Clinician Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Regarding Pharmacogenomics
Keywords:
Pharmacogenomics; prescribing confidence; clinician knowledge; implementation barriers; precision medicine.Abstract
Background: Pharmacogenomics has the potential to optimize prescribing by individualizing drug selection and dosing; however, its integration into routine clinical practice remains limited due to clinician- and system-level barriers. Objective: To assess clinician knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding pharmacogenomics, with a focus on prescribing confidence, perceived utility, implementation barriers, and training needs. Methods: A cross-sectional observational survey was conducted among prescribing healthcare professionals across multiple clinical settings in Karachi. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing pharmacogenomics knowledge, perceived utility, prescribing confidence, barriers to implementation, and training exposure. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with high prescribing confidence. Results: Although most clinicians perceived pharmacogenomics as clinically valuable, fewer than one-third reported high prescribing confidence. Knowledge level, prior pharmacogenomics training, access to pharmacist consultation, and decision-support resources were independently associated with greater confidence. Cost and turnaround time were commonly reported barriers but were not independently associated with prescribing confidence. Conclusion: Bridging the gap between pharmacogenomics awareness and confident prescribing requires targeted education, interdisciplinary support, and clinical decision-support integration rather than reliance on cost or infrastructure improvements alone.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Amna Iram, Masood Akhtar (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright is retained by the Author(s). Published in JPMHR under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Unrestricted reuse is permitted with proper attribution to the author(s) and source.
