Advanced practice nurse pharmacogenomics capacity and utilization.

BACKGROUND: Guided by Clinical Pharmacogenomic Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines for >140 medications, pharmacogenomic tests inform medication selection and dosing to optimize efficacy while minimizing toxicities.

PURPOSE: This study assessed pharmacogenomic self-reported curricular content, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and usage in advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with prescriptive privileges.

METHODOLOGY: An online survey was administered assessing pharmacogenomic curricular content, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and usage.

RESULTS: Data from 266 APRNs were analyzed. Most graduated with their highest nursing degree ∼10 years ago and reported pharmacogenomic curricular content (n = 124, 48%). Pharmacogenomic curricular content was associated with pharmacogenomic familiarity (p = .045) but not with knowledge confidence (p = .615). Pharmacogenomic usage, defined as ordering a pharmacogenomic test within the past year, was low (n = 76, 29%) and most (n = 210, 84%) reported never using CPIC Guidelines. Advanced practice registered nurses (n = 162) who did not anticipate ordering a pharmacogenomic test in the next year (n = 77, 48%) indicated that they did not know what test to order.

CONCLUSIONS: Deficits were identified in APRN pharmacogenomic knowledge and skills despite academic training. Most reported not ordering pharmacogenomic tests, did not know what test to order, and did not use CPIC guidelines.

IMPLICATIONS: Pharmacogenomics is a quality and safety issue. Academic training did not result in practice integration and most reported capacity deficits. Recommendation for overcoming academic deficits include: (1) assessment of pharmacogenomics curricular content and faculty teaching capacity; (2) training addressing identified deficiencies; and (3) Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education policies that include pharmacogenomics in advanced pharmacology. Practicing APRN plans include on-the-job training and/or mandatory training at the time of relicensure.