Toward Interprofessional Education of Pharmacogenomics: An Interdisciplinary Assessment

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Pharmacogenomics, which emerged from disciplines such as pharmacology and genetics, is an increasingly important interdisciplinary field of health research, as indicated by the rapid growth of related literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge among genetics and pharmacology health-care students and to evaluate their exposure to and perceptions of pharmacogenomics. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> An anonymous, 28-item online survey was distributed to medical and pharmacy students enrolled at Yarmouk University, Jordan. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The respondents (<i>n</i> = 300) had an overall moderate level of knowledge regarding genetics and pharmacology. Most respondents recognized the benefits of pharmacogenomics for therapy optimization, but they had insufficient exposure to the topic. Most respondents supported providing pharmacogenetic testing in Jordan. The most preferred educational format in pharmacogenomics was integration in pharmacology courses. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Medical and pharmacy students are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of pharmacogenomics in therapy optimization. Challenges such as the complexity of the topic and low retention of previous knowledge should be addressed to promote pharmacogenomics education. More work is needed to increase students’ exposure to pharmacogenomics information. A deeper integration of pharmacogenomics applications into pharmacology courses is proposed to emphasize applications of pharmacogenomics.