Pharmacogenomics education among professional societies: assessing practices and future needs

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Pharmacogenomics (PGx) integration into clinical practice is advancing.
• Healthcare professionals require adequate education to utilize PGx effectively.
• Professional societies play a key role in disseminating PGx education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the availability, perceived necessity, barriers, and preferred formats of pharmacogenomics (PGx) education provided by professional societies.
• To identify gaps in current PGx educational offerings for healthcare professionals.
• To inform the development of targeted educational initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was distributed to representatives of professional organizations affiliated with the Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics (ISCC-PEG).
• The survey targeted organizational representatives to reflect their institution's educational stance on pharmacogenomics.
• Data from 34 unique responses were analyzed to evaluate current educational practices and needs.

Main Results:

• Most organizations provide general (94.1%) and genomic (82.4%) education, with 70.6% offering PGx-specific education.
• A significant portion (61.8%) reported needing major additions or lacking PGx education resources.
• Key barriers included a lack of organizational PGx focus (78.1%) and curriculum maintenance challenges (75.0%).
• Preferred educational formats were live webinars (84.4%), hybrid courses (78.1%), and self-study modules (78.1%).

Conclusions:

• Gaps exist in pharmacogenomics (PGx) education provided by professional organizations, highlighting a need for enhanced resources.
• Many organizations require additional support to develop and maintain up-to-date PGx educational curricula.
• Targeted initiatives, potentially coordinated by groups like ISCC-PEG, are crucial for improving clinician competence and advancing PGx integration into clinical practice.