Attitudinal barriers to delivery of race-targeted pharmacogenomics among informed lay persons.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain attitudes of prospective patients relevant to the delivery of race-based pharmacogenomics.


METHODS
Written anonymous survey and qualitative responses in two sets of reactance format focus groups over-sampled for minority groups in urban, suburban, and rural communities conducted from February through April, 2002 [N = 104] and August through November, 2002 [N = 120].


RESULTS
Participants do not associate "races" exclusively with continental clusters. They have incomplete knowledge of their recent ancestors (39.6% do not know all their biological grandparents). They would be highly suspicious of race-labeled drugs; with 47.5% saying they would be very suspicious of their safety and 40.6% indicating they would be very suspicious of their efficacy. A substantial minority of African-American participants (13.2%) would prefer to take the drugs designated for European Americans. Effect of discussion of race-based medicine on racial attitudes is ambiguous.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient knowledge of ancestry and suspicion of race-designated drugs constitute substantial barriers that need to be incorporated in judging the likely effectiveness of race-based pharmacogenomics.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004348:Drug Labeling; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010358:Patient Participation; D010597:Pharmacogenetics
Empirical Approach; Genetics and Reproduction