Pharmacogenomics integration: An interventional study on enhancing clinical decision-making among healthcare professionals

INTRODUCTION Pharmacogenomics (PGx) personalizes medication using genetic information to improve treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects, addressing individual differences in drug metabolism.[1,2] In India, PGx adoption is limited by low awareness, lack of education, insufficient infrastructure, high costs, and absence of guidelines.[3] Despite these challenges, PGx can reduce healthcare costs and enhance clinical care, particularly in fields such as cardiology, oncology, psychiatry, and infectious diseases. METHODOLOGY This prospective interventional study assessed knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) of PGx among 163 healthcare professionals (HCPs). A validated KAP questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha 0.8) with demographics and 8, 10, 10 KAP questions were used respectively. Participants completed pre–post intervention surveys around an educational PGx video. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation for assessing intervention effectiveness. RESULTS The study included 163 participants: 85 females (52.1%) and 78 males (47.9%). Most (92.6%) were aged 20–29. Educationally, 55.2% were from pharmacy, 30.1% medicine, and 14.7% nursing. Participants included pharmacy graduates (27.0%), Pharm.D interns (21.5%), medical postgraduates (18.4%), house surgeons (9.8%), nursing interns (8.0%), nurses (6.7%), research scholars (6.1%), and consultants (2.5%). Most (93.9%) had 0–3 years of experience. Intervention comparison KAP scores improved by 13.07%, 10.08%, 16.41% respectively, confirming the intervention’s effectiveness. Mean scores increased following the intervention. Knowledge of PGx in reducing adverse drug reactions improved from 3.94 to 4.37 (P < 0.001) and understanding of personalized medicine from 3.93 to 4.22 (P = 0.001). Attitude scores improved for support of PGx seminars (3.83–4.40), PGx-guided treatment (3.82–4.43), and the need for additional testing centers (3.87–4.44) (all P < 0.001). Perception scores rose, with clinical application increasing from 3.81 to 4.43 and academic integration from 3.85 to 4.42 (P < 0.001). Pearson correlation showed moderate positive associations between education level and pretest knowledge (r = 0.293, P < 0.001), attitude (r = 0.319, P < 0.001), and practice (r = 0.219, P = 0.005). No significant correlations were found between education and posttest knowledge (r = −0.145, P = 0.064) or attitude (r = 0.008, P = 0.917), suggesting the intervention equalized these outcomes. Notably, posttest practice scores correlated negatively with education (r = −0.233, P = 0.003), indicating greater improvements among lower-educated participants and a reduction in educational disparities. DISCUSSION This study showed significant improvements in HCPs’ KAP toward PGx after an educational intervention. Knowledge increased by 13.07%, with notable gains in understanding PGx’s role in reducing adverse drug reactions (P < 0.001) and personalized treatment (P = 0.001). These findings align with prior studies by Arafah et al.,[4] and Albassam et al.,[5] which highlighted moderate baseline knowledge and identified lack of formal education. Our findings support Alhaddad et al.’s[6] call for structured PGx education in pharmacy curricula and continuing medical education. Attitudes improved by 10.08%, showing strong support for PGx seminars, testing centers, and PGx-guided treatments (P < 0.001). These findings align with Shre et al.,[7] Guo et al.,[8] and Elewa et al.,[9] who reported rising interest, positive pharmacist attitudes despite costs, and strong leadership despite low awareness. Perceptions improved, with support for PGx integration in clinical, policy, pharmacist, and academic domains (P < 0.001), consistent with Siamoglou et al.’s[10] call for policy frameworks and insurance support. Education and systemic backing are essential for PGx adoption. Limitations include the single-center design and self-reported data, which may limit generalizability. Future research should assess long-term knowledge retention and clinical outcomes through multicenter studies and randomized controlled trials. CONCLUSION This study confirms that targeted educational intervention significantly improves the KAP of PGx among the HCPs, supporting its integration into clinical practice. The findings highlight the effectiveness of structured PGx education in closing knowledge gaps and fostering acceptance of PGx-based decision-making. Despite existing challenges such as cost, limited guidelines, and lack of training, there is strong interest among healthcare professionals in adopting PGx. The study underscores the need for scalable education, regulatory support, and curriculum integration to overcome barriers and promote PGx implementation, particularly in resource-limited settings like India, where it can enhance treatment outcomes and reduce adverse drug reactions. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.