(107) Pharmacogenomics Education in U.S. Doctor of Pharmacy Programs: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Objective : Pharmacogenomic testing and integration into clinical practice is increasing and may become a standard part of future practice. The objective of this study is to describe the extent to which pharmacogenomics content is integrated into Pharm.D. curricula in the United States (U.S.).

Methods: Cross-sectional online survey study of accredited Pharm.D. programs in the U.S. (n=142) conducted from March 2022-June 2022. The survey was developed using a set of 30 pharmacogenomics competencies mapped to foundational genetics concepts or an Entrustable Professional Activity domain. Respondents were asked to indicate if the competencies were addressed in their curriculum. Additional survey items asked about timing and types of courses that integrated pharmacogenomics content. A customized e-mail was sent to either faculty with pharmacogenomics expertise or the program Dean describing the study and inviting them to participate through an embedded Qualtrics link. Survey data was exported to IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively and reported as frequency counts and percents.

Results: A total of 44 programs completed the survey (31.0% response rate), with varying response rates for individual items. Of the 30 pharmacogenomics competencies, only four were addressed by over 90% of respondents. Content was primarily provided in the P2 (n=31, 73.8%) or P3 (n=31, 73.8%) years, followed by P1 (n=24, 57.1%) and P4 (n=10, 23.8%) years. Content was integrated most often into a required course (n=33, 78.6%), followed by standalone elective course (n=18, 42.9%), standalone required course (n=16, 38.1%), specialized elective APPE (n=9, 21.4%), and as part of an elective course (n=8, 19.0%).

Conclusions: Pharmacogenomics content provided is inconsistent across programs. Results indicate room for growth and a need to examine optimal ways to provide this education.