Each spring, a cohort of students graduate from Manchester University with their Pharm.D. degrees. This year was no different – except that four of these students were the first to graduate simultaneously with a Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics (M.S. in PGx).
The first of its kind nationally,
Manchester’s innovative dual degree program that combines the Pharm.D. with the M.S. in PGx provides students with valuable hands-on experiences in a rapidly expanding field seeking skilled practitioners. The University launched the dual degree program in 2018.
Pharmacogenomics is a breakthrough science that uses an individual’s genetic markers to customize and optimize his/her/their medication therapy.
For Manchester University, providing an option to combine a Pharm.D. with a Master in Pharmacogenomics made perfect sense. Because pharmacists have the most training in pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, adding pharmacogenomics – with its focus on genetics – to the mix is optimal for applications in the realm of pharmacy.
“I really didn’t know much about pharmacogenomics until I was in pharmacy school,” said
Ellen Line ’21 Pharm.D., M.S. in PGx
, “Learning more about how we as pharmacists help patients manage their prescriptions, pharmacogenomics offered a path to further ensure patients are on all of the right medications and treatment options.”
During the 2020-2021 academic year, Line and Aaron Perkins ’21 Pharm.D., M.S. in PGx, were dual degree program students who were able to get a taste of the real-world applications of pharmacogenomics through their PGx rotations.
Line’s rotation took her to the renowned Cleveland Clinic, where she worked closely with her preceptor, Jennifer Hockings, Pharm.D., Ph.D., in the organization’s Department of Pharmacy and Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare.
“In addition to consults with patients, any time a genetic test was ordered, I reviewed it and made sure it was appropriate,” said Line. “I reviewed patients’ histories and interpreted results to make sure appropriate actions were made.”
Line also created a handout for the pharmacists at the Cleveland Clinic that showed which drugs have specific FDA indications for genetic testing.
“Before they approve the drug, they can reference the patient’s chart and make sure that they have any necessary genetic testing done ahead of time,” Line said.
Hockings said that, in her role as a pharmacogenomic clinical specialist, she focuses on a combination of patient care, education, research and implementation.
“When it comes to having students in the clinic, I try to incorporate them in the workflow depending on their knowledge and comfort level,” said Hockings. “Obviously, having students coming from Manchester where they have general pharmacogenomics knowledge helps.”
For Perkins, his Invitae rotation in Seattle looked a bit different due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Invitae is a genomic testing company that is branching out into other areas of genomic medicine, including software and data, said Perkins’ preceptor, Valerie Baron, Pharm.D., a pharmacogenomics pharmacist and product lead at Invitae.
“The mission of the company is really to bring accessible genomics to mainstream medicine,” Baron said.
Perkins described his experiential rotation as a comprehensive look at pharmacogenomic technology and applications.
“Dr. Baron oversaw a number of different clinical pharmacists within Invitae, and each one of them had their own skill sets,” Perkins said. “I got to see the development and work that goes into how the technology functions, and then how that technology is put into action to help improve patient care.”
And Baron said that’s the goal when it comes to students – to give them an idea of what it would be like to work in pharmacogenomics in real-world scenarios. It’s important for students to spend time with different aspects of pharmacy and pharmacogenomics because not all pharmacists do the same thing, she said.
“In Aaron’s case, one thing he did was put together a pharmacogenomics webinar series for anybody in the company who had an interest, because PGx was new to Invitae,” Baron said. “His webinars focused on a few main topic areas, like PGx and pain management, PGx and oncology, and PGx and cardiology.”
For both Line and Perkins, they consider their pharmacogenomics rotations an invaluable component of their Manchester experience.
“I consider myself a lifelong learner. I’m always trying to pick up on new knowledge,” said Perkins. “So, for me, pharmacogenomics being a newer, emerging field within pharmacy, it allows me the opportunity to gain a new skill set to add to my repertoire in order to really help make a difference for patients.”
Line also views expertise in pharmacogenomics as a valuable tool for the future of pharmacy.
“I realized that if I’m going to be in this field, then I really want to have all the tools that I can to be the best pharmacist I can be,” she said. “And pharmacogenomics is definitely something that I knew would be valuable right now, but especially in the future as the field continues to grow.”