Perceptions and Interests in Pharmacogenomics

“…These perceptions are evolving with the breakneck speed of information regarding pharmacogenomics. Studies about the perceptions and barriers five years ago are going to be significantly different than those surveyed in 2020 [ 14 , 15 ].…”