Increased use of pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing in the clinical setting has revealed a number of challenges to providing this service. PGx is an important component of precision medicine that brings together the fields of genetics and clinical pharmacology. A model that incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to implementation and information delivery may be the most beneficial to patients and providers. In this review, translational considerations in the provision of PGx testing and counseling services are described. Specifically, we report on the selection of PGx tests, the provision of patient education and counseling, and examples of PGx service delivery models that incorporate counseling by pharmacists and genetic counselors. Examples of ancillary risks associated with PGx testing, testing of children, and familial implications of testing are reviewed. Through multispecialty partnerships, including genetic counselors and pharmacists, implementation obstacles to PGx testing can be overcome to provide quality precision medicine to patients.
Keywords: disease associations; genetic counseling; pharmacists; pharmacogenetics; pharmacogenomics.
© 2017 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.