A clinician's guide for counseling patients on results of a multigene pharmacogenomic panel

This article explores approaches to pharmacogenomic counseling for patients who have undergone multigene panel testing by describing the collective experience of 5 institutions.

Multigene panel pharmacogenomic testing has the potential to unlock a myriad of information about a patient's past, present, and future drug response. The multifaceted nature of drug response coupled with the complexity of genetic results necessitates some form of patient education through pharmacogenomic counseling. Published literature regarding disclosure of pharmacogenomic test results is limited. This article compares the counseling practices of pharmacists from 5 different institutions with pharmacogenomics clinics whose experience represents perspectives ranging from academia to community clinical environments. Overarching counseling themes discussed during result disclosure center around (1) pharmacogenomic results, (2) gene-drug interactions, (3) gene-drug-drug interactions, (4) drug changes (5) future, familial, or disease-risk implications, (6) updates in the interpretation and application of pharmacogenomic results, (7) gauging patient comprehension, and (8) sharing results and supplemental information.

Dedicating time to counseling patients on the results of a multigene pharmacogenomic panel is important given the lifelong applications of a test that is generally performed only once. The content and methods of disclosing test results shared by the experiences of pharmacists at 5 different institutions serve as guide to be further refined as research addresses effective communication strategies that enhance patient comprehension of pharmacogenomic results.