Potential roles for pharmacists in pharmacogenetics.
OBJECTIVE
To highlight areas of pharmacogenetics in which pharmacists may play a role and to describe those roles in the context of specific examples from a major academic medical center.


METHODS
Literature search (PubMed) and personal interviews for the University of California at San Francisco case examples.


RESULTS
The field of pharmacogenetics presents a wide range of opportunities for pharmacists. Specific roles for pharmacists are likely to fall within three major domains: developing research methodologies and setting research directions, establishing the value of pharmacogenetic testing in clinical practice, and participating in education and infrastructure development that moves pharmacogenetic technologies toward implementation.


CONCLUSIONS
As drug therapy experts, pharmacists are in a unique position to push the frontiers of pharmacogenetics in both the research and clinical practice environments.
El-Ibiary
Shareen Y
SY
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy; School of Pharmacy Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA. Electronic address: elibiarys@pharmacy.ucsf.edu.
Cheng
Christine
C
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy; School of Pharmacy Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA.
Alldredge
Brian
B
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy; School of Pharmacy Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco. San Francisco USA.
D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010597:Pharmacogenetics / Q000379:methods*; D024382:Professional Role; D012107:Research Design