(181) Pharmacogenomics Education Strategies in the United States Pharmacy School Curricula

Objective : To evaluate and compare reported teaching strategies for pharmacogenomics to pharmacy students in the United States and propose an effective curriculum design.

Methods: We searched PubMed in June 2022 for publications related to pharmacogenomics education to pharmacy students in the United States over the past 10 years (2012-2022) and identified 30 publications. We then evaluated similar articles, references, and articles that cited these publications, and identified 15 additional publications. All 45 publications were evaluated and summarized.

Results: Major teaching strategies include didactic lectures (9 publications), personal genotyping (10 publications), simulation laboratory activities (2 publications), interprofessional education (5 publications), practice-based activities (4 publications), combinational design (5 publications), and longitudinal design (4 publications). Didactic teaching is effective to deliver foundational knowledge, but it does not support long-term retention of knowledge and lacks practice application. Personal genotyping prepares students for future practice but can be expensive. Simulation laboratory activity provides long-term retention of knowledge and prepares students for future practice but could be costly if standardized patients are involved. Interprofessional education also prepares students for future practice but can be logistically difficult to organize. Practice-based activities prepare students for future practice but require evidence-based clinical resources that are relatively scarce. Combinational design overall provides positive teaching outcomes and longitudinal design is necessary to sustain students’ interest and knowledge.

Conclusions: Based upon each teaching strategy’s strengths and weaknesses, authors propose a longitudinal curriculum design, in which pharmacogenomics is offered to P1/P2 students using didactic teaching, to P3 students using simulation activities, and to P4 students through experiential experiences. A longitudinal curriculum design equips students to lead clinical pharmacogenomics in practice.