Many factors can influence how patients respond to a given medication, including age, lifestyle, and genetic makeup. Oftentimes, patients may suffer for months and years before an effective treatment plan is realized. Pharmacogenomics can guide treatment so therapy can be personalized to improve patient care more quickly and effectively. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to collaborate with their patients and other members of the healthcare team to incorporate pharmacogenomics into practice and support improved outcomes for their patients.

This 8-hour CE course will provide pharmacists with the foundational knowledge and skills they need to integrate pharmacogenomics into their practice to deliver optimal care.

The course includes 10 activities:
1. Applying Pharmacogenomics to Patient Care – Our Current State
2. Genetics 101
3. Regulatory Review
4. Gene Information
5. Application to Practice
6. From Phenotype to Drug Selection
7. Case-based Application
8. The Pharmacogenomic Report
9. Explaining Pharmacogenomic Results to Healthcare Providers
10. Explaining Pharmacogenomic Results to Patients

Upon successful completion of this knowledge-based CPE course, pharmacists should be able to:
1. Describe the pharmacists’ role in pharmacogenomics
2. Discuss the state of pharmacogenetic implementations across the industry
3. Recognize basic mechanisms of the expression of genetic information as traits
4. Describe the major types of genetic variation (poor, normal, or ultrarapid metabolizer)
5. Compare and contrast different types of genetic tests and application
6. Provide specific examples that establish the relationship between altered drug disposition and polymorphic cytochrome P450 enzymes
7. Describe how polymorphic genetic variation can be utilized to predict an individual’s response to drug therapy
8. Detail ethical, legal, and regulatory concerns surrounding pharmacogenetic testing
9. Review regulatory activity, especially FDA guidance and rulemaking impacting pharmacogenomics
10. Describe the potential limitations of pharmacogenomic testing
11. Discuss legal considerations of PGx and broader genetic testing (GINA, consent, HIPAA, etc.)
12. Describe the role of various pharmacogenetic resources available to support clinical application
13. Discuss strategies to identify whether a drug-gene pair is ready for clinical use
14. Recognize the value that pharmacogenetics can bring to patient care
15. Develop a pharmacotherapy regimen based on patient characteristics
16. Apply guidelines and other evidence to patient cases across multiple medical specialties and subspecialties (e.g., behavioral health, cardiology, oncology, pain management)
17. Identify variations in genetic response among racial or ethnic groups
18. Apply guidelines and other evidence to patient cases across multiple medical specialties and 30 subspecialties (e.g., behavioral health, cardiology, oncology, pain management)
19. Identify variations in genetic response among racial or ethnic groups
20. Describe the roles and responsibilities of clinical laboratories
21. Establish criteria for selecting a PGx laboratory
22. Compare and contrast PGx lab testing vs Direct-to-Consumer genetic testing
23. Detail the key components required in a pharmacogenomic test for clinical practice
24. Describe utilization of PGx in terms relevant for healthcare providers and payors
25. Utilize clinical decision support tools to inform therapeutic recommendations
26. Apply evidence-based literature to therapy recommendations
27. Create strategies to develop and deliver pharmacogenetic recommendations to prescribers
28. Describe the applicability of pharmacogenomics for patients
29. Counsel a patient on their test results

Financial support was provided for this course through an unrestricted educational grant from RxGenomix, a comprehensive pharmacogenomics (PGx) solutions company dedicated to empowering healthcare providers to optimize and scale the application of PGx.

Faculty:

D. Max Smith, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Pharmacogenomics Specialist
MedStar Health

David Kisor, BS, PharmD, FCP
Professor and Director
Manchester University Pharmacogenomics

Behnaz Sarrami, MS, PharmD
Director of Consulting
Missouri Pharmacogenomics Consulting LLC

John A Galdo, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCGP
CEimpact
Ross Bridge Pharmacy

D. Max Smith, David Kisor and Jake Galdo report no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this continuing pharmacy education course.

Behnaz Sarrami is a Consultant for Missouri Pharmacogenomics Consulting, LLC.

Fee includes course, course materials, and CPE credit submission to CPE Monitor.
Initial Release Date: December 21, 2020
Planned Expiration Date: December 21, 2023