Prescriber Attitudes Toward Implementation of Pharmacogenomic Testing in a Family Medicine Residency Program

Abstract

Introduction: Few qualitative studies have explored the attitude of prescribers towards the implementation of pharmacogenomic testing in the family medicine (FM) setting, and none among FM residents. The purpose of this study was to describe the level of engagement and interest in the implementation of pharmacogenomic education and testing in an FM clinic within a residency program. Methods: A qualitative study utilizing semistructured interviews was conducted among prescribers within the FM clinic at The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC). Voluntary prescribers included FM residents and attendings. No prescribers were excluded. Prior to the interview, informational sheets about pharmacogenomics were provided to standardize participant knowledge base. The research team created an interview guide of specific open-ended questions. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed until a point of saturation was achieved. Transcripts of interviews served as data for analysis. Coding and analysis were performed to develop a hypothesis. No formal statistical analysis was required. Results: Of the total 28 providers eligible for participation, 15 were recruited and interviewed (53% response rate). Based on analysis of interview data, four key conceptual concerns emerged regarding benefits and risks of testing, feasibility, accessibility, and modification of FM residency training curricula. Conclusion: Positive attitudes and perceptions provide support for pharmacogenomic education and testing to be incorporated into FM residency curricula. Addressing practical barriers, such as curricular education and training, will allow for expansion of such initiatives in the future.

Knowledge, Attitude, Future Expectations, and Perceived Barriers of Medical Students and Physicians Regarding Pharmacogenomics in Jordan

“…The current study had the advent of gauging the perceived barriers to practice of PG testing in Jordan by clinicians and medical students. According to our survey, the major concern of clinicians was the expensive cost of PG tests coupled with a lack of insurance coverage, in agreement with several other studies published elsewhere 29,40 . Additionally, lack of approved clinical guidelines and the limited provider knowledge and awareness about PG were high among our respondents.…”

“…Several studies worldwide highlighted the overall positive attitude of healthcare professionals toward PG and its importance in improving the quality of health services they provided. These include studies from the USA 40 , Canada 41 , Kuwait 34 , Qatar 29 , India 37 , and Jordan 39 . Our results here reinforce such observations.…”

Precision medicine in pharmacy: assessing pharmacogenomics competence among pharmacists and pharmacy students

“…One such study claims that 92.7% of pharmacy students are eager to learn more about pharmacogenomics (Jarrar et al, 2019 ). Several studies from the US (Gallipani et al, 2018 ; Unertl et al, 2015 ), Canada (Bonter et al, 2011 ), Zimbabwe (Muzoriana et al, 2017 ), and China (Jia et al, 2022 ), also align with the findings of our research.…”

Knowledge, attitude, future expectations and perceived barriers of medical students and physicians regarding pharmacogenomics in Jordan

“…According to our survey, the major concern of clinicians was the expensive cost of PG tests coupled with a lack of insurance coverage, in agreement with several other studies published elsewhere. 29,40 Additionally, lack of approved clinical guidelines and the limited provider knowledge and awareness about PG were high among our respondents. Importantly, this finding emphasises our belief that our clinicians still struggle to interpret PG test results and would find it difficult counselling the patients about their consequences.…”