Clinicians seeking to utilize pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing in their practice may find the current process challenging.
Pharmacogenetic test results are complex, requiring time and expertise to interpret.
Once the test is interpreted, a working understanding of professional guidelines is necessary to apply the results to patient care. This is the 'art' of PGx interpretation.
The Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) seeks to clarify the process of applying PGx results to clinical practice and clinical decision making by providing peer reviewed, evidence based clinical practice guidelines.
Guidelines are based on scientific evidence including the number and quality of research papers, the number of patients included in studies, the results of meta-analyses that support the use of PGx testing and the clinical significance of results.
The comprehensive implementation of PGx has been shown to improve outcomes, reduce serious or troublesome adverse events and decrease costs.
Clinicians interested in moving forward with PGx will find support by collaborating with pharmacists that are well versed in the process of interpreting and applying PGx to clinical practice.
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