Evaluation of the need for pharmacogenomics testing among physicians in the West Bank of Palestine

Yazun Jarrar; Rami Musleh; Anas Hamdan; Mustafa Ghanim

doi:10.1515/dmpt-2021-0121

Article

Evaluation of the need for pharmacogenomics testing among physicians in the West Bank of Palestine

Yazun Jarrar , Rami Musleh , Anas Hamdan and Mustafa Ghanim

Published/Copyright: June 7, 2021

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From the journal Drug Metabolism and Personalized Therapy Volume 36 Issue 4

Abstract

Objectives

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing optimizes pharmacotherapy and reduces interindividual variation in drug responses. However, it is still not implemented in clinical practice in the West Bank of Palestine (WBP). The aim of this study was to determine the need for PGx education and testing among physicians from different specialties in WBP.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional survey that was administered to 381 physicians from different cities in WBP. The questionnaire consisted of 27 closed-ended questions that evaluate the exposure and attitude toward PGx education, the role of PGx testing in clinical practice, and the capabilities of physicians in PGx testing.

Results

It was found that exposure to PGx education is low, with most of the respondents (81.1%) answering that PGx was not an integral part of their medical education. The majority (>90%) of the participants agreed that PGx should be included in the medical school curriculum. It was also found that 58.5% of the participants agreed that PGx testing is relevant to their current clinical practice. In addition, most of the participant physicians (>60%) think that they are currently not capable of prescribing and making decisions for pharmacotherapy based on PGx testing.

Conclusions

It is concluded that there is a high need for PGx education and implementation in clinical practice in WBP. We recommend adding PGx courses to the curricula of medical schools and going forward with the implementation of PGx testing in clinical practice in WBP.

Keywords: education; pharmacogenomics; physicians; questionnaire; West Bank of Palestine

Corresponding author: Yazun Jarrar, PhD, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, Phone: +962795930283, E-mail: yazun.jarrar@zuj.edu.jo

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank An-Najah University, Nablus, West Bank of Palestine; for supporting this research.

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: The local Institutional Review Board deemed the study exempt from review.

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Received: 2021-03-12

Accepted: 2021-04-19

Published Online: 2021-06-07

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/dmpt-2021-0121

Keywords for this article

education; pharmacogenomics; physicians; questionnaire; West Bank of Palestine