A Genotyping Exercise for Pharmacogenetics in Pharmacy Practice

Objective. To develop a genotype exercise to improve pharmacy students' comprehension of pharmacogenetic principles that apply to patient care. Design. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was collected during class from 10 student volunteers and subjected to genotype analysis. The results were presented to the class and discussed in the context of a patient genetic counseling session. Students completed a survey instrument regarding their attitudes toward this learning experience. Assessment. Students indicated that the exercise engaged them with the course content and would positively influence their ability to apply pharmacogenetic principles to patient care. Conclusion. An applied genotype exercise enhanced learning of pharmacogenetic principles. Based on these findings, conducting a genotype exercise in a large classroom setting is feasible in terms of time and expense, and meaningful in terms of student satisfaction.