Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pharmacogenomics Among Senior Pharmacy Students: A Cross Sectional Study from Punjab, Pakistan

Background: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is essential for optimizing drug therapy and reducing unwanted drug side effects. Our aim was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of senior pharmacy students in Punjab, Pakistan towards PGx. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 511 undergraduate pharmacy students from different universities in Punjab, Pakistan. A validated and pilot-tested structured questionnaire was administered to respondents to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding PGx. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression model were used to describe the results of the study. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 511 students (58.9% females and 41.1% males) responded to the survey. Most (87.7%) of the students knew that the drug response could be affected by genetic variations. Mean knowledge score of the students was 12.6. Good basic knowledge positively and significantly (p=0.01) affected students' PGx test knowledge and attitudes. Most (>70%) of students believed that human genetics affected the drug response due to interindividual variation and ethnic variation. Mean attitude score of the students was 5.23. The majority of students (>92%) wanted to learn more about PGx and thought it could help them choose the right drug. Students' knowledge was positively and significantly (p=0.01) affected by a good attitude. Mean practice score of the students was 11.95. When trying to solve a drug-related case study question, about 31.5% of students implemented the idea of human genetic variation. Only 28.8% of students attended a lecture related to the effects of genetic variations on drug therapy. Good practice positively and significantly (p=0.01) affected students' knowledge of PGx tests. Conclusion: The senior pharmacy students had good knowledge and attitudes towards PGx. However, the practice of PGx needs to be improved to facilitate the application of PGx in clinical practice in Pakistan.