Implementation and Evaluation of Genetic Testing Seminars about Lifestyle-related Disease Prevention in Pharmacy Insurance
—The Need for Cooperation between the Pharmacy and the University in Genetic Testing—

Abstract

 A seminar titled “Implementation and evaluation of genetic testing of lifestyle-related disease genes” was held for pharmacists, medical clerks, and clerks of pharmacy insurance, with the aim of holding seminars led by pharmacists for the general public (including patients) in the future. The subject of the seminar was single nucleotide polymorphisms in obesity-related genes and alcohol metabolism-related genes. The purpose of the seminar was to contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases of the general public. We evaluated it by administering a questionnaire to the participants before and after the seminar. After the seminar, 55% of pharmacists answered that they would like to or would strongly like to participate in genetic testing (for lifestyle-related diseases and drug metabolism-related genes) of the general public. However, some participants did not wish to do so. A customer satisfaction (CS) analysis found that this was mainly because they did not want to know the results of genetic testing of others, which they felt should be private. Most (82%) of the pharmacists answered that assistance and advice was “very necessary” or “necessary” in the participation of genetic testing. These findings show that collaboration between pharmacies and universities will be important for future seminars to the general public.