Should Pharmacists Play a Role in Pharmacogenetics?

Pharmacogenetics may not be fully ready for the marketplace, but a solution may be close for at least 200 drugs that can be individually dosed based on the patient’s genetic profile.

The pharmacist may end up playing a critical role in bringing pharmacogenetics to the drug therapy arena. After all, pharmacists are scientists who know a lot about genetics.

The community pharmacy as the neighborhood health center is a convenient place for patients to undergo genetic testing. The pharmacist can then work with the prescriber to interpret the patient’s genetic profile and develop an appropriate dosing schedule or help select the right drug.

Are you preparing yourself for a future role in pharmacogenetics, or do you believe that pharmacists are not the appropriate health care professionals to undertake this responsibility?

Let me know what you think via e-mail at Fred@ncpharmacists.org.