Pharmacogenomics uses information about a person's genetic makeup, or genome, to choose the drugs and drug doses that are likely to work best for that particular person. This field combines the science of how drugs work, called pharmacology, with the science of the human genome, called genomics.
"As the health care professional focused on medication use, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to be the leader on the health care team for pharmacogenomics," said Jean Jenkins, R.N., Ph.D., NHGRI clinical advisor, Genomic Healthcare Branch. "The new resources on G2C2 provides pharmacists one convenient place to access a variety of resources on the topic." To access this resource, go to genomicseducation.net.
Consistent with G2C2's approach, the resources for pharmacogenomics are organized by pharmacists for pharmacists. An editorial board of pharmacists with expertise in pharmacogenetics guided selection of the high quality online resources. To provide a comprehensive set of resources for pharmacists on pharmacogenetics, the editorial board selected resources around areas of core knowledge including:
- Basic genetic concepts
- Ethical, legal and social implications
- Genetics and disease
- Implementation of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics
"As we selected resources, we focused on including many existing resources on pharmacogenetics from NIH. For example, the website PharmGKB and guidelines from the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) are prominent on G2C2," said James M. Hoffman, Pharm.D., MS a G2C2 editorial board member and associate member in Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. "Besides being valuable to pharmacists, these resources can be used by any health care professional interested in learning more about pharmacogenomics."
The resources provide a broad range of educational materials on pharmacogenomics. For students or pharmacists new to the topic, basic materials that provide core knowledge are included. More advanced resources for pharmacists implementing specific drug/gene pairs, such as CPIC guidelines, are also available. The education resources are included in a variety of formats, including textbooks, journal articles and websites. Anyone creating educational materials about pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics are encouraged to share their work by submitting their resources for peer review at genomicseducation.net/submit.
Other pharmacist members on the G2C2 editorial board include Reginald F. Frye, Pharm.D., Ph.D., FCCP, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida, Gainesville; Grace M. Kuo, Pharm.D., MPH, Ph.D., FCCP, who is a professor of Clinical Pharmacy and adjunct professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and Mary W. Roederer, Pharm.D., BCPS, assistant professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
In addition to a section for pharmacists, G2C2 also provides online educational materials for genetic counselors, nurses and physician assistants.
