Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
09:30
Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy on a Semiconductor Based Next-Generation Sequencing Platform
Published on: August 17, 2022
Development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed clinical pharmacogenetics service
Kristine R Crews1, Shane J Cross, John N McCormick
1Pharmaceutical Department, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Summary
Pharmacists successfully developed and implemented a clinical pharmacogenetics service, enhancing patient care through genetic testing and personalized medication recommendations. This initiative demonstrates pharmacy
Area of Science:
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Pharmacogenetics
- Genomics in Medicine
Background:
- Pharmacogenetics integrates genetic information to optimize drug therapy.
- Implementing pharmacogenetics services requires specialized knowledge and infrastructure.
- Pharmacist involvement is crucial for translating pharmacogenetic research into clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed clinical pharmacogenetics service.
- To establish pharmacist competency in clinical pharmacogenetic testing and interpretation.
- To integrate pharmacogenetics into patient care at an academic specialty hospital.
Main Methods:
- Modeled the service after an existing clinical pharmacokinetics service.
- Conducted accredited educational seminars for pharmacists to build pharmacogenetic expertise.
- Established a steering committee for test evaluation and quality metrics.
- Pharmacists reviewed test results and provided consultation with therapy recommendations.
Main Results:
- Successfully implemented a pharmacist-managed clinical pharmacogenetics service.
- Conducted 136 clinical pharmacogenetic tests in 2009.
- Received positive feedback from clinicians regarding the service.
- Demonstrated acceptance of pharmacist-led pharmacogenetic recommendations by prescribers.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacist-managed clinical pharmacogenetics services can be successfully implemented.
- Collaboration between clinical laboratories and pharmacists is key to program success.
- Pharmacists play a vital leadership role in advancing pharmacogenetics in patient care.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics: Overview
Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics examine how genetic factors influence an individual's response to drugs. While pharmacogenetics focuses on the impact of specific genetic variants on drug effects, pharmacogenomics takes a broader approach, studying how genetic variation across populations contributes to differences in drug responses. These fields aim to explain why individuals may experience varying levels of efficacy or adverse reactions to the same medication.Variability in drug...
01:29Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets
Advances in genomics have profoundly influenced drug discovery by increasing both the speed and accuracy of pharmaceutical development. Pharmacogenomics, which examines how genetic variation influences drug response, facilitates the identification of novel therapeutic targets and enables patient stratification for personalized treatment. These strategies contribute to improved drug efficacy, minimized adverse effects, and more efficient clinical trial design.Mapping genetic differences...
01:29Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
01:27Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview
Genetic polymorphism in drug metabolism is crucial to the inter-individual variability observed in drug responses. Drug metabolism primarily involves the chemical modification of drugs and other xenobiotics to enhance their elimination by increasing their polarity. Two main classes of enzymes mediate this biotransformation process: Phase I enzymes, primarily cytochrome P450s, catalyze oxidation and reduction reactions, while other enzymes, such as esterases, mediate hydrolysis, and Phase II...
01:27Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants
The human genome is over 99.9% identical between individuals, yet genetic differences exist at millions of bases. The human genome contains approximately 3 million variant positions per individual, many of which are heterozygous, contributing to genetic diversity and individual traits. Genetic variations include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs).SNPs, the most common variation, involve single-base changes in DNA. These can be...
01:28Pharmacogenetics of Phase I Enzymes: Cytochrome P450 Isozymes
Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes are a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases that play a pivotal role in Phase I drug metabolism by catalyzing oxidation and reduction reactions.These enzymes transform lipophilic xenobiotics into more hydrophilic metabolites, facilitating subsequent Phase II conjugation and eventual excretion. The CYP450 family is classified into families (e.g., CYP1–CYP3) and subfamilies (e.g., CYP2A, CYP2C), based on amino acid sequence homology.CYP450 isoenzymes,...