Background: Pharmacists’ contribution to pharmacogenomics (PGx) implementation in clinical practice is vital, but a great proportion of them are not aware of PGx and its applications. This highlights the university education’s crucial role to prepare pharmacists to face future challenges in such a constantly evolving and demanding environment. Objectives: Our study aims to examine pharmacy students’ training satisfaction, knowledge, self-confidence and attitudes towards PGx on their intentions for postgraduate training in PGx and personalised medicine (PM). Methods: An initial model on students’ intention to pursue postgraduate training in PGx and PM and its predicting factors, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), was proposed. Based on it, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 346 pharmacy students of all study years, capturing the selected factors influencing students’ intentions to postgraduate training in PGx and PM, as well as their demographics. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was employed to determine the effects of both the examined factors and demographics on students’ intentions. Results: Students did not consider themselves adequately prepared for using PGx in clinical practice. Their attitudes towards PGx implementation were the most important factor influencing their intentions to pursue postgraduate training in PGx and PM. Other factors such as self-confidence and training satisfaction also affected students’ intentions, but to a lower extent. Students of the last two study years (40% of the whole sample) and male (36%) students stated to be less willing to pursue PGx-related studies in the future. Only 10% of the participants claimed to have undergone a recent PGx or genetic test, but this did not affect their intentions. Conclusion: There is an important gap in pharmacy school curriculum regarding PGx and PM training which coupled with the slow rate of PGx and PM implementation into clinical practice seems to restrain students’ aspiration to further expand their knowledge and horizons in terms of PGx and PM.

This study aimed at producing an updated assessment of the incidence of anaphylaxis associated with COVID-19 vaccines based on pharmacovigilance data. Anaphylactic reaction and anaphylactic shock data post-COVID-19-vaccination reported from week 52, 2020 to week 1 or week 2, 2023 were collected from the VAERS and EudraVigilance databases, respectively, and analyzed comparatively. Incidence rates were calculated using the corresponding administered vaccine doses as denominators for all licensed vaccines and both platform types (mRNA or vectored). The latest data from the present analysis showed lower anaphylaxis incidence associated with COVID-19 vaccination compared to previous estimates from week 52, 2020 to week 39, 2021 (anaphylactic reaction: 8.96 (95% CI 8.80–9.11)/million doses overall (EEA: 14.19 (95% CI 13.92–14.47)/million/US: 3.17 (95% CI 3.03–3.31)/million); anaphylactic shock: 1.46 (95% CI 1.39–1.52)/million doses overall (EEA: 2.47 (95% CI 2.36–2.58)/million/US: 0.33 (95% CI 0.29–0.38)/million)). Incidence rates varied by vaccine and were higher as captured in EudraVigilance compared to the VAERS and for vectored compared to mRNA vaccines. Most reported cases had a favorable outcome. The extremely rare fatalities (overall rates across continents 0.04 (95% CI 0.03–0.06)/million doses for anaphylactic reaction and 0.02 (95% CI 0.01–0.03)/million vaccine doses for anaphylactic shock) were also associated with vector-rather than mRNA-based vaccines. The diminished incidence of anaphylaxis post-vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines offers assurance about their safety, as does the continuous potential adverse events monitoring through specialized pharmacovigilance databases.

Background: There is an increasing interest worldwide in investigating healthcare stakeholders’ perceptions and intentions to adopt pharmacogenomics (PGx) into clinical practice. However, the existing inquiries based on well-established theories and models that interpret their intentions to implement PGx are scarce. This study is the first that examines the impact of selected factors on health science students’ intention to adopt genetic testing applications using the technology acceptance model while it compares two different cultural groups: Greeks (Europe; Christian) and Malays (Asia; Muslim). Results: Malay students were more persuaded about benefits of genomics for drug management compared to their Greek counterparts. However, participants from both countries appear to be particularly convinced about the benefits of genomics on disease management. Moreover, students from both countries considered the potential misuse of genetic information by corporate or government bodies as their most important concern; Greek students appeared to be considerably less worried than Malay about other probable hazards such as the deficient protection of privacy and confidentiality, which could be attributed to their religious background. Participants from both samples expressed very positive attitudes towards genetic research and testing and their favourable intentions to adopt genetic testing for personal use. Exploratory factors analysis and path analysis yielded quite similar results for both samples. Path analysis revealed that the factors of attitudes, concerns, drug management benefits and disease management benefits significantly influenced students’ intentions to adopt genetic testing for personal use, with attitudes being the most inspirational factor with rather high impact, while training did not seem to affect participant’s intentions. The squared multiple correlation of both models was quite satisfactory reaching to 0.55 for the Malaysian sample. Conclusion: Similarities in the results of the two groups along with the relevant validity and reliability tests indicate that the proposed model is a good fit for future studies to interpret stakeholders’ intentions to adopt genetic testing. Therefore, it can provide a promising and reliable basis for future model development to explain the relationships between intentions to adopt genetic testing and its predictors.

Background: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) constitutes an important part of personalized medicine and has several clinical applications. PGx role in clinical practice is known, however, it has not been widely adopted yet. In this study, we aim to investigate the perspectives of Greek physicians regarding the implementation of PGx testing in clinical practice and the key issues associated with it. Methods: Fourteen interviews were conducted with physicians of various specialties for which PGx applications are available. A semi-structured interview guide was utilized based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) context and the Diffusion of Innovation model. Transcripts were coded independently and compared by two members of the research team. Descriptive statistics were generated using Microsoft Excel. Results: Six main themes emerged: awareness and use of PGx testing; source of information; key stakeholders of the PGx supply chain, their interactions and change agents; clinical benefit and significance of PGx testing; barriers and lack of reimbursement; and recommendations to boost the PGx adoption rate. Most respondents were aware of PGx applications, but only three had already recommended PGx testing. Peer-reviewed journals along with clinical guidelines were regarded as the most used source of information while stakeholders of the PGx supply chain were discussed. PGx was considered that promote patient-centered care, enhance medication clinical effectiveness, decrease the risk of side effects, and reduce healthcare costs. Lack of reimbursement, scarcity of resources, and high PGx cost were the foremost barriers affecting PGx adoption. Conclusions: It was concluded that if case PGx testing is reimbursed and physicians’ training is reinforced, PGx implementation will be boosted and improved shortly.