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Pharmacogenetics: Knowledge assessment amongst Syrian pharmacists and physicians
Lina Albitar1, Ghalia Abou Alchamat2
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Arab International University, Damascus, Syria.
BMC Health Services Research
|October 1, 2021
Summary
Syrian healthcare professionals, particularly physicians, show limited knowledge of pharmacogenetics, impacting its implementation. Educational initiatives are recommended to improve understanding and application of genetic variations in drug response.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacogenetics, a burgeoning scientific field, investigates genetic variations influencing individual drug responses.
- This discipline holds significant potential for optimizing therapeutic outcomes and minimizing adverse drug reactions.
Background:
- Pharmacogenetics is an emerging science with limited adoption in developing nations, including Syria.
- Assessing the current understanding and attitudes of healthcare professionals is crucial for its future integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the depth of pharmacogenetic knowledge among Syrian pharmacists and physicians.
- To assess the attitudes of these professionals towards the application of pharmacogenetics in clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- An online questionnaire comprising 26 questions was distributed via specialized websites and professional groups.
- The survey targeted a broad audience of pharmacists and physicians, remaining accessible for one month.
Main Results:
- A total of 154 respondents, predominantly female pharmacists, participated.
- Pharmacists demonstrated significantly higher pharmacogenetics knowledge than physicians (p=0.049).
- Overall knowledge assessment scores were low (mean 46% ± 13.9%), with a notable lack of awareness regarding genetic testing for drug prescription and genotype-specific drug responses.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap in pharmacogenetics knowledge exists among Syrian healthcare professionals, particularly physicians.
- This lack of awareness poses a barrier to the implementation of pharmacogenetics in Syria.
- Recommendations include enhancing education, providing targeted training, and initiating population-specific genotyping research.
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