Exploring the Attitudes, Beliefs and Perceptions of Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Bangladesh towards Precision Medicine and Pharmacogenomics Practice: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the perception of precision medicine (PM) and pharmacogenomics (PGx) among undergraduate and graduate students in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students from different universities across the country. The results of the survey showed that the majority of students had a positive attitude towards precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, perceiving it as a means to improve diagnosis and treatment accuracy. Furthermore, the majority of students also expressed a willingness to learn more about precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, suggesting that there is potential for these practices to be utilized in Bangladesh. Particularly in this study, 337 students from life science and relevant programs participated. The results of our study showed that 84% of graduate students and 74% of undergraduate students thought PM was a promising healthcare model. In addition, 39% of students are highly encouraged to pursue their post-graduation in the subject areas of PGx and PM in order to support patients. The majority (62%) thought that patient privacy was the ethical concern most closely related to pharmacogenomic testing, while 19% of respondents thought that data confidentiality was the key issue. The findings of this study provide insight into the potential of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics in Bangladesh and suggest that further research into the attitudes of healthcare professionals should be conducted in order to take full advantage of the potential of these practices.