Some aspects of genetics and pharmacogenetics understanding by pharmacy students in Ukraine

Abstract

Background: Prescription and administration of drugs are still carried out without taking into consideration the individual’s needs of a particular patient on the post-Soviet territory. A pharmacist may play a crucial role in the field of pharmacogenetics development in any country, nevertheless his/her role is uncertain even in the countries where pharmacogenetics is intensively developed. The aim of the present work is to analyze students’ awareness about pharmacogenetics in the National University of Pharmacy (NUPh) since its development is delayed in Ukraine.
Methods: Field investigations have been used in this work. The material analysis based on questioning 637 students of the 1st–4th year majoring in pharmacy has been carried out.
Results: The analysis of the future pharmacists’ awareness in the field of genetics and pharmacogenetics, as well as the study of the sex specificity of this awareness, has been carried out for the first time in Ukraine. It has been stated that more than 70% of the students questioned got the information about pharmacogenetics in University for the first time. However, only more than one-third of respondents (37.7% of males and 43.9% of females) correctly understand the idea of this discipline. About half of the students questioned thought that pharmacocorrection of hereditary diseases was impossible. It has been shown that on the whole females were more informed about pharmacogenetics than males. So, they can become more active persons of pharmaceutical market in future.
Conclusion: The awareness about pharmacogenetics and its role in personalized medicine is not satisfactory both in Ukraine and other countries. Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to the aspects of pharmacogenetics when training competent up to date specialists in the field of pharmacy. Effective development of the appropriate infrastructure in pharmacogenetics testing and its introduction among the population of Ukraine are also necessary.

Keywords: Pharmacogenetics; Genetics; Personalized medicine; Pharmacy students; Ukraine