Pharmacy students’ attitudes and intentions of pursuing postgraduate studies and training in pharmacogenomics and personalised medicine

Abstract

Abstract Background Pharmacists’ contribution to pharmacogenomics (PGx) implementation in clinical practice is vital, but a great proportion of them are not aware of PGx and its applications. This highlights the university education’s crucial role to prepare pharmacists to face future challenges in such a constantly evolving and demanding environment. Objectives Our study aims to examine pharmacy students’ training satisfaction, knowledge, self-confidence and attitudes towards PGx on their intentions for postgraduate training in PGx and personalised medicine (PM). Methods An initial model on students’ intention to pursue postgraduate training in PGx and PM and its predicting factors, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), was proposed. Based on it, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 346 pharmacy students of all study years, capturing the selected factors influencing students’ intentions to postgraduate training in PGx and PM, as well as their demographics. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was employed to determine the effects of both the examined factors and demographics on students’ intentions. Results Students did not consider themselves adequately prepared for using PGx in clinical practice. Their attitudes towards PGx implementation were the most important factor influencing their intentions to pursue postgraduate training in PGx and PM. Other factors such as self-confidence and training satisfaction also affected students’ intentions, but to a lower extent. Students of the last two study years (40% of the whole sample) and male (36%) students stated to be less willing to pursue PGx-related studies in the future. Only 10% of the participants claimed to have undergone a recent PGx or genetic test, but this did not affect their intentions. Conclusion There is an important gap in pharmacy school curriculum regarding PGx and PM training which coupled with the slow rate of PGx and PM implementation into clinical practice seems to restrain students’ aspiration to further expand their knowledge and horizons in terms of PGx and PM.